Heat in Texas, July 1 to 31, 1998

Name: Heat in Texas, July 1 to 31, 1998
Start: 1998-07-01T00:00
End: 1998-07-31T23:59
Location: Texas

July 1 to 31, 1998 · NWS FWD · 46 events in 46 counties and zones

A prolonged excessive heat event continued across north Texas in July. This heat wave was the result of existing drought conditions combined with a persistent upper level ridge of high pressure.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 46 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: 32
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 46

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 FWD wrote it up.

A prolonged excessive heat event continued across north Texas in July. This heat wave was the result of existing drought conditions combined with a persistent upper level ridge of high pressure. For the month of July, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) recorded an average high of 102.4 degrees, which was the second warmest for the month on record and the fourth warmest ever. The average low of 80.8 degrees was the warmest average low for any month. The monthly average temperature of 91.6 degrees was the second warmest month on record, second only to the 92.0 degrees recorded during the heat wave in July of 1980. DFW reported 28 days with high temperatures at or above 100 degrees and 26 days with low temperatures at or above 80 degrees. The high temperature of 110 degrees reported at DFW on July 12th was the warmest high temperature recorded since July 18, 1980. In Waco, the average temperature of 90.4 degrees was the third warmest on record, with highs averaging 102.4 degrees and lows averaging 78.3 degrees. Waco also reported 26 days with highs at or above 100 degrees. The warmest high temperature for the month for north Texas was reported in Fort Worth on July 13th, when the mercury topped out at 112 degrees.During July, the heat wave claimed at least 32 lives in north Texas, with most of the fatalities occurring in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Most of the fatalities were elderly, and many fatalities listed other complicating factors, such as heart disease and hypertension. Below are the dates and listings of each fatality.July 3: An 85 year old woman was found dead in her home in east Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with hypertension and severe heart disease listed as contributing factors. A 34 year old man collapsed and died while working on a roof in Denton. Cause of death was hyperthermia.July 5: A 70 year old man was found dead in his home in northwest Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease and hypertension listed as contributing factors.July 8: A 63 year old woman was found dead in her home in east Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with severe heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 9: An 80 year old woman was found dead in her home in Lancaster (Dallas County). Cause of death was hyperthermia, with severe heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 10: An 83 year old man was found alongside a road near his home in Irving (Dallas County). Cause of death was hyperthermia, with Parkinson's Disease listed as a contributing factor.July 12: A 59 year old man was found dead in a boarding house in east Dallas. The cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor. A 37 year old man was found dead in his home in southeast Dallas County. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor. An 82 year old woman was found dead in her home in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor. A 58 year old man was found dead in his home in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with arthritis listed as a contributing factor. A 64 year old woman was found dead in her home in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas . Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease and cirrhosis listed as contributing factors. An 83 year old man was found dead in his home in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with congestive heart failure and emphysema listed as contributing factors. An 85 year old man and his 80 year old wife were found dead in their home in Sanger (Denton County). Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor.July 13: An 85 year old woman was found dead in her home in east Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor. A 62 year old man was found dead in a field in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 14: A 75 year old man was found dead in his home in Kaufman County. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor. A 76 year old man was found dead in his home in Denton County. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor.July 15: An 80 year old woman was found dead in her home in south Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a complicating factor. An 81 year old man was found dead in Fort Worth. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor.July 16: A 39 year old man was collapsed and died while working on his car in Fort Worth. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor. A 64 year old male was found dead in his home in Garland (Dallas County). Cause of death was hyperthermia, with hypertension and heart disease listed as contributing factor. A 90 year old woman was found dead in her home in Lancaster (Dallas County). Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 17: A 75 year old man was found dead in his home in Irving (Dallas County). Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 19: An 83 year old woman was found dead in her home in the Knox-Henderson area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor. A 67 year old woman was found dead in her home near Fair Park in Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease and hypertension listed as contributing factors.July 20: A 76 year old man was found dead in his home in south Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 26: An 87 year old woman was found dead in her home in Fort Worth. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor.July 28: An 87 year old woman was found dead in her home in Fort Worth. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor. A 98 year old woman was found dead in her home in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 29: A 48 year old man was found in his east Dallas home suffering from hyperthermia and later died at a hospital. Cause of death was hyperthermia.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

