Storm reports for May 18, 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 18 →

On May 18, 1998, 83 hail, 47 damaging-wind and 0 tornado reports were logged across 9 states. The largest hail reported was 1.75″ (golf ball size) in Putnam County, FL.

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 $201,000 in property damage and $840,000 in crop damage from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (152 events in 9 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Finney County, KS (near Garden City) · Thunderstorm wind · $5,000
  “Trees uprooted and windows blown out of cars.”
• Putnam County, FL (near Crescent City) · Thunderstorm wind · $4,000
  “Large trees and power lines were blown down.”
• Marion County, FL (near Ocala) · Thunderstorm wind · $4,000
  “Large trees and power lines were blown down.”
• Putnam County, FL (near Palatka) · Thunderstorm wind · $3,000
  “Large trees were blown down. House damaged.”
• Reeves County, TX (near Saragosa) · Thunderstorm wind · $2,000
  “The storms then exited the mountains, weakened but still had a downburst during its collapse that blew a satellite dish into a car's windshield. The windshield was smashed and also there was minor roof damage to a house in the area due to the wind.”
• Hitchcock County, NE (near Stratton) · Thunderstorm wind 75 mph
  “Spotter estimated 70 to 80 mph wind gust.”

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