Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, July 20, 1998

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, July 20, 1998
Start: 1998-07-20T09:30
End: 1998-07-20T11:38
Location: Minnesota

July 20, 1998 · NWS MPX · 24 events in 7 counties and zones

22 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $11 million
Crop damage: $12 million
Events: 24

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 Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Redwood

When: July 20, 9:30 AM CST
Where: Redwood County, 8 mi S of Milroy
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 44.300, -95.550

Large swath of hail damage across southern Redwood county.

Hail, Redwood

When: July 20, 9:49 AM CST
Where: Redwood County, 3 mi NW of Lamberton
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.270, -95.320

Thunderstorm Wind, Redwood

When: July 20, 9:55 AM CST
Where: Redwood County, Sanborn
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.220, -95.130

Roof ripped off bldg. Severe hail damage to areas across southern Redwood county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Redwood

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Redwood County, Clements
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 44.380, -95.050

Power lines down. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Redwood

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Redwood County, 3 mi NW of Clements
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 44.420, -95.100

Trees blown onto houses and vehicles. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Brown County, Comfrey
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.120, -94.900

New building construction blown down. Power poles snapped. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: July 20, 10:08 AM CST
Where: Brown County, Springfield
Measured: 75 kt (86 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.250, -94.970

Roof torn off several homes and businesses. Plate glass windows blown out of auto dealership. Torrential rainfall also resulted in street flooding. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Watonwan

When: July 20, 10:15 AM CST
Where: Watonwan County, Darfur
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.050, -94.830

Large branches down. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: July 20, 10:40 AM CST
Where: Brown County, 1 mi SW of New Ulm
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.300, -94.480

Windows blown out at Flandreau State Park Bldg. 300 trees down. Two trees blown onto camper. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: July 20, 10:40 AM CST
Where: Brown County, New Ulm
Measured: 83 kt (96 mph)
Property damage: $7.0 million
Crop damage: $4.0 million
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 44.320, -94.470

4,000 trees blown down. 10 businesses lost portions of their roof. Mobile home destroyed. Maintenance hangar at airport destroyed, damaging several airplanes. 400 ft TV tower blown down. Poultry bldg levelled at fairgrounds. Reception hall lost its roof. Large trees blown down at local cemeteries. The statue of Hermann the German damaged. Estimated 5% of crops or about 50,000 acres in county destroyed. Damage estimate for entire county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicollet

When: July 20, 10:50 AM CST
Where: Nicollet County, Courtland
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 44.270, -94.350

Grain elevator sustained extensive damage. Apartment building garage damaged. Firehall damaged. Trees down. Estimated windspeed

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicollet

When: July 20, 10:50 AM CST
Where: Nicollet County, 2 mi N of Courtland
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.300, -94.350

Extensive farm damage. Shed destroyed. Roof to chicken house blown off. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicollet

When: July 20, 10:50 AM CST
Where: Nicollet County, 2 mi N of Courtland
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.300, -94.350

Garages and barns destroyed. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicollet

When: July 20, 10:51 AM CST
Where: Nicollet County, 2 mi SE of Courtland
Measured: 75 kt (86 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.250, -94.330

Roof torn off barn. Shed destroyed. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicollet

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Nicollet County, Nicollet
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Property damage: $4.0 million
Crop damage: $8.0 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.280, -94.200

Roof torn off high school gymnasium resulting in water damage to floor. Garage walls blown down at pair of houses in northwestern part of town. High winds affected 100,000 to 115,000 acres across Nicollet county. 50,000 acres of crops severely damaged. Damage estimate for entire county. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicollet

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Nicollet County, 3 mi N of Nicollet
Measured: 75 kt (86 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.320, -94.200

Hog barn destroyed. 500 acres of corn flattened.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicollet

When: July 20, 11:04 AM CST
Where: Nicollet County, 2 mi E of Nicollet
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.280, -94.170

Shingles off roof. Trees blown down. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicollet

When: July 20, 11:05 AM CST
Where: Nicollet County, 3 mi E of Nicollet
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.280, -94.150

Barns and sheds blown down. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Blue Earth

When: July 20, 11:05 AM CST
Where: Blue Earth County, Lake Crystal
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.120, -94.220

Trees blown down. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicollet

When: July 20, 11:10 AM CST
Where: Nicollet County, St Peter
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.330, -93.950

Trees blown down. New roof construction destroyed. Several homes and businesses had roof damage. Mobile homes damaged in Summit Park. Windows broken at Gustavus Adolphus College. Stronger wind gusts in surrounding areas.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rice

When: July 20, 11:25 AM CST
Where: Rice County, 5 mi NW of Morristown
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.280, -93.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Sueur

When: July 20, 11:30 AM CST
Where: Le Sueur County, Cleveland
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 44.330, -93.830

Trees and power lines down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Sueur

When: July 20, 11:30 AM CST
Where: Le Sueur County, Kasota
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 44.300, -93.970

Trees and power lines down. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rice

When: July 20, 11:38 AM CST
Where: Rice County, 5 mi W of Faribault
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.300, -93.370

Trees down across county per sheriffs department.

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.

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: 5659306, 5659307, 5659308, 5659309, 5659310, 5659481, 5659379, 5659480, 5659380, 5659381, 5659382, 5659391, 5659483, 5659482, 5659383, 5659393, 5659389, 5659384, 5659392, 5659390, 5659388, 5659385, 5659386, 5659387.