Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, June 3, 1998

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, June 3, 1998
Start: 1998-06-03T16:03
End: 1998-06-03T21:47
Location: North Carolina

June 3, 1998 · NWS MHX · 23 events in 9 counties and zones

A line of thunderstorms moved across eastern areas of the state producing widespread large hail. Martin county was especially hard hit where much of the tobacco crop was damaged.

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: $1.6 million
Crop damage: $2.0 million
Events: 23

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 MHX wrote it up.

A line of thunderstorms moved across eastern areas of the state producing widespread large hail. Martin county was especially hard hit where much of the tobacco crop was damaged. In Kinston, car dealers reported over a half million dollars worth of damage to vehicles. On Ocracoke Island, the hail was the largest seen in many generations.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Lenoir

When: June 3, 4:03 PM EST
Where: Lenoir County, Falling Creek
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Coordinates: 35.250, -77.700

Hail, Craven

When: June 3, 4:35 PM EST
Where: Craven County, Cove City
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.180, -77.330

Hail, Lenoir

When: June 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where: Lenoir County, La Grange
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.320, -77.800

Hail, Greene

When: June 3, 6:03 PM EST
Where: Greene County, Jason
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.380, -77.780

Hail, Lenoir

When: June 3, 6:10 PM EST
Where: Lenoir County, 2 mi W of Kinston
Measured: 2 in hail
Property damage: $400,000
Coordinates: 35.270, -77.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Jones

When: June 3, 6:35 PM EST
Where: Jones County, Hargetts
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.000, -77.650

Hail, Pitt

When: June 3, 6:38 PM EST
Where: Pitt County, Winterville
Measured: 3 in hail
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 35.530, -77.420

Hail, Beaufort

When: June 3, 6:40 PM EST
Where: Beaufort County, Chocowinity
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 35.520, -77.100

Hail, Pitt

When: June 3, 6:45 PM EST
Where: Pitt County, Farmville
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.600, -77.600

Hail, Craven

When: June 3, 6:50 PM EST
Where: Craven County, Clark
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.150, -77.170

Hail, Pitt

When: June 3, 6:52 PM EST
Where: Pitt County, 6 mi W of Greenville
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 35.620, -77.480

Hail, Pitt

When: June 3, 6:56 PM EST
Where: Pitt County, 5 mi N of Fountain
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.750, -77.630

Hail, Pitt

When: June 3, 7:06 PM EST
Where: Pitt County, Ayden
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 35.470, -77.430

Hail, Pamlico

When: June 3, 8:25 PM EST
Where: Pamlico County, Vandemere
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 35.180, -76.670

Hail, Beaufort

When: June 3, 8:25 PM EST
Where: Beaufort County, Aurora
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.300, -76.800

Hail, Martin

When: June 3, 8:35 PM EST
Where: Martin County, Oak City
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: $2.0 million
Coordinates: 35.970, -77.300

Hail, Martin

When: June 3, 8:45 PM EST
Where: Martin County, Williamston
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.850, -77.070

Hail, Martin

When: June 3, 8:55 PM EST
Where: Martin County, Williamston
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.850, -77.070

Hail, Martin

When: June 3, 8:55 PM EST
Where: Martin County, Jamesville
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Coordinates: 35.820, -76.900

Hail, Beaufort

When: June 3, 9:10 PM EST
Where: Beaufort County, Pinetown
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.620, -76.870

Hail, Hyde

When: June 3, 9:10 PM EST
Where: Hyde County, Ocracoke
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 35.120, -75.980

Hail, Pitt

When: June 3, 9:10 PM EST
Where: Pitt County, Winterville
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 35.530, -77.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Hyde

When: June 3, 9:47 PM EST
Where: Hyde County, Engelhard
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.500, -76.000

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 North Carolina in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, June 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: 5640442, 5640443, 5640455, 5640532, 5640444, 5640533, 5640445, 5640446, 5640447, 5640534, 5640456, 5640457, 5640458, 5640448, 5640449, 5640450, 5640451, 5640452, 5640459, 5640453, 5640454, 5640535, 5640536.