Wisconsin, 1998

Flood in Wisconsin, August 5, 1998

August 5, 1998 · NWS MKX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A series of thunderstorms, slowly moving northeast at 10 mph, trained through the Milwaukee area... dumping 2 to 4 inches of rain between 0900CST and 1300CST.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$20,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 MKX wrote it up.

A series of thunderstorms, slowly moving northeast at 10 mph, trained through the Milwaukee area... dumping 2 to 4 inches of rain between 0900CST and 1300CST. The resultant urban flooding closed some roads, notably College Ave. from 27th to 31st street. Water depths on some city streets reached 1 to 2 feet. The Public Safety Building in downtown Milwaukee had a flooded basement. A tunnel at Mitchell International Airport had water levels of 4 feet, and the terminal also had some minor flooding in a baggage room. Water covered the passing lane on I-94 near the KK River. The synoptic reasons for this flooding can be found in the August 4th entry for flash flooding in Columbia Co.

The radar

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

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Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Milwaukee

When
August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
Milwaukee County, Milwaukee
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, August 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: 5664601.