Scattered severe thunderstorms developed along and north of a northward moving warm front across southern Lower Michigan during the afternoon of Wednesday, June 24th. This severe weather event was characterized by several large hail reports, with golf-ball sized hail reports received from Kent, Barry, Eaton, Ingham, and Jackson Counties and hail of 2 to 3 inches in diameter associated with a…
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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 episode as NWS GRR wrote it up.
Scattered severe thunderstorms developed along and north of a northward moving warm front across southern Lower Michigan during the afternoon of Wednesday, June 24th. This severe weather event was characterized by several large hail reports, with golf-ball sized hail reports received from Kent, Barry, Eaton, Ingham, and Jackson Counties and hail of 2 to 3 inches in diameter associated with a supercell thunderstorm as it tracked east-southeast across southern Ingham and northern Jackson County. This supercell thunderstorm developed over eastern Barry County and tracked across Eaton County, southwest Ingham County, and northern Jackson County. This storm resulted in several wind damage and large hail reports, an F0 tornado in southeast Eaton County, and an F1 tornado touched down in north central Jackson County near Layton Corners. No injuries were reported with the tornadoes, but damage was estimated at half a million dollars across Henrietta and Waterloo Townships in northern Jackson County. The supercell thunderstorm resulted in approximately 12,500 power outages across Eaton and Jackson Counties.
The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 12 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:00 UTC.
11 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 2 funnel cloud, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained weather spotter reported a 60 mph wind gust and pea-sized hail associated with a severe thunderstorm, near the intersection of 68th St. and Division in Cutlerville (southern Kent County).
A trained weather spotter reported nickel-sized hail and a 45 mph wind gust at a golf course near the intersection of 76th St. and Kalamazoo Ave in Gaines Township, approximately 1 mile southeast of Cutlerville.
Nickel-sized hail fell at the National Weather Service Office in Grand Rapids, just north of the Kent County International Airport, which is 8 miles southeast of downtown Grand Rapids.
Golf-ball sized hail reported by several trained spotters in Cascade Township.
Amateur radio operators reported golf-ball sized hail in the vicinity of Gun Lake.
A trained spotter reported golf-ball sized hail in Yankee Springs Township.
A trained spotter reported golf-ball sized hail along Fish Road, west of Michigan Highway 91 in Otisco Township.
Barry County Central Dispatch reported trees and power lines downed near the intersection of Michigan Highway 66 and Bayne Rd. in Castleton Township, approximately 2 miles north of Nashville.
Eaton County Central Dispatch relayed several reports from the public of a funnel cloud approximately 4 miles west of Charlotte.
Eaton County Central Dispatch reported trees, branches, and power lines were downed in and around the city of Charlotte. A Charlotte area newspaper reported a tree was downed on Lovett St. at the Prairie St. intersection. This tree pulled down power lines and damaged a power pole at the street corner.
Eaton County Central Dispatch reported trees and power lines were knocked down across portions of the city of Eaton Rapids. Approximately 7,000 people in and around Eaton Rapids lost power due to the storm. No injuries or structural damage was reported. Eaton County Emergency Management had no confirmed tornado touchdowns in the city, but the Eaton Rapids Fire Department reported a tornado touchdown just east of the city over northeast Hamlin Township. Damage reported in the city was a result of strong wind gusts, according the the acting Emergency Management Coordinator.
Eaton Rapids Fire Department reported a brief tornado touchdown just east of the city of Eaton Rapids, in a wooded area of northeast Hamlin Township. Eaton County Emergency Management indicated no injuries or structural damage was reported. The tornado touched down in a rural area and path length and width were not able to be determined. Damage amount was estimated and damage directly related to the tornado was limited to downed trees and power lines. The tornado was estimated to be an F0 on the Fujita scale.
A trained weather spotter reported golf-ball sized hail in Eaton Rapids.
A trained weather spotter reported baseball-sized hail and wind gusts to 50 mph. Hail reportedly damaged some auto glass and roofs in the area, but damage estimates were not available.
Ingham County Central Dispatch reported trees and power lines downed in Aurelius Township.
Jackson County Emergency Management reported a funnel cloud near the intersection of Lansing Ave. and Maple Grove Road in southern Rives Township, approximately 6 miles north of the city of Jackson.
Jackson County Central Dispatch reported trees and power lines downed in the village of Rives Junction and scattered reports across Rives Township.
The Jackson County Emergency Management Coordinator confirmed a weak tornado touched down just west of Layton Corners, in rural eastern Rives Township, and travelled east-southeast to near Waterloo, along the Washtenaw County line. The tornado was not on the ground for the entire 11.3 mile path, but due to the heavily wooded rural areas it traversed, exact path lengths could not be determined. Path width was narrow, estimated to be 50 yards at maximum width. No injuries or deaths were associated with this F1 tornado. Damage consisted of downed trees and power lines, roof damage to approximately 12 homes, minor structural damage mainly caused by large hail (broken windows, damaged siding, damaged vehicles and aluminum campers) and fallen trees, and overturned boats on Pleasant Lake in Henrietta Township. Hail was estimated to have reached 2 to 3 inches in diameter in association with this tornadic storm. The most significant damage was reported around the Pleasant Lake area, where several boats were overturned and several homes reported minor to moderate structural damage. Along North Meridian Road from near Layton Corners along the west end of Pleasant Lake, 2 homes reported destroyed garages. Pleasant Lake County Park was closed due to downed trees. Waterloo State Recreation Area reported hundreds of trees uprooted, which resulted in the closing of some roads and horse trails. Power outages totaled 5,800 in the affected areas of Henrietta and Waterloo Townships. Damage was estimated at approximately $500,000.
Jackson County Emergency Management reported golf ball-sized hail on Morrisey Road in Grass Lake Township, 2 miles north of the city of Grass Lake.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Michigan, 1998Warnings in Michigan, June 1998
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: 5658724, 5658822, 5658823, 5658824, 5658825, 5658826, 5658827, 5658828, 5658829, 5658833, 5657497, 5658831, 5658832, 5657498, 5657499, 5657500, 5657501, 5657502, 5657503, 5657578, 5657579.