Flash Flooding and Wildfire in Washington, July 3 to 31, 1998

Name: Flash Flooding and Wildfire in Washington, July 3 to 31, 1998
Start: 1998-07-03T14:15
End: 1998-07-31T17:40
Location: Washington

July 3 to 31, 1998 · NWS OTX · 25 events in 9 counties and zones

11 thunderstorm wind, 5 funnel cloud, 5 flash flood, 3 hail, 1 wildfire, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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: $275,000
Crop damage: $650,000
Events: 25

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 Spokane radar (KOTX), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:42 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 thunderstorm wind, 5 funnel cloud, 5 flash flood, 3 hail, 1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Funnel Cloud, Lincoln

When: July 3, 2:15 PM PST to 2:30 PM PST
Where: Lincoln County, Wilbur
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 47.576, -118.419 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

funnel cloud sighted on the south side of Wilbur.

Wildfire, Stevens

When: July 3, 6:00 PM PST to July 10, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Stevens County, 2 mi E of Addy
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $50,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 48.399, -117.855 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

lightning sparked 3 small wildfires, about an acre in size, in the Colville National Forest.

Thunderstorm Wind, Whitman

When: July 10, 6:45 PM PST
Where: Whitman County, Colfax
Property damage: $40,000
Crop damage: $500,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.880, -117.350

strong winds knocked trees down, crushing a convertible. only minor wheat damage.

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: July 10, 6:48 PM PST
Where: Grant County, Ephrata
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 47.320, -119.530

numerous large trees down

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: July 10, 6:50 PM PST
Where: Grant County, Soap Lake
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 47.380, -119.470

trees and power lines down.

Hail, Grant

When: July 10, 7:01 PM PST
Where: Grant County, Ephrata
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 47.320, -119.530

one inch diameter hail

Hail, Adams

When: July 10, 8:15 PM PST
Where: Adams County, Lind
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.970, -118.620

1.75 inch diameter hail

Thunderstorm Wind, Adams

When: July 10, 8:25 PM PST to 8:49 PM PST
Where: Adams County, Othello to Washtucna
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.820, -119.320

trees down and power lines down along with widespread damage to nearby wheat fields.

Hail, Adams

When: July 10, 8:55 PM PST
Where: Adams County, Lind
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.970, -118.620

1.75 inch diameter hail

Funnel Cloud, Adams

When: July 10, 8:55 PM PST to 9:00 PM PST
Where: Adams County, Ritzville
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 46.983, -118.560 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Adams county sheriff reported a funnel cloud.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ferry

When: July 10, 9:28 PM PST to 10:04 PM PST
Where: Ferry County, Keller to 5 mi of Keller
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.150, -118.680

downed trees on Highway 21 and in Keller on Kuehne Rd.

Flash Flood, Spokane

When: July 10, 10:00 PM PST to 10:28 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Spokane
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 47.621, -117.404 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

standing water and flooding on I90 near the Thor/Freya exit

Thunderstorm Wind, Spokane

When: July 10, 10:03 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, (Geg)spokane Intl Ar
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: ARPT EQUIP(AWOS,ASOS)
Coordinates: 47.620, -117.530

Fairchild AFB, Geiger Field and the NWS office reported 58 mph winds. a funnel cloud sighted at NWS office.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lincoln

When: July 10, 10:08 PM PST
Where: Lincoln County, Sprague
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 47.300, -117.970

power lines down in RV park

Flash Flood, Lincoln

When: July 10, 10:35 PM PST to 10:55 PM PST
Where: Lincoln County, Reardan
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 47.576, -118.419 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

flooding on Highway 231

Funnel Cloud, Spokane

When: July 10, 10:50 PM PST to 10:55 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Deer Park
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 47.621, -117.404 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

police spotted a funnel cloud near Deer Park

Thunderstorm Wind, Stevens

When: July 10, 10:56 PM PST
Where: Stevens County, 3 mi NW of Colville
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.580, -117.950

trees and power lines blown down across roads.

Funnel Cloud, Pend Oreille

When: July 10, 11:05 PM PST to 11:15 PM PST
Where: Pend Oreille County, Newport
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 48.532, -117.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

sheriff sighted a funnel cloud near Newport

Thunderstorm Wind, Pend Oreille

When: July 11, 12:30 AM PST to 12:45 AM PST
Where: Pend Oreille County, Newport to Ione
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.180, -117.050

strong winds blew trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stevens

When: July 11, 1:09 AM PST
Where: Stevens County, Colville
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.550, -117.900

trees reported blown down on Aladdin Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pend Oreille

When: July 11, 1:59 AM PST to 2:05 AM PST
Where: Pend Oreille County, Newport to 6 mi of Metaline
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.250, -117.150

trees reported down across Highway 20 and 31.

Flash Flood, Lincoln

When: July 29, 5:00 PM PST to 5:54 PM PST
Where: Lincoln County, Wilbur
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 47.576, -118.419 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

heavy rain lead to flooding in downtown Wilbur with flood drainages full and streets running with water. One inch diameter hail also occurred.

Funnel Cloud, Grant

When: July 29, 6:26 PM PST to 6:30 PM PST
Where: Grant County, Moses Lake
Reported by: AIRPLANE PILOT
Coordinates: 47.206, -119.452 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

a pilot relayed a report of a funnel cloud in the vicinity of Moses Lake airport.

Flash Flood, Grant

When: July 31, 5:30 AM PST to 8:30 AM PST
Where: Grant County, Ephrata
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 47.206, -119.452 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

over 3 inches of rain in 3 hours dumped on Ephrata causing its downtown to flood. water was a foot deep in some area, floodng a local grocery store.

Flash Flood, Okanogan

When: July 31, 4:30 PM PST to 5:40 PM PST
Where: Okanogan County, Ellisford
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.549, -119.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

heavy rain caused flooding and mudslides on Loomis Highway near Wannacut Road.

What these are

Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Wildfire: A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Washington in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, 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: 5659967, 5660059, 5660058, 5659960, 5659961, 5659962, 5659963, 5659965, 5659966, 5659969, 5659970, 5659973, 5659971, 5659972, 5659975, 5659974, 5660049, 5660050, 5660051, 5660052, 5660053, 5660054, 5660055, 5660056, 5660057.