Hail and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, May 21, 1998

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, May 21, 1998
Start: 1998-05-21T16:45
End: 1998-05-21T18:35
Location: Tennessee

May 21, 1998 · NWS MEG · 9 events in 6 counties and zones

6 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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: $46,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Obion

When: May 21, 4:45 PM CST to 4:50 PM CST
Where: Obion County, Union City
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Coordinates: 36.420, -89.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Obion

When: May 21, 4:45 PM CST to 4:50 PM CST
Where: Obion County, Union City
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 36.420, -89.050

Numerous trees were knocked down.

Hail, Lake

When: May 21, 5:00 PM CST to 5:05 PM CST
Where: Lake County, 5 mi N of Tiptonville
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $750
Coordinates: 36.450, -89.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Obion

When: May 21, 5:15 PM CST to 5:25 PM CST
Where: Obion County, Countywide
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 36.350, -89.180

Some trees were knocked down across the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Weakley

When: May 21, 5:20 PM CST to 5:30 PM CST
Where: Weakley County, Dresden to Gleason
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 36.300, -88.720

Several trees and power lines were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henry

When: May 21, 5:30 PM CST to 5:35 PM CST
Where: Henry County, Paris
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 36.300, -88.320

Some roofing material was blown off a roof and landed on a car.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carroll

When: May 21, 5:50 PM CST to 6:05 PM CST
Where: Carroll County, Bruceton to Clarksburg
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 36.030, -88.250

Numerous trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When: May 21, 6:10 PM CST to 6:15 PM CST
Where: Henderson County, Lexington
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 35.650, -88.400

A few trees were blown down.

Hail, Henderson

When: May 21, 6:30 PM CST to 6:35 PM CST
Where: Henderson County, Lexington
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Coordinates: 35.650, -88.400

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

Every storm in Tennessee in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Tennessee, 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: 5648503, 5648600, 5648601, 5648604, 5648602, 5648603, 5648605, 5648606, 5648607.