Indiana, 1998

Tornadoes and Hail in Indiana, May 31, 1998

May 31, 1998 · NWS IWX · 21 events in 9 counties and zones

15 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 2 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
21

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 Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 24 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Noble

When
May 31, 12:40 PM EST
Where
Noble County, Albion
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.400, -85.420

Hail, Steuben

When
May 31, 12:42 PM EST
Where
Steuben County, Ashley
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.530, -85.070

Tornado, De Kalb

When
May 31, 12:44 PM EST
Where
De Kalb County, Spencerville
Rating
F0
Coordinates
41.280, -84.920

Law Enforcement report

Hail, Noble

When
May 31, 12:45 PM EST
Where
Noble County, Kendallville
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
41.450, -85.270

Hail, De Kalb

When
May 31, 12:55 PM EST
Where
De Kalb County, Auburn
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.370, -85.050

Hail, Whitley

When
May 31, 1:05 PM EST
Where
Whitley County, Columbia City
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
41.170, -85.480

Hail, Noble

When
May 31, 1:10 PM EST
Where
Noble County, Ligonier
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.470, -85.580

Tornado, De Kalb

When
May 31, 1:15 PM EST
Where
De Kalb County, Auburn
Rating
F0
Coordinates
41.370, -85.050

Hail, De Kalb

When
May 31, 1:20 PM EST
Where
De Kalb County, St Joe
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.320, -84.900

Hail, De Kalb

When
May 31, 1:20 PM EST
Where
De Kalb County, Spencerville
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.280, -84.920

Hail, Grant

When
May 31, 1:50 PM EST
Where
Grant County, Fairmount
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.420, -85.650

Hail, Blackford

When
May 31, 2:00 PM EST
Where
Blackford County, Hartford City
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.450, -85.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When
May 31, 2:02 PM EST
Where
Grant County, Gas City
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates
40.480, -85.620

Hail, Blackford

When
May 31, 2:15 PM EST
Where
Blackford County, Hartford City
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.450, -85.370

Hail, Grant

When
May 31, 2:25 PM EST
Where
Grant County, Gas City
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.480, -85.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When
May 31, 2:25 PM EST
Where
Grant County, Gas City
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates
40.480, -85.620

Hail, Adams

When
May 31, 2:31 PM EST
Where
Adams County, Geneva
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.600, -84.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Wells

When
May 31, 2:35 PM EST
Where
Wells County, Domestic
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates
40.620, -85.080

Hail, Blackford

When
May 31, 2:36 PM EST
Where
Blackford County, Montpelier
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.550, -85.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Blackford

When
May 31, 3:24 PM EST
Where
Blackford County, Millgrove
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates
40.400, -85.280

Hail, Jay

When
May 31, 4:30 PM EST
Where
Jay County, Portland
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
40.430, -84.980

What these are

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Indiana in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Indiana, 1998Warnings in Indiana, May 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: 5642569, 5642670, 5642671, 5642672, 5642673, 5642674, 5642675, 5642676, 5642677, 5642678, 5642679, 5642680, 5642681, 5642682, 5642683, 5642684, 5642685, 5642686, 5642687, 5642688, 5642689.