Ohio, 1998

Storm Surge in Ohio, April 9 to 10, 1998

April 9 to 10, 1998 · NWS CLE · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Northeast gales of 35 knots and water levels that peaked just below 100 inches above low water datum produced 10 to 14 foot waves which caused major damage along the lakeshore. Many lakeshore roads were not only flooded , but also covered with rocks and other debris that, in some places, had to be removed by bulldozers.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$3.7 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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 CLE wrote it up.

Northeast gales of 35 knots and water levels that peaked just below 100 inches above low water datum produced 10 to 14 foot waves which caused major damage along the lakeshore. Many lakeshore roads were not only flooded , but also covered with rocks and other debris that, in some places, had to be removed by bulldozers. In Ottawa County, ten houses were destroyed and over 200 others were damaged, streets in downtown Port Clinton were flooded and the dike system and gravel roads in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge were badly damaged. Some evacuations took place at Whites Landing in Erie And Sandusky Counties and also at Wightmans Grove and Memory Marina in Sandusky County. A State of Emergency was declared and standing flood water persisted for several days in some areas.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 storm surge/tide. Local standard time, as filed.

Storm Surge/Tide, Erie

When
April 9, 12:00 PM EST to April 10, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Erie County, Bay View
Property damage
$1.0 million
Coordinates
41.432, -82.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm Surge/Tide, Lucas

When
April 9, 12:00 PM EST to April 10, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Lucas County, Toledo
Property damage
$200,000
Coordinates
41.684, -83.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm Surge/Tide, Ottawa

When
April 9, 12:00 PM EST to April 10, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Ottawa County, Port Clinton
Property damage
$2.0 million
Coordinates
41.497, -82.941 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm Surge/Tide, Sandusky

When
April 9, 12:00 PM EST to April 10, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Sandusky County, Whites Lndg
Property damage
$500,000
Coordinates
41.357, -83.144 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Storm Surge/Tide
Water pushed ashore above the normal tide by a storm’s winds and low pressure.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Ohio in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, April 1998The 1998 hurricane season

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: 5641354, 5641355, 5641356, 5641357.