Oklahoma, 1998

Tornado and Flash Flooding in Oklahoma, June 18 to 19, 1998

June 18 to 19, 1998 · NWS TSA · 72 events in 15 counties and zones

Summary of events for June 18-19 1998:An approaching cold front and a vigorous upper level low moving into the southern plains helped ignite an outbreak of severe thunderstorms on the late afternoon of June 18, lasting into the early morning of June 19. The first storms of the day formed along the I-44 corridor near the front with the severe weather emphasis slowly shifting southward during the…

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$36,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
72

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 June 18-19 1998:An approaching cold front and a vigorous upper level low moving into the southern plains helped ignite an outbreak of severe thunderstorms on the late afternoon of June 18, lasting into the early morning of June 19. The first storms of the day formed along the I-44 corridor near the front with the severe weather emphasis slowly shifting southward during the evening and early morning. This outbreak of severe weather produced the full gamut of severe weather including very large hail to the size of baseballs, damaging thunderstorm winds, and a brief tornado touchdown. In addition, cell mergers were fairly common with this event, causing localized areas of excessive rainfall and flash flooding.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

42 hail, 25 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Sequoyah

When
June 18, 9:37 AM CST
Where
Sequoyah County, Marble City
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.580, -94.820

Summary: an elevated thunderstorm rooted above a cap of warm air in the mid-levels of the atmosphere, briefly strengthened to severe levels while moving across Sequoyah County on the morning of June 18, producing dime-sized hail.

Hail, Creek

When
June 18, 3:45 PM CST
Where
Creek County, 4 mi S of Mannford
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.200, -96.420

Hail, Nowata

When
June 18, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Nowata County, Nowata
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
36.700, -95.630

Hail, Creek

When
June 18, 4:12 PM CST
Where
Creek County, 1 mi N of Kellyville
Measured
2 in hail
Coordinates
35.970, -96.220

Hail, Creek

When
June 18, 4:17 PM CST
Where
Creek County, 3 mi N of Kellyville
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.000, -96.220

Location: on the Turner Turnpike (I-44) north of Kellyville

Hail, Creek

When
June 18, 4:19 PM CST
Where
Creek County, Kellyville
Measured
4.5 in hail
Coordinates
35.950, -96.220

Hail, Creek

When
June 18, 4:19 PM CST
Where
Creek County, 3 mi NW of Sapulpa
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.030, -96.130

Hail, Tulsa

When
June 18, 4:33 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, 2 mi SW of Glenpool
Measured
2.5 in hail
Coordinates
35.930, -96.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Creek

When
June 18, 4:36 PM CST
Where
Creek County, Sapulpa
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates
36.000, -96.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Okmulgee

When
June 18, 4:40 PM CST
Where
Okmulgee County, Dewar
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates
35.470, -95.930

Hail, Tulsa

When
June 18, 4:41 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, 1 mi SW of Glenpool
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.930, -96.020

Flash Flood, Creek

When
June 18, 4:45 PM CST to 5:45 PM CST
Where
Creek County, Sapulpa
Coordinates
35.903, -96.371 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was widespread street flooding and water over roads in Sapulpa.

Hail, Tulsa

When
June 18, 4:50 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, Glenpool
Measured
2 in hail
Coordinates
35.950, -96.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Tulsa

When
June 18, 4:58 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, Tulsa
Measured
59 kt (68 mph)
Coordinates
36.150, -95.950

A 68 mph gust was measured near 81st Street S. and Lewis in south Tulsa.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tulsa

When
June 18, 4:58 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, Tulsa
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
36.150, -95.950

Planks blown out of a wooden fence near 91st Street S. and Harvard. Trees and power lines blown down across much of the southern part of the city of Tulsa, generally south of 61st Street.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tulsa

When
June 18, 4:59 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, 3 mi W of Bixby
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
35.950, -95.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Tulsa

When
June 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, Jenks
Property damage
$300
Coordinates
36.020, -95.970

Several large trees were blown down in Jenks.

Flash Flood, Tulsa

When
June 18, 5:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, Broken Arrow
Coordinates
36.121, -95.941 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Street flooding was reported in Broken Arrow.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tulsa

When
June 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, Tulsa
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
36.150, -95.950

Location: near 71st Street S. and Yale Ave.

