Hail, Sierra
- When
- August 4, 12:43 PM MST to 12:50 PM MST
- Where
- Sierra County, Kingston
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 32.920, -107.720
Hail and Damaging Wind in New Mexico, August 4, 1998
1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 150 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:45 UTC.
Event by event
1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Otero
- When
- August 4, 4:35 PM MST to 5:15 PM MST
- Where
- Otero County, Alamogordo
- Measured
- 100 kt (115 mph)
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.900, -105.970
A line of strong thunderstorms accompanied by very strong winds moved through the Alamogordo area during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Wind gusts of 112 mph were reported from at least one automated sensor site on the White Sands Missile Range and winds of at least 75 mph were reported at Holloman AFB before the station's wind equipment broke. Considerable tree damage was noted around the area however damage to structures was limited. The worst damage was found in the Alamogordo subdivision of Bolles Acres. The back porch/deck of a residence was destroyed, as was a 20 foot long trailer , and a small barn constructed of sheet metal on a 2X4 frame. Debris from the barn was carried about 100 yds and struck a site-built stucco home with enough force to penetrate an exposed wall and protrude into the inside of the structure.
The people who died
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail, Sierra | 1998-06-25 | 65 | Female | Permanent Home | Direct |
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
- Heat in California, August 4 to 6, 1998
- Flooding in Illinois, August 4, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Indiana, August 4 to 5, 1998
- Flash Flood in Wisconsin, August 4, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, August 4, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Florida, August 4, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, August 4, 1998
- Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, August 4, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Michigan, August 4, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, August 4, 1998
- Flood and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, August 4, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Illinois, August 4, 1998
More
Every storm in New Mexico in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, 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: 5650623, 5650624.