Oklahoma, 1998

Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, July 23, 1998

July 23, 1998 · NWS OUN · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

An isolated severe thunderstorm in Blaine County was responsible for spawning a short-lived tornado 4 miles west of Okeene at 1510 CST, and was witnessed by a trained spotter on the ground in an open field for less than 1 minute. No damage was reported and thus was rated an F0.

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
$5,000
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 OUN wrote it up.

An isolated severe thunderstorm in Blaine County was responsible for spawning a short-lived tornado 4 miles west of Okeene at 1510 CST, and was witnessed by a trained spotter on the ground in an open field for less than 1 minute. No damage was reported and thus was rated an F0. Numerous trees were also uprooted in Okeene at 1510 CST. One tree fell across 6th St. blocking traffic until it could be removed by city employees. This damage was associated with damaging straight-line winds. Another F0 tornado was spotted near the hospital in Okeene at 1530 CST. A radio communications tower was destroyed, and one vehicle was damaged in the parking lot due to flying debris. Additional damage was reported 1.5 miles north of Okeene where a large metal shed was destroyed by damaging straight-line winds.

The radar

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

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Event by event

2 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Blaine

When
July 23, 3:10 PM CST
Where
Blaine County, 4 mi W of Okeene
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
10 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.120, -98.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Blaine

When
July 23, 3:10 PM CST
Where
Blaine County, Okeene
Property damage
$500
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.120, -98.380

Tornado, Blaine

When
July 23, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Blaine County, Okeene
Rating
F0
Path length
0.2 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.120, -98.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Blaine

When
July 23, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Blaine County, 2 mi N of Okeene
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.130, -98.380

Hail, Major

When
July 23, 5:25 PM CST to 5:40 PM CST
Where
Major County, 18 mi N of Chester
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.480, -98.920

What these are

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.
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.

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 historyThe tornado archive for Oklahoma, 1998Warnings in Oklahoma, 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: 5672463, 5672464, 5672465, 5672466, 5672462.