Hail, Creek

When
June 18, 5:03 PM CST
Where
Creek County, 3 mi N of Sapulpa
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.050, -96.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Tulsa

When
June 18, 5:20 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, 6 mi S of Broken Arrow
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
35.970, -95.780

Hail, Okfuskee

When
June 18, 5:21 PM CST
Where
Okfuskee County, Welty
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
35.620, -96.400

Hail, Muskogee

When
June 18, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, 3 mi WNW of Taft
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.780, -95.580

Hail, Muskogee

When
June 18, 5:31 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, 4 mi N of Haskell
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.870, -95.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Muskogee

When
June 18, 5:32 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, 4 mi N of Haskell
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Property damage
$500
Coordinates
35.870, -95.670

Tree damage and 80 mph gusts reported

Hail, Okfuskee

When
June 18, 5:36 PM CST
Where
Okfuskee County, 1 mi SE of Welty
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.600, -96.380

Tornado, Wagoner

When
June 18, 5:40 PM CST to 5:41 PM CST
Where
Wagoner County, 5 mi W of Porter
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
35.870, -95.600

There was a brief tornado touchdown 5 miles west of Porter that blew a vehicle off of SH 51-A.

Hail, Muskogee

When
June 18, 5:44 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, 1 mi E of Taft
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.770, -95.520

Flash Flood, Okfuskee

When
June 18, 6:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Okfuskee County, 5 mi W of Okfuskee
Coordinates
35.466, -96.323 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Water overflowed a county road to the west of Okfuskee.

Hail, Okfuskee

When
June 18, 6:15 PM CST
Where
Okfuskee County, 1 mi E of Mason
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.570, -96.350

Hail, Muskogee

When
June 18, 6:15 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, Muskogee
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
35.750, -95.370

Location: in the northern part of Muskogee

Thunderstorm Wind, Muskogee

When
June 18, 6:20 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, Muskogee
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
35.750, -95.370

Ten-inch diameter tree limbs were blown down.

Hail, Okmulgee

When
June 18, 6:27 PM CST
Where
Okmulgee County, Schulter
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.520, -95.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Okmulgee

When
June 18, 6:27 PM CST
Where
Okmulgee County, Schulter
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates
35.520, -95.950

Hail, Okmulgee

When
June 18, 6:36 PM CST
Where
Okmulgee County, Okmulgee
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.630, -95.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Okmulgee

When
June 18, 6:36 PM CST
Where
Okmulgee County, Henryetta
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
35.450, -95.980

There was wind damage to a restaurant and motel in Henryetta.

Hail, Okmulgee

When
June 18, 6:36 PM CST
Where
Okmulgee County, Henryetta
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.450, -95.980

Hail, Okmulgee

When
June 18, 6:40 PM CST
Where
Okmulgee County, Dewar
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.470, -95.930

Hail, Okmulgee

When
June 18, 6:45 PM CST
Where
Okmulgee County, 2 mi N of Henryetta
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.480, -95.980

Hail, Pittsburg

When
June 18, 6:49 PM CST
Where
Pittsburg County, 2 mi SW of Savanna
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.820, -95.850

Hail, Muskogee

When
June 18, 6:55 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, Muskogee
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.750, -95.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Muskogee

When
June 18, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, Muskogee
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
35.750, -95.370

A barn shop was blown down on the south side of Muskogee.

Hail, Okfuskee

When
June 18, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Okfuskee County, Castle
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.470, -96.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Ottawa

When
June 18, 7:10 PM CST
Where
Ottawa County, Quapaw
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
36.950, -94.780

Several large tree limbs were blown down.

Hail, McIntosh

When
June 18, 7:14 PM CST
Where
McIntosh County, 5 mi SW of Hitchita
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.480, -95.820

Hail, McIntosh

When
June 18, 7:27 PM CST
Where
McIntosh County, 5 mi N of Eufaula
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.350, -95.580

Hail, Pittsburg

When
June 18, 7:40 PM CST
Where
Pittsburg County, 8 mi NE of Canadian
Measured
2 in hail
Coordinates
35.250, -95.550

Hail, Haskell

When
June 18, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Haskell County, 2 mi NW of Enterprise
Measured
2.5 in hail
Coordinates
35.230, -95.420

Hail, Latimer

When
June 18, 8:01 PM CST
Where
Latimer County, 4 mi WSW of Higgins
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.780, -95.520

