Ohio, 1998

Tornado and Hail in Ohio, June 2, 1998

June 2, 1998 · NWS RLX · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

A supercell developed in Jackson County and moved southeast through the Rio Grande and Gallipolis vicinity. The storm was strengthening as it headed toward the Ohio River.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$1.0 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 RLX wrote it up.

A supercell developed in Jackson County and moved southeast through the Rio Grande and Gallipolis vicinity. The storm was strengthening as it headed toward the Ohio River. Numerous large trees were blown down around the university and community college at Rio Grande. Hail dented vehicles and broke windows on dwellings around Gallipolis. People used shovels to clear the hail off sidewalks in Gallipolis.

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:17 UTC.

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Event by event

3 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Jackson

When
June 2, 1:17 PM EST
Where
Jackson County, Oak Hill to 3 mi of Oak Hill
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.920, -82.530

Hail, Gallia

When
June 2, 1:30 PM EST
Where
Gallia County, Rio Grande
Measured
1.25 in hail
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
38.880, -82.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Gallia

When
June 2, 1:35 PM EST
Where
Gallia County, Rio Grande
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
38.880, -82.370

Hail, Gallia

When
June 2, 1:45 PM EST
Where
Gallia County, Gallipolis
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$750,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
38.820, -82.200

Tornado, Gallia

When
June 2, 1:50 PM EST to 1:51 PM EST
Where
Gallia County, Gallipolis to 1 mi S of Gallipolis
Rating
F0
Path length
0.3 mi
Path width
40 yd
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
38.800, -82.220

Fallen trees caused minor damage to about 6 buildings in the region where Route 141 and 7 enters the city from the southwest.

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.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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 historyThe tornado archive for Ohio, 1998Warnings in Ohio, 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: 5659171, 5659172, 5659173, 5659174, 5659175.