Ohio, 1998

Flash Flooding and Hail in Ohio, July 19 to 20, 1998

July 19 to 20, 1998 · NWS ILN · 43 events in 31 counties and zones

A fast moving Mesoscale Convective System with numerous bow echo segments dropped from northern Indiana into the western half of Ohio causing widespread significant wind damage. During the early morning hours, the severe activity ceased and the storms began to move repeadly across the same areas of southwestern Ohio resulting in some roads closures.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
0
Property damage
$455,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
43

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 ILN wrote it up.

A fast moving Mesoscale Convective System with numerous bow echo segments dropped from northern Indiana into the western half of Ohio causing widespread significant wind damage. During the early morning hours, the severe activity ceased and the storms began to move repeadly across the same areas of southwestern Ohio resulting in some roads closures.

The radar

The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

36 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 2 lightning, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Butler

When
July 19, 12:30 AM EST to 4:00 AM EST
Where
Butler County, West Chester
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
39.439, -84.576 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several hours of thunderstorms resulted in 17 homes being hit by lightning in West Chester alone.

Lightning, Hamilton

When
July 19, 1:30 AM EST
Where
Hamilton County, Cincinnati
Property damage
$40,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
39.196, -84.543 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a home causing a fire, which caused significant damage.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mercer

When
July 19, 6:40 PM EST to 6:45 PM EST
Where
Mercer County, Celina
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.550, -84.570

Numerous trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Auglaize

When
July 19, 6:50 PM EST to 6:55 PM EST
Where
Auglaize County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.520, -84.170

Many trees and large limbs downed due to estimated wind gusts of 60-80 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hardin

When
July 19, 6:50 PM EST to 6:55 PM EST
Where
Hardin County, 4 mi S of Roundhead
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.500, -83.830

Trees and large limbs downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Darke

When
July 19, 7:30 PM EST to 7:35 PM EST
Where
Darke County, Greenville
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.100, -84.630

Numerous trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Logan

When
July 19, 7:35 PM EST to 7:40 PM EST
Where
Logan County, Bellefontaine
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.370, -83.770

Many trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Shelby

When
July 19, 7:40 PM EST to 7:45 PM EST
Where
Shelby County, Sidney
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.280, -84.150

Trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When
July 19, 8:00 PM EST to 8:05 PM EST
Where
Union County, Richwood
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.430, -83.300

Several trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Champaign

When
July 19, 8:00 PM EST to 8:05 PM EST
Where
Champaign County, Mechanicsburg
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.070, -83.550

Numerous trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Delaware

When
July 19, 8:05 PM EST to 8:10 PM EST
Where
Delaware County, Ashley
Measured
59 kt (68 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.400, -82.950

Winds gusted to 70 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Miami

When
July 19, 8:05 PM EST to 8:25 PM EST
Where
Miami County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.370, -84.220

Trees downed across the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mercer

When
July 19, 8:15 PM EST to 8:20 PM EST
Where
Mercer County, Ft Recovery
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.430, -84.770

Trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Darke

When
July 19, 8:15 PM EST to 8:25 PM EST
Where
Darke County, Greenville
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.100, -84.630

Numerous trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clark

When
July 19, 8:27 PM EST to 8:45 PM EST
Where
Clark County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.900, -83.800

Trees and power lines.

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
July 19, 8:30 PM EST to 8:50 PM EST
Where
Franklin County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.970, -83.030

Trees and power lines downed across the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When
July 19, 8:30 PM EST to 8:40 PM EST
Where
Madison County, 5 mi S of Plain City
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.050, -83.280

Numerous trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Miami

When
July 19, 9:00 PM EST to 9:20 PM EST
Where
Miami County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.370, -84.220

Trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Preble

When
July 19, 9:10 PM EST to 9:15 PM EST
Where
Preble County, Camden
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.630, -84.650

Numerous trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery

When
July 19, 9:15 PM EST
Where
Montgomery County, (Day)cox Dayton Intl
Measured
64 kt (74 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.900, -84.220

Winds gusted to 74 mph causing some damage to the airport facility.