Reported on the Pittsburg/Latimer County line

Hail, Pittsburg

When
June 18, 8:33 PM CST
Where
Pittsburg County, 6 mi SW of Haileyville
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.780, -95.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Sequoyah

When
June 18, 8:45 PM CST
Where
Sequoyah County, Moffett
Property damage
$300
Coordinates
35.380, -94.450

Large trees were blown down in Moffett

Hail, Pushmataha

When
June 18, 8:55 PM CST
Where
Pushmataha County, 5 mi N of Clayton
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
34.650, -95.350

Hail, Haskell

When
June 18, 8:55 PM CST
Where
Haskell County, Stigler
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.250, -95.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Haskell

When
June 18, 8:55 PM CST
Where
Haskell County, Stigler
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
35.250, -95.130

Large tree limbs were knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When
June 18, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Le Flore County, Talihina
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
34.750, -95.050

Flash Flood, Latimer

When
June 18, 9:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Latimer County, 5 mi S of Wilburton
Coordinates
34.876, -95.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Water covered a low-water crossing over North Gaines Creek.

Hail, Latimer

When
June 18, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Latimer County, Yanush
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.700, -95.320

Hail, Latimer

When
June 18, 9:05 PM CST
Where
Latimer County, 4 mi NE of Yanush
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
34.730, -95.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When
June 18, 9:30 PM CST
Where
Le Flore County, 1 mi W of Whitesboro
Property damage
$500
Coordinates
34.680, -94.900

A tree limb was knocked down across a road, and trees were knocked down just west of Whitesboro.

Hail, Latimer

When
June 18, 10:17 PM CST
Where
Latimer County, 1 mi S of Higgins
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.780, -95.450

Hail, Latimer

When
June 18, 10:25 PM CST
Where
Latimer County, 4 mi NE of Yanush
Measured
1.25 in hail
Coordinates
34.730, -95.270

Hail, McIntosh

When
June 18, 10:35 PM CST
Where
McIntosh County, 3 mi W of Eufaula
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
35.280, -95.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When
June 18, 10:45 PM CST
Where
Le Flore County, Talihina
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
34.750, -95.050

The roof was blown off of a building, and trees were blown down in Talihina.

Hail, McIntosh

When
June 18, 10:49 PM CST
Where
McIntosh County, Eufaula
Measured
1.25 in hail
Coordinates
35.280, -95.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When
June 18, 10:55 PM CST
Where
Le Flore County, 4 mi SE of Talihina
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
34.720, -95.000

Measured at Oklahoma mesonet site

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When
June 18, 10:55 PM CST
Where
Le Flore County, Talihina
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
34.750, -95.050

A roof was blown off of a garage, and several trees were blown down

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When
June 18, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Le Flore County, 4 mi SE of Talihina
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Coordinates
34.720, -95.000

Measured at Oklahoma mesonet site

Hail, Haskell

When
June 18, 11:35 PM CST
Where
Haskell County, 6 mi W of Hoyt
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
35.270, -95.400

Hail, McIntosh

When
June 18, 11:35 PM CST
Where
McIntosh County, 8 mi E of Eufaula
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.280, -95.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When
June 19, 12:15 AM CST
Where
Le Flore County, Hodgen
Property damage
$300
Coordinates
34.830, -94.620

Trees were blown down in Hodgen.

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When
June 19, 1:36 AM CST
Where
Le Flore County, Wister
Measured
75 kt (86 mph)
Coordinates
34.970, -94.720

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When
June 19, 1:45 AM CST
Where
Le Flore County, Poteau
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
35.050, -94.620

A large tree was blown onto a residence on Mockingbird Lane. One of the larger branches tore through a bedroom wall, narrowly missing the bed. Termites or ants had apparently been inside the tree for some time and the large tree was rotted from the inside.

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.
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.
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 Oklahoma in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Oklahoma, 1998Warnings in Oklahoma, 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: 5644734, 5644493, 5644625, 5644494, 5644474, 5644475, 5644495, 5644496, 5644737, 5644626, 5644476, 5644605, 5644477, 5644478, 5644739, 5644479, 5644497, 5644606, 5644738, 5644480, 5644728, 5644481, 5644627, 5644740, 5644607, 5644482, 5644628, 5644608, 5644609, 5644483, 5644484, 5644610, 5644611, 5644612, 5644613, 5644629, 5644630, 5644727, 5644614, 5644485, and more.