Heat and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 19, 1998

Name: Heat and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 19, 1998
Start: 1998-07-19T01:23
End: 1998-07-19T23:00
Location: Wisconsin

July 19, 1998 · NWS MKX · 9 events in 7 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: 10
Property damage: $147,000
Crop damage: $100,000
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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MKX wrote it up.

A warm front spawned severe thunderstorms in the early morning across southcentral and southeast Wisconsin, resulting in downburst winds which toppled numerous trees and power lines. In addition, a sawmill was destroyed near Livingston in Iowa county and a camper was damaged by felled trees in Yellowstone State Park in Lafayette county. In Sauk county lightning struck a Baraboo home and started a house fire. Later that afternoon in the sweltering heat, 10 people suffered heat exhaustion at the Country Thunder musical festival near Twin Lakes (Kensoha Co.), and were treated at a local hospital. Afternoon temperatures in the lower 90s , dewpoints in the lower 70s and full sunshine were the afternoon weather conditions. exhaustion.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Sauk

When: July 19, 1:23 AM CST
Where: Sauk County, Baraboo
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.427, -89.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Iowa

When: July 19, 1:50 AM CST
Where: Iowa County, 1 mi E of Livingston
Property damage: $100,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 42.900, -90.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Iowa

When: July 19, 2:03 AM CST
Where: Iowa County, Dodgeville
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.970, -90.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Lafayette

When: July 19, 2:05 AM CST to 2:20 AM CST
Where: Lafayette County, Darlington to Fayette
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.680, -90.120

Thunderstorm Wind, Dane

When: July 19, 2:10 AM CST
Where: Dane County, 5 mi N of Mt Horeb
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 43.070, -89.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Green

When: July 19, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Green County, New Glarus
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 42.820, -89.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Rock

When: July 19, 2:50 AM CST
Where: Rock County, Evansville
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.780, -89.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Rock

When: July 19, 3:05 AM CST
Where: Rock County, Beloit
Property damage: $7,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.520, -89.030

Heat, Kenosha

When: July 19, 11:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Kenosha forecast zone
Injuries: 10 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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.
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 Wisconsin in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5662346, 5662340, 5662339, 5662341, 5662342, 5662343, 5662344, 5662345, 5662347.