Flash Flooding and Hail in Minnesota, July 14, 1998

Name: Flash Flooding and Hail in Minnesota, July 14, 1998
Start: 1998-07-14T02:10
End: 1998-07-14T18:50
Location: Minnesota

July 14, 1998 · NWS FGF · 49 events in 8 counties and zones

41 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: $34,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 49

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 Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 183 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:09 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

41 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Hubbard

When: July 14, 2:10 AM CST
Where: Hubbard County, Park Rapids
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.920, -95.070

Hail, Marshall

When: July 14, 6:20 AM CST
Where: Marshall County, 2 mi NW of Holt
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 48.320, -96.220

Hail, Polk

When: July 14, 10:33 AM CST
Where: Polk County, 3 mi N of Gully
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.820, -95.630

Hail, Beltrami

When: July 14, 10:35 AM CST
Where: Beltrami County, 25 mi N of Bemidji
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.850, -94.900

Hail, Wilkin

When: July 14, 12:45 PM CST
Where: Wilkin County, 5 mi SE of Rothsay
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.430, -96.220

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 1:20 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 3 mi SE of Elizabeth
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.350, -96.080

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 1:35 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Phelps
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.380, -95.820

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 5 mi W of Phelps
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.380, -95.920

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 2:16 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Phelps
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.380, -95.820

Flash Flood, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 2:25 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 5 mi W of Phelps
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 2:35 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Phelps
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.380, -95.820

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 2:53 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 5 mi W of Phelps
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.380, -95.920

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 2:53 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Phelps
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.380, -95.820

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 2:53 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 3 mi W of Phelps
Measured: 4 in hail
Coordinates: 46.380, -95.880

Grapefruit-sized hail fell at West Lost Lake. As the hail hit the water, plumes jumped up 3 feet high.

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 5 mi N of Battle Lake
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.350, -95.720

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 3:24 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 4 mi W of Pelican Rapids
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.570, -96.170

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 3:25 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Pelican Rapids
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.570, -96.080

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Pelican Rapids
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.570, -96.080

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 4 mi W of Pelican Rapids
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.570, -96.170

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 15 mi E of Pelican Rapids
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.570, -95.770

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 3:37 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 5 mi NNE of Phelps
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.450, -95.780

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 3:40 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Dent
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.550, -95.720

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 3:40 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Dent
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.550, -95.720

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 3:43 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 15 mi E of Pelican Rapids
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.570, -95.770

Flash Flood, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 3:45 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Underwood
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

5 1/2 inches of rain flattened many crops and filled ditches around Underwood.

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Underwood
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.280, -95.870

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 10 mi NE of Fergus Falls
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.380, -95.920

Every car in the parking lot at Fish Lake Polaris was damaged by golfball-sized hail.

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 4:05 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Phelps
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.380, -95.820

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 4:15 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 6 mi SW of Fergus Falls
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.220, -96.150

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 4:40 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Dalton
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.170, -95.900

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 4:41 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Battle Lake
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.280, -95.720

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 8 mi N of Pelican Rapids
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Coordinates: 46.680, -96.080

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: July 14, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Grant County, 3 mi N of Wendell
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 46.080, -96.100

A trailer home was flipped over in the strong wind at Lightning Lake.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clearwater

When: July 14, 4:50 PM CST
Where: Clearwater County, Lake Itasca
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 47.250, -95.220

Trees were blown down at Lake Itasca.

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 4:55 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 9 mi N of Pelican Rapids
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.700, -96.080

Hail, Grant

When: July 14, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Ashby
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.100, -95.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: July 14, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Ashby
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 46.100, -95.820

Trees were blown down and a roof was blown off.

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Dalton
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.170, -95.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: July 14, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Grant County, 6 mi S of Elbow Lake
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 45.920, -95.980

Large trees were blown down.

Hail, Wilkin

When: July 14, 5:20 PM CST
Where: Wilkin County, Wolverton
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.580, -96.780

Hail, Otter Tail

When: July 14, 5:25 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 7 mi SW of Battle Lake
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.220, -95.820

Hail, Wilkin

When: July 14, 5:40 PM CST
Where: Wilkin County, Kent
Measured: 4.5 in hail
Coordinates: 46.430, -96.680

The large hail damaged a few vehicles and smashed some house windows.

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: July 14, 5:42 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Hoffman
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 45.830, -95.800

A windmill was blown over in the strong wind.

Hail, Grant

When: July 14, 6:10 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Elbow Lake
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.000, -95.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: July 14, 6:10 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Elbow Lake
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 46.000, -95.980

Numerous trees around Elbow Lake were blown over in the strong wind.

Hail, Wilkin

When: July 14, 6:14 PM CST
Where: Wilkin County, Breckenridge
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.270, -96.580

Hail, Wilkin

When: July 14, 6:19 PM CST
Where: Wilkin County, Breckenridge
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.270, -96.580

Hail, Wilkin

When: July 14, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Wilkin County, Kent
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.430, -96.680

Hail, Grant

When: July 14, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Grant County, 3 mi W of Barrett
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 45.920, -95.970

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
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

Every storm in Minnesota in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, July 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: 5663438, 5663437, 5663435, 5663436, 5663429, 5663430, 5663431, 5663432, 5663433, 5663434, 5663417, 5663418, 5663419, 5663552, 5663420, 5663421, 5663422, 5663423, 5663424, 5663425, 5663426, 5663427, 5663442, 5663428, 5663549, 5663441, 5663548, 5663443, 5663444, 5663445, 5663446, 5663447, 5663550, 5663448, 5663536, 5663537, 5663538, 5663539, 5663540, 5663541, and more.