Hail, Berrien
- When
- August 25, 12:38 AM EST
- Where
- Berrien County, Benton Center
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.120, -86.370
Tornadoes and Flood in Michigan, August 25, 1998
8 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 3 tornado, 1 flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $2.2 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 15
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), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:36 UTC.
Event by event
8 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 3 tornado, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Cass
- When
- August 25, 12:40 AM EST
- Where
- Cass County, Marcellus
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.030, -85.820
Flood, Berrien
- When
- August 25, 12:48 AM EST
- Where
- Berrien County, Coloma
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.919, -86.428 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
WATER UP TO THE BOTTOM OF CAR DOORS ON STREETS.
Hail, Berrien
- When
- August 25, 12:52 AM EST
- Where
- Berrien County, St Joseph
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.100, -86.480
Tornado, Berrien
- When
- August 25, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Berrien County, Niles
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 2 mi
- Path width
- 400 yd
- Property damage
- $1.1 million
- Reported by
- METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
- Coordinates
- 41.830, -86.250
EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO TREES ACROSS THE CITY WHICH BLOCKED 15 SEPARATE STREETS AT ONE TIME. 60 HOMES DAMAGED SUSTAINED MINOR TO SEVERE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. MANY VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED BY FALLEN TREES AND LIMBS. SEVERAL POWER POLES AND LINES TAKEN OUT. THE FRENCH PAPER COMPANY LOST ROOFS ON THREE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS AS DID THE D&D TIRE COMPANY WHICH HAD ITS WAREHOUSE ROOF RIPPED OFF. DEMOND GROCERY STORE LOST 20K DOLLARS WORTH OF PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS DUE TO THE EXTENDED EXTENSIVE POWER OUTAGE THAT AFFECTED 41,500 PEOPLE AT ONE POINT. ONE MAN LOST 21 LARGE TREES IN HIS YARD ALONE. THE MICHIGAN STATE GOVERNOR DECLARED THE CITY OF NILES A DISASTER AREA. AN OFF DUTY MICHIGAN STATE POLICE OFFICER TRAGICALLY LOST HIS LIFE WHEN HE WAS ELECTROCUTED BY A DOWNED POWER LINE.
Tornado, Cass
- When
- August 25, 1:10 AM EST
- Where
- Cass County, Edwardsburg to 8 mi E of Adamsville
- Rating
- F2
- Path length
- 9 mi
- Path width
- 800 yd
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 41.850, -86.230
ONE MOBILE HOME WAS COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED ON SOUTH SIDE OF JUNO LAKE AND SEVERAL OTHER HOMES AROUND JUNO, PAINTER, EAGLE AND CHRISTAN LAKE SUFFERED MINOR TO MODERATE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. AN RV WAS TOSSED ABOUT AND ROTATED 180 DEGREES WHICH CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE. NUMEROUS TREES WERE COMPLETELY FLATTENED WHICH ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO HOMES. MANY ROADS WERE BLOCKED BY FALLEN TREES...SNAPPED POWER POLES AND DOWNED POWER LINES.THIS TORNADO BEGAN IN NILES AND PEAKED IN INTENSITY AND WIDTH 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF EDWARDSBURG WHERE IT WIDENED OUT TO ONE HALF MILE. IT CONTINUED ON TOWARD THE TOWN OF BRISTOL IN NORTHEAST ELKHART COUNTY BEFORE LIFTING.
Tornado, Cass
- When
- August 25, 1:15 AM EST to 1:20 AM EST
- Where
- Cass County, Adamsville to 1 mi ESE of Adamsville
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 6 mi
- Path width
- 300 yd
- Property damage
- $300,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 41.780, -85.980
THE TORNADO HAD WEAKENED AS IT PASSED JUST EAST OF ADAMSVILLE. IT STILL CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO SEVERAL FARMS ALONG AND PRIMARILY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 12.SEVERAL HOMES AND VEHICLES SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE DUE TO FALLEN TREES.
Thunderstorm Wind, Branch
- When
- August 25, 1:20 AM EST
- Where
- Branch County, Bronson
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.880, -85.200
Thunderstorm Wind, Branch
- When
- August 25, 1:30 AM EST
- Where
- Branch County, Kinderhook
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.800, -85.000
LOTS OF TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
Thunderstorm Wind, Branch
- When
- August 25, 1:30 AM EST
- Where
- Branch County, Batavia
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.920, -85.100
SEVERAL TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN TOWN.
Thunderstorm Wind, St. Joseph
- When
- August 25, 1:30 AM EST to 1:32 AM EST
- Where
- St. Joseph County, Constantine to Sturgis
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.830, -85.670
EXTENSIVE TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY.
Thunderstorm Wind, Cass
- When
- August 25, 1:32 AM EST
- Where
- Cass County, Cassopolis
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.920, -86.000
Thunderstorm Wind, St. Joseph
- When
- August 25, 1:36 AM EST
- Where
- St. Joseph County, Sturgis
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.800, -85.420
Thunderstorm Wind, Hillsdale
- When
- August 25, 2:00 AM EST
- Where
- Hillsdale County, Reading
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 41.830, -84.750
TREE FELL ON A HOME WHICH SUSTAINED JUST MINOR DAMAGE.
Thunderstorm Wind, Hillsdale
- When
- August 25, 2:00 AM EST
- Where
- Hillsdale County, Hillsdale
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 41.920, -84.620
SEVERAL TREES DOWN ACROSS THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE COUNTY INCLUDING ONE WHOLE LINE OF POWER POLES WHICH WERE FLATTENED TO THE GROUND.
What these are
- 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.
- 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
- Tornado and Hail in Ohio, August 25, 1998
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Indiana, August 25, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, August 25, 1998
- Flash Flood in Ohio, August 25, 1998
- Flood in Ohio, August 25 to 27, 1998
- Tornado in Ohio, August 25, 1998
- Flood and Damaging Winds in Ohio, August 25, 1998
- Flash Flood in Ohio, August 25, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Michigan, August 25, 1998
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Connecticut, August 25 to 26, 1998
- Flash Flood in Ohio, August 25, 1998
- Flash Flood in Ohio, August 25 to 27, 1998
More
Every storm in Michigan in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Michigan, 1998Warnings in Michigan, 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: 5662061, 5662062, 5662063, 5662064, 5662065, 5660507, 5660508, 5660509, 5660510, 5660511, 5660512, 5660513, 5660514, 5660515, 5660516.