Oklahoma, 1998

Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, April 26, 1998

April 26, 1998 · NWS TSA · 11 events in 9 counties and zones

Summary of events for evening of April 26 1998:A line of severe thunderstorms, primarily containing strong straight-line winds, raced across southeast Oklahoma on the evening of April 26. The storms weakened briefly while moving across Haskell County but reintensified as they moved into southern Le Flore County.

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
$26,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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 TSA wrote it up.

Summary of events for evening of April 26 1998:A line of severe thunderstorms, primarily containing strong straight-line winds, raced across southeast Oklahoma on the evening of April 26. The storms weakened briefly while moving across Haskell County but reintensified as they moved into southern Le Flore County.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail, 5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Washington

When
April 26, 5:30 AM CST
Where
Washington County, Ochelata
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.600, -95.980

Hail, Rogers

When
April 26, 5:53 AM CST
Where
Rogers County, 5 mi N of Bushyhead
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.530, -95.500

Quarter to golfball-sized hail reported by Chelsea PD to be covering the ground 4 miles west of Chelsea

Hail, Rogers

When
April 26, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Rogers County, 4 mi W of Catale
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.570, -95.450

Hail, Craig

When
April 26, 6:10 AM CST
Where
Craig County, 3 mi S of White Oak
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.570, -95.270

Hail, Mayes

When
April 26, 6:30 AM CST
Where
Mayes County, 5 mi NW of Adair
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.480, -95.330

Hail, Delaware

When
April 26, 6:55 AM CST
Where
Delaware County, 4 mi ENE of Grove
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
36.600, -94.700

Summary of events for morning of April 26 1998:Severe thunderstorms developed along and to the north of a cold front moving into northeast Oklahoma with the approach of an upper level disturbance on the morning of Sunday, April 26. These thunderstorms tracked from southern Washington County across northern Rogers, southern Craig, and northern Delaware Counties before exiting into southwestern Missouri. These severe thunderstorms were responsible for producing very large hail to the size of golfballs.

Thunderstorm Wind, Choctaw

When
April 26, 7:48 PM CST
Where
Choctaw County, Boswell
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
34.030, -95.870

Thunderstorm winds caused a tree to fall on a mobile home and a vehicle parked near the mobile home in Boswell. The Dodson Feed Store in Boswell had its roof torn away by the high winds. Countywide, the winds knocked down numerous trees and caused power outages as the thunderstorms moved to the east at 45 miles an hour.

Thunderstorm Wind, Choctaw

When
April 26, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Choctaw County, Ft Towson
Property damage
$500
Coordinates
34.020, -95.270

Several trees blown down

Thunderstorm Wind, Pittsburg

When
April 26, 8:42 PM CST
Where
Pittsburg County, Mc Alester
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
34.930, -95.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Pushmataha

When
April 26, 8:45 PM CST
Where
Pushmataha County, Nashoba
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
34.480, -95.220

A few large tree limbs blown down

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When
April 26, 9:50 PM CST
Where
Le Flore County, Zafra
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
34.520, -94.500

Several trees and large tree limbs blown down

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

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, April 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: 5637580, 5637582, 5637581, 5637579, 5637577, 5637583, 5637636, 5637574, 5637576, 5637575, 5637578.