Storm reports for May 12, 1998

IndependentNot affiliated with NOAA or the National Weather Service. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports. Data through November 6, 2026. Methodology

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Other storms on May 12 →

On May 12, 1998, 83 hail, 7 damaging-wind and 13 tornado reports were logged across 10 states. The largest hail reported was 4.50″ (softball size) in Schuyler County, IL.

Storm day runs 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. Eastern (12:00–12:00 UTC), the convention the Storm Prediction Center uses. Radar hail estimates start October 2019.

Storm reports by state

Cities with hail reported within 5 miles

Hail reports (83)

Damage, injuries and deaths

National Weather Service offices recorded about $239,000 in property damage and $55,000 in crop damage from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (122 events in 10 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Barron County, WI (near Dallas) · Tornado F0 · $100,000
  “Vehicle lifted off roadway and tossed into field. Large pine trees uprooted and broken. West face of wooden barn torn away. Shed destroyed.”
• Fulton County, IL (near Table Grove) · Hail 1.75″ · $14,000
  “Hail caused considerable damage to 3 police cars. The hail smashed the windshields and back windows on all three cars and damaged the light bars on each about one mile west of Ipava. No injuries were reported and damage was estimated around $14,000.”
• Whiteside County, IL (near Tampico) · Thunderstorm wind · $0
  “A gusty thunderstorm wind caused a tree to fall onto powerlines producing a brief power outage in Southeast Whiteside county.”
• Gogebic County, MI (near Ironwood) · Thunderstorm wind 63 mph
  “Two trees 12 inches in diameter were uprooted and fell on a trailer.”
• Schuyler County, IL (near Littleton) · Hail 4.50″
  “Hail fell over Littleton covering the ground. Some of the hail stones were 4.5 inches in diameter. Numerous cars and machinery sustained damage.”
• Kane County, IL (near Maple Park) · Hail 2.75″
  “Gusty winds, large hail and dozens of lightning strikes were responsible for downed tree limbs and power lines, with the worst of it in the Dundee Township area. A lightning strike started a fire in a Carpentersville home.”

Event narratives from NWS Storm Data, shortened. Up to six per day, chosen by deaths, injuries, damage and size.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Storm Events Database, as entered by National Weather Service offices; data through July 31, 2026. Damage is in dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation.

Guides: What radar-estimated hail (MESH) is and isn't · Storm reports: preliminary vs final