Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 19 to 20, 1998

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 19 to 20, 1998
Start: 1998-05-19T20:57
End: 1998-05-20T00:40
Location: Nebraska

May 19 to 20, 1998 · NWS GID · 21 events in 13 counties and zones

Widespread thunderstorm activity across southern Nebraska dumped heavy rain, hail, and produced strong winds. Wind gusts from 55 to 80 mph were common throughout the area with some tree damage northwest of Stromsburg, near Scotia, and six inch limbs broken in Trumbull.

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: $280,000
Crop damage: $885,000
Events: 21

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GID wrote it up.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 hail, 8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Howard

When: May 19, 8:57 PM CST
Where: Howard County, Cotesfield
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 41.370, -98.470

Hail, Greeley

When: May 19, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Greeley County, Greeley
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $75,000
Coordinates: 41.550, -98.530

Hail, Valley

When: May 19, 9:45 PM CST
Where: Valley County, Ord
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 41.600, -98.930

Hail, Howard

When: May 19, 9:58 PM CST
Where: Howard County, 4 mi N of St Paul
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 41.270, -98.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Dawson

When: May 19, 10:11 PM CST
Where: Dawson County, Lexington
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph)
Coordinates: 40.780, -99.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Sherman

When: May 19, 10:37 PM CST
Where: Sherman County, Loup City
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $20,000
Coordinates: 41.280, -98.980

Hail, Greeley

When: May 19, 10:50 PM CST
Where: Greeley County, Wolbach
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $75,000
Coordinates: 41.400, -98.400

Hail, Buffalo

When: May 19, 10:55 PM CST
Where: Buffalo County, Amherst
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 40.830, -99.270

Hail, Greeley

When: May 19, 10:55 PM CST
Where: Greeley County, 2 mi SW of Scotia
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $75,000
Coordinates: 41.450, -98.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Buffalo

When: May 19, 11:15 PM CST
Where: Buffalo County, Kearney
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 40.700, -99.080

Thunderstorm Wind, Howard

When: May 19, 11:25 PM CST
Where: Howard County, 4 mi N of Boelus
Measured: 69 kt (79 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 41.130, -98.720

Hail, Howard

When: May 19, 11:35 PM CST
Where: Howard County, St Paul
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 41.220, -98.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Hall

When: May 19, 11:40 PM CST
Where: Hall County, Grand Is Arpt
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 40.970, -98.320

Hail, Adams

When: May 19, 11:45 PM CST
Where: Adams County, Prosser
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $125,000
Coordinates: 40.670, -98.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Nance

When: May 20, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Nance County, Fullerton
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 41.370, -97.980

Hail, Clay

When: May 20, 12:15 AM CST
Where: Clay County, Trumbull
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 40.680, -98.270

Hail, Hamilton

When: May 20, 12:20 AM CST
Where: Hamilton County, Giltner
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 40.780, -98.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: May 20, 12:30 AM CST
Where: Polk County, 5 mi NW of Stromsburg
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 41.170, -97.670

Hail, York

When: May 20, 12:35 AM CST
Where: York County, 3 mi W of Gresham
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 41.030, -97.450

Hail, Hamilton

When: May 20, 12:40 AM CST
Where: Hamilton County, 5 mi E of Stockham
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 40.720, -97.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When: May 20, 12:40 AM CST
Where: Clay County, Sutton
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 40.600, -97.850

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 Nebraska in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, 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: 5644592, 5644593, 5644594, 5644595, 5644596, 5644597, 5644598, 5644599, 5644682, 5644683, 5644684, 5644685, 5644686, 5644687, 5644688, 5644689, 5644690, 5644691, 5644692, 5644693, 5644694.