Tornadoes of 1998
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1998, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.
Synopsis
The 1998 tornado season saw record numbers of tornadoes and also the most fatalities since 1974. A number of tornado events resulted in large loss of life. In February, a series of tornadoes caused 42 fatalities in Florida. In March, a tornado killed 12 in Georgia. In April, an F5 tornado killed 32 in the Birmingham, Alabama area. By year's end, 130 people had been killed in the United States.Events
Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1998 in the United States.January
There were 47 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in January.January 7-8 (United Kingdom)
At 23:49 on 7 January, a waterspout made landfall on the west side of Selsey Bill before travelling east until it reached the sea on the other side of the bill. Whilst it was on land, the tornado caused £5-10 million in damage as it went through the town of Selsey in West Sussex. It was rated T3 on the TORRO scale, with T4 possibly reached in some places. A second tornado was later formed by the same storm further down the coast in Peacehaven, East Sussex, over away.February
There were 72 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in February.February 2–3
An area of severe weather moved across southern Florida, resulting in four confirmed tornadoes. An F2 tornado touched down on the north edge of Miami International Airport, with a measured wind gust of. It strengthened to peak intensity as it moved across Opa Locka Airport, eventually moving into North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines. At those three airports, 235 aircraft were destroyed and damaged. Severe damage also occurred in residential areas and business districts.February 9–12
The Storm Prediction Center issued an extremely rare February high risk day for February 10. A rare derecho then affected parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, producing widespread damaging winds and 22 tornadoes.February 22–23
The most devastating tornado outbreak to ever occur in Florida in terms of loss of life and property damage, occurred from Kissimmee to Sanford. Three of the tornadoes in the outbreak were rated F3. One in particular touched down in northwest Osceola County struck parts of Kissimmee, with the worst damage seen in the southern, eastern, and northeastern parts of the city. It dissipated in Orange County, and was rated an F3. The first tornado, rated F2, caused a fatality and three injuries.March
There were 72 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in March.March 7–9
A large storm system produced 26 tornadoes across the southeast. In addition, heavy snow was reported in Chicago and heavy rain caused flooding.March 20
A deadly tornado outbreak struck portions of the Southeastern United States on March 20. Particularly hard hit was Gainesville, Georgia, where at least 12 people were killed in an early morning F3 tornado. The entire outbreak killed 14 people and produced 12 tornadoes across three states with the town of Stoneville, North Carolina also being hard hit by the storms.March 28
An F2 tornado touched down at approximately 5:25 AM in the town of Mattoon, Illinois. Winds reached around 152 miles per hour and damaged over 90 homes; eight homes and six businesses were destroyed. Tornado Warnings were in effect but had expired at 5:00 AM leaving no warning from tornado sirens or trained spotters in the field. Unusually, the tornado spawned at the back end of a storm instead of the front. At least three people were injured.March 29
An unseasonably-strong tornado outbreak affected the Upper Midwest on March 29. 16 tornadoes struck across the region—14 in Minnesota and two in Wisconsin. 13 of the tornadoes in Minnesota were spawned by a single supercell thunderstorm. Two people were killed, and 21 others were injured. Most of the damage was caused by three tornadoes: an F4 tornado that hit the town of Comfrey, Minnesota, an F3 tornado that struck St. Peter, Minnesota, and an F2 tornado that hit Le Center, Minnesota.April
There were 182 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in April.April 6–9
An extremely violent F5 tornado started North of Kellerman, Alabama and traveled through Northern Jefferson County, before dissipating in Northern Pratt City. The F5 tornado produced catastrophic damage in Oak Grove, McDonald Chapel, and the small community of Edgewater. The same supercell that spawned the Birmingham F5 spawned an F2 that continued into neighboring St. Clair County, killing two people. A high-end F2 tornado struck Dunwoody, Georgia, a northern suburb of metro Atlanta late on April 8, striking parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett Counties. It is one of the strongest and most damaging tornadoes ever recorded to have hit the area.In all, 62 tornadoes touched down from the Midwestern United States and Texas to the Mid-Atlantic. The outbreak was responsible for at least 41 deaths, with seven in Georgia and 34 in Alabama.
April 15–16
A two-day tornado outbreak affected portions of the Midwestern United States, Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys on April 15–16, with the worst of the outbreak taking place on the second day. On that day, at least 10 tornadoes swept through Middle Tennessee—three of them touching down in Nashville, causing significant damage to the downtown and East Nashville areas. Nashville became the first major city in nearly 20 years to have an F2+ tornado make a direct hit in the downtown area.In addition, the outbreak produced several other destructive tornadoes in Middle Tennessee. One of them, southwest of Nashville, was an F5 tornado—one of only two ever recorded in the state. That tornado remained mainly in rural areas of Wayne and Lawrence Counties. Other tornadoes during the 2-day outbreak struck Arkansas, Alabama, Illinois and Kentucky.
12 people were killed by tornadoes during the outbreak, including two in Arkansas, three in Kentucky, and seven in Tennessee.
May
There were 310 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in May.May 4
Two rare, anticyclonic tornadoes struck Los Altos and Sunnyvale in Santa Clara County, California.May 7
A tornado outbreak in the Southeast spawned 20 tornadoes in North Carolina, including an F3 tornado in Clemmons and an F4 tornado in Caldwell County.May 15
A large squall line with embedded supercells crossed much of Minnesota, producing large hail, destructive downburst winds, and five weak, but damaging F1 tornadoes, which killed one and injured 31. In all, the storms caused $1.5 billion in damage.A separate storm system in Iowa spawned several tornadoes including a dusty F3 tornado that impacted Lone Tree, causing significant damage and injuring 47 people with 28 in Washington County, 17 in Johnson County and 2 in Cedar County. The town of Washington suffered extensive damage to the businesses, houses, apartment complex, the town's church and livestock sale barn, 27 people were injured in the town itself and one more injury occurred outside of the town as the tornado rolled over a car and the same storm that produced the Washington F3 would go on to produce a skipping tornado southwest of Benton, Wisconsin where the tornado left moderate to severe damage to 40 farms and downing powerlines, 11 people were injured by this tornado. From the earlier storm systems in Iowa, an intermittent F2 tornado impacted the town of Algona, destroying two homes and fifteen farms. A much more separate storm system struck Wisconsin, producing a F3 tornado that impacted east of Durand, destroying a trailer home and collapsing a home before lifting, a F1 tornado would go on to produce severe damage to the chemical fertilizer plant northwest of Elk Mound before destroying a house alongside a mobile home near Elk Mound.