Oklahoma, 1998

Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, March 19, 1998

March 19, 1998 · NWS TSA · 6 events in 4 counties and zones

Low pressure moved eastward across southern Oklahoma during the evening of March 18 and during the early morning of March 19. A broken line of severe thunderstorms developed over southeast Oklahoma just in advance of the low pressure system.

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
$4,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

Low pressure moved eastward across southern Oklahoma during the evening of March 18 and during the early morning of March 19. A broken line of severe thunderstorms developed over southeast Oklahoma just in advance of the low pressure system. The thunderstorms reached severe levels as they moved across Pittsburg and Pushmataha Counties between midnight and 1 AM. Then the storms weakened below severe limits as they travelled across Haskell and Latimer Counties between 1 and 2 AM. The storms strengthened again as they passed through Le Flore and Sequoyah Counties after 2 AM. The storms moved into Arkansas around 245 AM.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pittsburg

When
March 19, 12:50 AM CST
Where
Pittsburg County, 3 mi NE of Mc Alester
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
34.970, -95.730

Large radio tower blown over

Thunderstorm Wind, Pushmataha

When
March 19, 1:10 AM CST
Where
Pushmataha County, 5 mi SW of Clayton
Property damage
$500
Coordinates
34.530, -95.420

Roof blown off of a barn

Hail, Le Flore

When
March 19, 2:10 AM CST
Where
Le Flore County, 3 mi SE of Talihina
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.720, -95.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When
March 19, 2:10 AM CST
Where
Le Flore County, 3 mi SE of Talihina
Measured
51 kt (59 mph)
Coordinates
34.720, -95.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Sequoyah

When
March 19, 2:35 AM CST
Where
Sequoyah County, Muldrow
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
35.420, -94.600

Large tree limbs blown down.

Hail, Sequoyah

When
March 19, 2:35 AM CST
Where
Sequoyah County, Muldrow
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.420, -94.600

What these are

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 historyWarnings in Oklahoma, March 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: 5634703, 5634704, 5634705, 5634706, 5634707, 5634708.