Thunderstorm Wind, Licking

When
July 19, 9:18 PM EST to 9:30 PM EST
Where
Licking County, Gratiot
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.950, -82.220

Trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pickaway

When
July 19, 9:18 PM EST to 9:20 PM EST
Where
Pickaway County, Five Pts
Measured
68 kt (78 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.670, -83.180

Winds gusted to an estimated 80 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fairfield

When
July 19, 9:30 PM EST to 9:55 PM EST
Where
Fairfield County, Baltimore to Sugar Grove
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.850, -82.600

Trees and power lines downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fayette

When
July 19, 9:30 PM EST to 9:45 PM EST
Where
Fayette County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.550, -83.470

Trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When
July 19, 9:35 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Madison County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.880, -83.450

Numerous trees downed across the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greene

When
July 19, 9:49 PM EST to 9:55 PM EST
Where
Greene County, 5 mi NW of Xenia
Measured
59 kt (68 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
39.730, -84.000

Winds gusted to 70 mph.

Hail, Hamilton

When
July 19, 9:49 PM EST to 9:55 PM EST
Where
Hamilton County, Springdale
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.280, -84.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Pickaway

When
July 19, 9:58 PM EST to 10:05 PM EST
Where
Pickaway County, Circleville
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.600, -82.950

Trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Butler

When
July 19, 10:00 PM EST to 10:10 PM EST
Where
Butler County, Hamilton
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.400, -84.550

Many trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Warren

When
July 19, 10:10 PM EST to 10:15 PM EST
Where
Warren County, Harveysburg
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.500, -84.000

Trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clinton

When
July 19, 10:15 PM EST to 10:20 PM EST
Where
Clinton County, 3 mi NE of Clarksville
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
39.430, -83.950

Numerous trees downed, some of which fell across Lebanon Road.

Hail, Hamilton

When
July 19, 10:15 PM EST to 10:20 PM EST
Where
Hamilton County, Newtown
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.120, -84.350

Thunderstorm Wind, Butler

When
July 19, 10:21 PM EST to 10:30 PM EST
Where
Butler County, Oxford
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.520, -84.730

Trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clermont

When
July 19, 10:30 PM EST to 10:50 PM EST
Where
Clermont County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.980, -84.150

Numerous trees downed across the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ross

When
July 19, 10:42 PM EST to 10:50 PM EST
Where
Ross County, Chillicothe
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.330, -82.980

Numerous trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Highland

When
July 19, 10:45 PM EST to 11:05 PM EST
Where
Highland County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.200, -83.620

Numerous trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When
July 19, 11:00 PM EST to 11:15 PM EST
Where
Brown County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.950, -83.880

Trees downed across the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pike

When
July 19, 11:00 PM EST to 11:20 PM EST
Where
Pike County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.070, -83.050

Numerous trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Adams

When
July 19, 11:00 PM EST to 11:30 PM EST
Where
Adams County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.850, -83.480

Many trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scioto

When
July 19, 11:26 PM EST to 11:35 PM EST
Where
Scioto County, Portsmouth
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.730, -82.980

Numerous trees downed, one of which fell on a car.

Flash Flood, Preble

When
July 20, 12:20 AM EST to 2:00 AM EST
Where
Preble County, Southwest Portion
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.742, -84.648 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rainfall caused water to flood across several county rofa

Flash Flood, Butler

When
July 20, 12:50 AM EST to 4:00 AM EST
Where
Butler County, Oxford
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.439, -84.576 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rainfall caused several roads to flood including State Route 732.

Flash Flood, Hamilton

When
July 20, 2:15 AM EST to 3:45 AM EST
Where
Hamilton County, Cincinnati
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.196, -84.543 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several hours of heavy rainfall caused water to flood across many of the city roads.

What these are

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.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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, July 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: 5651629, 5651628, 5651305, 5651306, 5651307, 5651308, 5651309, 5651310, 5651311, 5651313, 5651312, 5651314, 5651315, 5651316, 5651317, 5651318, 5651319, 5651321, 5651326, 5651322, 5651320, 5651325, 5651324, 5651328, 5651329, 5651323, 5651619, 5651612, 5651327, 5651615, 5651614, 5651618, 5651620, 5651616, 5651613, 5651621, 5651617, 5651622, 5651623, 5651624, and more.