Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 14 to 15, 1998

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 14 to 15, 1998
Start: 1998-05-14T00:25
End: 1998-05-15T15:30
Location: Minnesota

May 14 to 15, 1998 · NWS FGF · 19 events in 10 counties and zones

13 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 1 lightning, 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $352,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 19

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), 148 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:26 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Clearwater

When: May 14, 12:25 AM CST
Where: Clearwater County, Zerkel
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.320, -95.380

Lightning, Polk

When: May 14, 3:45 AM CST
Where: Polk County, Angus
Property damage: $200,000
Coordinates: 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a church in Angus, igniting a fire that totally destroyed the church.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkin

When: May 14, 11:15 PM CST
Where: Wilkin County, Kent
Property damage: $200
Coordinates: 46.430, -96.680

Several trees were downed by the strong wind.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkin

When: May 14, 11:30 PM CST
Where: Wilkin County, Wolverton
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 46.580, -96.780

10 aluminum transmission structure were blown over by the strong wind.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When: May 14, 11:43 PM CST
Where: Clay County, 15 mi SE of Moorhead
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 46.730, -96.530

The wind blew over a semi truck, injuring the two occupants inside. One had a broken collar bone.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When: May 15, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Clay County, Hawley
Property damage: $8,000
Coordinates: 46.880, -96.320

The strong wind blew the roof off a house.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When: May 15, 12:15 AM CST
Where: Clay County, Ulen
Property damage: $20,000
Coordinates: 47.080, -96.270

A tree was blown into a house, damaging the roof. A barn was also heavily damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mahnomen

When: May 15, 12:45 AM CST
Where: Mahnomen County, Mahnomen
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 47.320, -95.980

A machine shed was blown down in the wind.

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: May 15, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Polk County, Mc Intosh
Property damage: $100
Coordinates: 47.630, -95.900

Several large tree limbs were downed in the wind.

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: May 15, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Polk County, Rindal
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 47.500, -96.130

The wind blew down a small pole shed and tore the roof off a machine shed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: May 15, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Polk County, 1 mi S of Winger
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 47.520, -95.980

The wind blew down a tree and tore the skirt from a trailer home.

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: May 15, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Polk County, Winger
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 47.530, -95.980

A tree blew down in the wind, stripping a power meter from a wall.

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: May 15, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Polk County, Erskine
Property damage: $30,000
Coordinates: 47.670, -96.020

A large storage shed, grain bins, a hay shed, and a church roof were damaged in the strong wind.

Thunderstorm Wind, Red Lake

When: May 15, 1:10 AM CST
Where: Red Lake County, Oklee
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 47.830, -95.870

The strong wind blew a trailer off its foundation and its entryway was blown off. Several trees were blown over and a pole shed was damaged.

Hail, Beltrami

When: May 15, 1:27 AM CST
Where: Beltrami County, Pinewood
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 47.600, -95.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Marshall

When: May 15, 2:00 AM CST
Where: Marshall County, Grygla
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 48.300, -95.620

Power lines were downed in the strong wind.

Hail, Lake of the Woods

When: May 15, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Lake of the Woods County, 6 mi NW of Baudette
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 48.780, -94.700

Hail, Roseau

When: May 15, 9:20 AM CST
Where: Roseau County, 4 mi W of Warroad
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 48.900, -95.400

Hail, Roseau

When: May 15, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Roseau County, Warroad
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 48.900, -95.320

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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, May 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: 5640414, 5640503, 5640415, 5640508, 5640416, 5640417, 5640505, 5640507, 5640418, 5640419, 5640420, 5640421, 5640506, 5640504, 5640422, 5640423, 5640500, 5640501, 5640502.