Minnesota, 1998

Flooding and Hail in Minnesota, August 19 to 20, 1998

August 19 to 20, 1998 · NWS MPX · 9 events in 6 counties and zones

4 thunderstorm wind, 3 flood, 2 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 202 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:07 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind, 3 flood, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Douglas

When
August 19, 2:10 PM CST
Where
Douglas County, Brandon
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
45.970, -95.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Douglas

When
August 19, 2:44 PM CST
Where
Douglas County, (Axn)chndlr Fld Alxn
Measured
58 kt (67 mph)
Reported by
ARPT EQUIP(AWOS,ASOS)
Coordinates
45.870, -95.400

Hail, Pope

When
August 19, 2:45 PM CST
Where
Pope County, 1 mi NE of Lowry
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
45.720, -95.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Douglas

When
August 19, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Douglas County, Alexandria
Measured
58 kt (67 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
45.880, -95.380

Trees blown down. Estimated windspeed.

Flood, Pope

When
August 19, 3:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Pope County, Glenwood
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
45.586, -95.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

3 to 4 inches of rain in less than 2 hours resulted in street flooding.

Thunderstorm Wind, Todd

When
August 19, 3:15 PM CST
Where
Todd County, Staples
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
46.350, -94.780

Trailer blown over. Several large trees blown over. Estimated windspeed.

Flood, Swift

When
August 19, 4:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Swift County, Benson
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
45.283, -95.681 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

3 to 4 inches of rain in less than 2 hours caused street and basement flooding.

Thunderstorm Wind, Blue Earth

When
August 19, 10:13 PM CST
Where
Blue Earth County, Lake Crystal
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.120, -94.220

Tree blown down.

Flood, Freeborn

When
August 20, 1:00 AM CST to 3:00 AM CST
Where
Freeborn County, Albert Lea
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.674, -93.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Automobiles inundated.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, 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: 5659494, 5659495, 5659499, 5659496, 5659497, 5659502, 5659498, 5659500, 5659501.