Illinois, 1998

Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, June 18, 1998

June 18, 1998 · NWS DVN · 16 events in 9 counties and zones

8 hail, 5 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$116,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
16

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.

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 109 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 hail, 5 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stephenson

When
June 18, 2:15 PM CST
Where
Stephenson County, Freeport
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.280, -89.620

Several trees were blown down and vents were ripped off a tire store after straight line thunderstorm winds up to 65 mph rushed across the county.

Hail, Rock Island

When
June 18, 4:00 PM CST to 4:11 PM CST
Where
Rock Island County, East Moline to Silvis
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
41.520, -90.470

Severe thunderstorms resulted in numerous reports of hail across Nothern Rock Island County. Hail sizes ranged from three quarters of an inch in Silvis to one and three fourth inches in East Moline.

Tornado, Mercer

When
June 18, 4:10 PM CST to 4:20 PM CST
Where
Mercer County, Seaton to 1 mi SE of Aledo
Rating
F2
Path length
6 mi
Path width
880 yd
Property damage
$110,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
41.100, -90.800

The tornado damaged several rural home sites. Northeast of Seaton damage was noted to farm buildings and a silo. South of Aledo seven power lines poles were snapped, and a farmhouse 4 miles west of Aledo was destroyed. The tornado also damaged or destroyed farm buildings, roofs and chimneys south of Aledo.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henry

When
June 18, 4:15 PM CST to 4:30 PM CST
Where
Henry County, Colona
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
41.480, -90.350

A squall line roared across the community producing substantial wind damage from strong straight line winds 70 to 90 mph. The damage path width was about 3/4 mile wide, however, no injuries were reported.

Hail, Henry

When
June 18, 4:17 PM CST to 4:24 PM CST
Where
Henry County, Colona to Green Rock
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
41.480, -90.350

Hail, Rock Island

When
June 18, 4:25 PM CST
Where
Rock Island County, Milan
Measured
3 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
41.450, -90.570

Tornado, Warren

When
June 18, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Warren County, Smithshire
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
0.5 yd
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.800, -90.780

Brief tornado touchdown resulted in no apparent damage.

Hail, Rock Island

When
June 18, 4:40 PM CST to 5:05 PM CST
Where
Rock Island County, Barstow
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.520, -90.370

Hail fell for 25 minutes at Barstow.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jo Daviess

When
June 18, 4:45 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Jo Daviess County, Galena to Stockton
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
42.420, -90.420

Numerous trees were downed by strong thunderstorm winds from Galena to Stockton.

Hail, Jo Daviess

When
June 18, 4:50 PM CST
Where
Jo Daviess County, East Dubuque
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.480, -90.630

Thunderstorm Wind, McDonough

When
June 18, 4:55 PM CST to 5:20 PM CST
Where
McDonough County, Blandinsville to Bushnell
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.550, -90.870

Numerous trees and power lines were downed in Blandinsville, Macomb, and Bushnell after strong thunderstorms roared across the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carroll

When
June 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Carroll County, 2 mi E of Milledgeville
Property damage
$500
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.970, -89.750

Strong thunderstorm winds downed several trees.

Hail, Stephenson

When
June 18, 5:05 PM CST to 5:20 PM CST
Where
Stephenson County, Pearl City to Freeport
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.270, -89.830

Hail, Carroll

When
June 18, 5:15 PM CST
Where
Carroll County, Thomson
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.970, -90.100

Tornado, Bureau

When
June 18, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Bureau County, Manlius
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
0.5 yd
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.450, -89.670

Brief tornado touchdown resulted in no reported damage.

Hail, Bureau

When
June 18, 5:40 PM CST to 5:50 PM CST
Where
Bureau County, Princeton to 2 mi of Princeton
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.370, -89.500

A strong thunderstorm dropped hail ranging in size from one inch to one and three fourth inches near Princeton.

What these are

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.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 1998Warnings in Illinois, 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: 5666340, 5666330, 5666336, 5666335, 5666332, 5666331, 5666333, 5666334, 5666326, 5666329, 5666339, 5666327, 5666407, 5666328, 5666337, 5666338.