Kansas, 1998

Flooding and Hail in Kansas, August 3 to 28, 1998

August 3 to 28, 1998 · NWS TOP · 23 events in 7 counties and zones

10 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 4 lightning, 2 flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$1.6 million
Crop damage
$2.0 million
Events
23

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 Topeka radar (KTWX), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:38 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 4 lightning, 2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Geary

When
August 3, 1:40 AM CST
Where
Geary County, Ft Riley
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
39.050, -96.770

Several large trees and large tree limbs down.

Hail, Osage

When
August 3, 1:55 PM CST
Where
Osage County, 5 mi W of Carbondale
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
38.820, -95.720

Hail, Osage

When
August 3, 2:20 PM CST
Where
Osage County, Scranton
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.780, -95.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Osage

When
August 3, 2:40 PM CST
Where
Osage County, 5 mi NE of Osage City
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.680, -95.750

An 18" diameter walnut tree was downed and several 5" branches on other nearby trees were broken off.

Hail, Osage

When
August 3, 2:40 PM CST
Where
Osage County, Osage City
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.630, -95.820

Hail, Shawnee

When
August 3, 2:51 PM CST
Where
Shawnee County, 7 mi NNW of Topeka
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
39.150, -95.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Shawnee

When
August 3, 2:51 PM CST
Where
Shawnee County, 7 mi NNW of Topeka
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
39.150, -95.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Osage

When
August 3, 2:53 PM CST
Where
Osage County, Lyndon
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.620, -95.680

Flood, Franklin

When
August 9, 7:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Franklin County, Richmond
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.565, -95.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An isolated thunderstorm produced 6 to 7 inches of rain flooding several streets in Richmond and surrounding communities. The flooding included highway 59 where several cars stalled when trying to cross the high water.

Hail, Franklin

When
August 9, 7:50 AM CST
Where
Franklin County, 3 mi E of Richmond
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
38.400, -95.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
August 9, 7:50 AM CST
Where
Franklin County, Richmond
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.400, -95.250

Strong winds blew the roof off a trailer home.

Flood, Anderson

When
August 9, 8:22 AM CST
Where
Anderson County, Scipio
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.214, -95.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rain caused brief flooding on Scipio road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
August 26, 4:40 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, Princeton
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$325,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.480, -95.270

At least 10 homes along with numerous trees and power lines were badly damaged by 60 to 70 mph straight line winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When
August 26, 4:40 PM CST
Where
Anderson County, 4 mi S of Harris
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.270, -95.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
August 26, 5:05 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, 2 mi SW of Ottawa
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.600, -95.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
August 26, 5:21 PM CST to 5:24 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, Ottawa to 2 mi of Ottawa
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$1.3 million
Crop damage
$2.0 million
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.580, -95.270

Severe thunderstorms moved north across Franklin county producing numerous reports of damaging winds. Five planes were overturned and a business severely damaged at Ottawa airport. Much crop damage was also reported.

Hail, Franklin

When
August 26, 5:24 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, Ottawa
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.620, -95.270

Lightning, Dickinson

When
August 26, 5:48 PM CST
Where
Dickinson County, Herington
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.867, -97.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Dickinson

When
August 26, 6:18 PM CST
Where
Dickinson County, Herington
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.867, -97.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a church and a residence doing minor damage at each place.

Hail, Morris

When
August 26, 6:25 PM CST
Where
Morris County, 1 mi WSW of Wilsey
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.630, -96.680

Thunderstorm Wind, Morris

When
August 26, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Morris County, 4 mi N of Wilsey
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.680, -96.670

Lightning, Dickinson

When
August 27, 8:33 PM CST
Where
Dickinson County, Herington
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.867, -97.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a residence but caused no damage.

Lightning, Geary

When
August 28, 3:30 AM CST
Where
Geary County, Junction City
Property damage
$500
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
39.002, -96.752 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a tree blowing off bark which struck a nearby car and dented the side.

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.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
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 Kansas in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, August 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: 5664330, 5664331, 5664332, 5664333, 5664334, 5664335, 5664336, 5664337, 5664415, 5664338, 5664339, 5664416, 5664417, 5664418, 5664419, 5664420, 5664421, 5664424, 5664425, 5664422, 5664423, 5664426, 5664427.