Storm reports for May 31, 1998

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

← May 30, 1998 All 1998 storm days · May 1998 Jun 1, 1998 →

Other storms on May 31 →

On May 31, 1998, 158 hail, 379 damaging-wind and 39 tornado reports were logged across 18 states. The largest hail reported was 2.75″ (baseball size) in Lawrence County, IL. Tornadoes killed 1.

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 (158)

Damage, injuries and deaths

National Weather Service offices recorded about $101 million in property damage, $520,000 in crop damage, 133 injuries and 5 deaths from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (675 events in 18 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Somerset County, PA (near Salisbury) · Tornado F3 · $4 million · 1 death · 15 injuries
  “The tornado touched down just east of Mt. Davis and traveled east-southeast into downtown Salisbury. The storm then continued eastward for 8 miles ending east of the town of Pocahontas.”
• Otsego County, NY (near Cooperstown) · Thunderstorm wind · $100,000 · 1 death · 5 injuries
  “Severe thunderstorms moved across the county during the afternoon. Trees and wires were blown down in Cooperstown and Laurens between 4:30 and 4:35 pm EDT. Numerous trees and wires were also downed by the wind in Schenevus at 4:45 pm and Oneonta at 4:50 pm EDT.”
• Cuyahoga County, OH (near Lakewood) · Thunderstorm wind · $10,000 · 1 death
  “A 14 year old boy was killed when struck by an electric wire that was downed when a tree was downed on two utility poles and part of a garage roof.”
• Broome County, NY (near Vestal) · Tornado F3 · $1.5 million · 12 injuries
  “A tornadic supercell ripped across southern sections of the county between approximately 5:35 pm and 6:45 pm EDT. Tornado intensities varied from F0 to F3 along this path. Hailstones as large as baseballs and tea cups were also observed along the cell's southern and western flanks.”
• Otsego County, NY (near Cooperstown) · Thunderstorm wind · $125,000 · 10 injuries
  “Severe thunderstorms produced widespread damage across the county. Trees and wires were blown down in Cooperstown and northern Burlington Flats between 3:30 and 3:40 pm EDT. Several roads were blocked due to the downed trees and wires.”
• Pike County, PA (near Pecks Pond) · Tornado F3 · $1 million · 2 injuries
  “The cell that produced tornadic damage earlier both in southern Wayne county and just upstream in Promised Land State Park dropped a tornado once again across the southern and southeastern portions of Pike county.”

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