Arkansas, 1998

Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, June 4, 1998

June 4, 1998 · NWS TSA · 11 events in 3 counties and zones

Summary of events for June 4 1998:Two severe thunderstorms moved across northwest Arkansas on the evening of June 4. The first was the worse of the two, developing along an unseasonably strong cold front in Sequoyah County Oklahoma in extremely unstable air with strong mid-level winds.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$46,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS TSA wrote it up.

Summary of events for June 4 1998:Two severe thunderstorms moved across northwest Arkansas on the evening of June 4. The first was the worse of the two, developing along an unseasonably strong cold front in Sequoyah County Oklahoma in extremely unstable air with strong mid-level winds. As this storms entered Arkansas west of Mountainburg, it began to grow in both size and strength as it moved across Crawford County. By the time it reached Franklin County, it had developed a large bow echo and became a prolific wind and hail producer. There were numerous reports of widespread damaging thunderstorm winds and hail as large as baseballs in Franklin County. The second of the two storms formed in Crawford County and moved northeast across southern Madison County, producing reports of marginally severe thunderstrom winds.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Crawford

When
June 4, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Crawford County, Mountainburg
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.630, -94.170

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When
June 4, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Crawford County, Mountainburg
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
35.630, -94.170

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
June 4, 5:40 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, 5 mi NW of Ozark
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
35.550, -93.900

Lightning, Franklin

When
June 4, 5:45 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, Ozark
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
35.512, -93.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning destroyed the big motor that operates Ozark's water system at City Lake. City workers had to operate the pump manually for several days to provide residents with their water supply.

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
June 4, 5:50 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, Cass
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
35.680, -93.820

Trees and power lines were blown down in Cass. There was some structural damage to buildings in the area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
June 4, 5:50 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, Ozark
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
35.500, -93.830

Thunderstorm winds knocked down trees and tree limbs all over the city of Ozark. The winds shattered windows in the Faith Addition on North 25th and 26th Streets, the city's second-largest subdivision. The Franklin County OES Director reported numerous trees blown down countywide with numerous reports of dime to nickel-sized hail.

Hail, Franklin

When
June 4, 5:55 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, Ozark
Measured
2.75 in hail
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
35.500, -93.830

Baseball-sized hail damged a house and its awnings.

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
June 4, 6:05 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, Altus
Property damage
$500
Coordinates
35.450, -93.770

Several trees (3 ft. diameter) were blown down in Altus. One tree was blown onto a street, blocking the roadway.

Hail, Franklin

When
June 4, 6:13 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, Ozark
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.500, -93.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When
June 4, 8:40 PM CST
Where
Madison County, St Paul
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
35.820, -93.770

Tree limbs (8 to 10-inch diameter) blown down

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When
June 4, 8:45 PM CST
Where
Crawford County, Mulberry
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
35.500, -94.050

Several 6-8" diameter tree limbs blown down in town

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, June 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5645445, 5645446, 5645447, 5645454, 5645452, 5645455, 5645451, 5645448, 5645449, 5645453, 5645450.