Hail, Creek
- When
- May 5, 3:00 AM CST
- Where
- Creek County, 7 mi W of Kellyville
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.950, -96.350
Near south side of Heyburn Lake
Flash Flooding and Hail in Oklahoma, May 5, 1998
Summary of events for May 5 1998:A large complex of thunderstorms (known to meteorologists as a nocturnal MCS) formed during the early morning hours of May 5 over northcentral Oklahoma. The complex of thunderstorms then dropped to the southeast, affecting a broad area from Stillwater to Mc Alester to Antlers.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $70,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 19
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 May 5 1998:A large complex of thunderstorms (known to meteorologists as a nocturnal MCS) formed during the early morning hours of May 5 over northcentral Oklahoma. The complex of thunderstorms then dropped to the southeast, affecting a broad area from Stillwater to Mc Alester to Antlers. As is typical with this kind of weather setup, there were reports of locally heavy rain, high winds, and numerous reports of hail as large as quarters. There were also frequent lightning strikes with these storms that set fire to a house in Pushmataha County. Overall, Okfuskee County received the worst of the storm with numerous reports of large hail and torrential, flooding rains.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
13 hail, 3 flash flood, 2 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Okfuskee
- When
- May 5, 3:10 AM CST
- Where
- Okfuskee County, 5 mi WSW of Okemah
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.400, -96.380
At intersection of SH 48 and I-40
Hail, Creek
- When
- May 5, 3:10 AM CST
- Where
- Creek County, 4 mi W of Kellyville
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.950, -96.280
2 miles east of Heyburn Lake
Flash Flood, Okfuskee
- When
- May 5, 3:30 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Okfuskee County, East Portion
- Coordinates
- 35.466, -96.323 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
SH 56 was covered by water 3 miles northeast of Okemah. The NWS cooperative observer in Okemah reported 3.95 inches of rain, and the Oklahoma mesonet site near Okemah reported 3.67 inches of rain. At the mesonet site, 2.71 inches of the rain fell between 345 AM CDT and 500 AM CDT, a rate of over 2 inches per hour.
Hail, Okfuskee
- When
- May 5, 3:40 AM CST
- Where
- Okfuskee County, Pharoah
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.420, -96.120
Hail, Okfuskee
- When
- May 5, 3:45 AM CST
- Where
- Okfuskee County, 7 mi E of Okemah
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.430, -96.180
Hail accumulated to depths of 1 to 2 inches
Hail, Okmulgee
- When
- May 5, 4:18 AM CST
- Where
- Okmulgee County, 5 mi N of Henryetta
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.520, -95.980
Hail, Okmulgee
- When
- May 5, 4:30 AM CST
- Where
- Okmulgee County, Henryetta
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.450, -95.980
Report from downtown Henryetta
Lightning, Okmulgee
- When
- May 5, 4:30 AM CST
- Where
- Okmulgee County, Henryetta
- Property damage
- $30,000
- Coordinates
- 35.647, -95.964 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning struck a TV antenna and set fire to a residence in Henryetta. The home was about a 50 percent loss.
Flash Flood, Okmulgee
- When
- May 5, 4:50 AM CST to 5:30 AM CST
- Where
- Okmulgee County, Henryetta
- Coordinates
- 35.647, -95.964 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Water covered the east end of Main Street in Henryetta. The street had to be closed for a time. The NWS cooperative observer 2 miles northeast of Dewar reported 2.50 inches of rain.
Flash Flood, McIntosh
- When
- May 5, 4:50 AM CST to 5:30 AM CST
- Where
- McIntosh County, 2 mi E of Hitchita
- Coordinates
- 35.374, -95.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
US Hwy 266 was under water 2 miles east of Hitchita near Gaines Creek.
Thunderstorm Wind, Okfuskee
- When
- May 5, 5:00 AM CST
- Where
- Okfuskee County, Okemah
- Property damage
- $100
- Coordinates
- 35.430, -96.300
Tree knocked down by thunderstorm winds
Hail, Okfuskee
- When
- May 5, 5:17 AM CST
- Where
- Okfuskee County, Weleetka
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.330, -96.130
Hail, Pittsburg
- When
- May 5, 5:51 AM CST
- Where
- Pittsburg County, 3 mi SW of Mc Alester
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 34.900, -95.800
Hail, Haskell
- When
- May 5, 6:35 AM CST
- Where
- Haskell County, 1 mi S of Mc Curtain
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.130, -94.970
Hail, Pushmataha
- When
- May 5, 7:00 AM CST
- Where
- Pushmataha County, 8 mi NE of Moyers
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 34.400, -95.550
Lightning, Pushmataha
- When
- May 5, 7:00 AM CST
- Where
- Pushmataha County, 8 mi NE of Moyers
- Property damage
- $40,000
- Coordinates
- 34.416, -95.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning set fire to and destroyed an old house
Hail, Pushmataha
- When
- May 5, 8:05 AM CST
- Where
- Pushmataha County, Antlers
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 34.230, -95.620
Hail, Choctaw
- When
- May 5, 8:10 AM CST
- Where
- Choctaw County, 2 mi E of Speer
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 34.120, -95.520
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- 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.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
- 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
- Tornadoes in California, May 5, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Kansas, May 5 to 6, 1998
- Flash Flood in California, May 5, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Florida, May 5, 1998
- Flooding and Lightning Strike in California, May 5, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Florida, May 5, 1998
- Heavy Rain and Strong Wind in California, May 5 to 6, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Florida, May 5, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, May 5, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, May 5, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, May 5, 1998
- Hail in Florida, May 5, 1998
More
Every storm in Oklahoma in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, May 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: 5644809, 5644800, 5644808, 5644807, 5645687, 5645688, 5644801, 5644802, 5644810, 5644805, 5644806, 5643980, 5643981, 5644804, 5645686, 5643982, 5644803, 5643983, 5644799.