46 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Anderson

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Anderson forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.813, -95.653 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Bell

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Bell forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.038, -97.478 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Bosque

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Bosque forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.900, -97.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Collin

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Collin forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.188, -96.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Comanche

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Comanche forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.948, -98.558 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Cooke

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cooke forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.639, -97.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Coryell

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Coryell forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.391, -97.799 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Dallas

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Deaths: 23 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.767, -96.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Delta

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Delta forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.386, -95.672 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Denton

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Denton forecast zone
Deaths: 4 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.205, -97.117 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Eastland

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Eastland forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.327, -98.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Ellis

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ellis forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.348, -96.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Erath

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Erath forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.236, -98.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Falls

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Falls forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.253, -96.936 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Fannin

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Fannin forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.594, -96.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Freestone

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Freestone forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.705, -96.149 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Grayson

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Grayson forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.627, -96.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Hamilton

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.705, -98.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Henderson

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.212, -95.854 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Hill

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hill forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.991, -97.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Hood

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hood forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.430, -97.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Hopkins

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hopkins forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.150, -95.564 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Hunt

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hunt forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.124, -96.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Jack

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jack forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.234, -98.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Johnson

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.379, -97.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Kaufman

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Kaufman forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.599, -96.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Lamar

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lamar forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.667, -95.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Lampasas

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lampasas forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.196, -98.241 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Leon

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Leon forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.297, -95.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Limestone

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Limestone forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.546, -96.580 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, McLennan

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: McLennan forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.552, -97.202 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Milam

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Milam forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 30.786, -96.977 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Mills

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Mills forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.495, -98.595 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Montague

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Montague forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.676, -97.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Navarro

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Navarro forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.047, -96.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Palo Pinto

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Palo Pinto forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.753, -98.313 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Parker

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Parker forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.778, -97.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Rains

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Rains forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.870, -95.793 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Robertson

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Robertson forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.027, -96.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Rockwall

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Rockwall forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.898, -96.408 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Somervell

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Somervell forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.222, -97.774 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Stephens

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Stephens forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.736, -98.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Tarrant

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Tarrant forecast zone
Deaths: 4 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.772, -97.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Van Zandt

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Van Zandt forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 32.564, -95.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Wise

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wise forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.216, -97.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Young

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Young forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.177, -98.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-03	85	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-05	70	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-08	63	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-09	80	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-10	83	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-12	58	Male	Mobile/Trailer Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-12	37	Male	Mobile/Trailer Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-12	59	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-12	82	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-12	64	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-12	83	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-13	62	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-13	85	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-13	85	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-15	80	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-16	90	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-16	64	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-17	75	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-19	83	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-19	67	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-28	98	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-29	48	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Dallas	1998-07-20	76	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Denton	1998-07-03	34	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct
Heat, Denton	1998-07-12	80	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Denton	1998-07-12	85	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Denton	1998-07-14	76	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Kaufman	1998-07-14	75	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Tarrant	1998-07-15	81	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Tarrant	1998-07-16	39	Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct
Heat, Tarrant	1998-07-26	87	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Tarrant	1998-07-28	80	Female	Permanent Home	Direct

What these are

Heat: Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, 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: 5660930, 5660931, 5660932, 5660933, 5660934, 5660935, 5660936, 5660937, 5660938, 5660939, 5660940, 5660941, 5661039, 5661040, 5661041, 5661042, 5661043, 5661044, 5661045, 5661046, 5661047, 5661048, 5661049, 5661050, 5661051, 5661052, 5661053, 5661054, 5661055, 5661056, 5661057, 5661058, 5661059, 5661060, 5661061, 5661062, 5661063, 5661064, 5661065, 5661066, and more.