Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, June 18, 1998

Name: Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, June 18, 1998
Start: 1998-06-18T15:45
End: 1998-06-18T17:35
Location: Wisconsin

June 18, 1998 · NWS ARX · 29 events in 9 counties and zones

), killing five cows and injuring one person. ).

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: 15
Property damage: $1.9 million
Crop damage: $140,000
Events: 29

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 ARX wrote it up.

A line of severe thunderstorms accompanied by straight-line winds up to 70 mph caused extensive damage across southwest Wisconsin.A short-lived tornado hit a dairy barn near Retreat (Vernon Co.), killing five cows and injuring one person. The F1 tornado skipped along the ground and stacked trees together after its passage.A second smaller tornado hit Lancaster (Grant Co.) causing damage to several homes and knocking down hundreds of trees in the city.Other notable damage consisted of a roof blown off the elementary school in Cashton (Monroe Co.) and a bowling alley in Westby (Vernon Co.). In West Salem (La Crosse Co.), a large circus tent, with 500 people inside, collapsed during one of the performances. Thirteen people were injured. There were numerous other reports of trees or power lines down.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

27 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: June 18, 3:45 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Bagley
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage: $95,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.900, -91.120

Jellystone Campground was hit with many campers damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When: June 18, 3:45 PM CST
Where: Crawford County, Prairie du Chien
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $18,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.050, -91.150

A woman suffered a broken leg when a tree fell on the lodge she was staying in.

Tornado, Vernon

When: June 18, 4:07 PM CST to 4:30 PM CST
Where: Vernon County, Retreat to 2 mi N of Westby
Measured: 60
Rating: F1
Path length: 1.5 mi
Path width: 120 yd
Property damage: $100,000
Crop damage: $50,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.470, -91.070

Tornado, Grant

When: June 18, 4:10 PM CST to 4:12 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Lancaster
Measured: 58
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 35 yd
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $200,000
Crop damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 42.850, -90.720

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When: June 18, 4:18 PM CST
Where: La Crosse County, 5 mi S of La Crosse
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 43.730, -91.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: June 18, 4:20 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Lancaster
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph)
Property damage: $150,000
Crop damage: $30,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.850, -90.720

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When: June 18, 4:20 PM CST
Where: La Crosse County, 3 mi E of La Crosse
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 43.800, -91.180

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When: June 18, 4:20 PM CST
Where: Crawford County, Wauzeka
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph)
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.080, -90.880

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When: June 18, 4:23 PM CST
Where: La Crosse County, New Amsterdam
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.980, -91.320

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When: June 18, 4:23 PM CST
Where: La Crosse County, West Salem
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Injuries: 13 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.900, -91.080

Circus tent collapsed at fairgrounds. 500 people were in tent. 13 injured.

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When: June 18, 4:25 PM CST
Where: La Crosse County, St Joseph
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.780, -91.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Vernon

When: June 18, 4:25 PM CST
Where: Vernon County, Westby
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $60,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.650, -90.850

Roof blown off bowling alley

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: June 18, 4:25 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Montfort
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.970, -90.430

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When: June 18, 4:30 PM CST
Where: La Crosse County, Middle Ridge
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $300
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 43.800, -90.950

Large trees blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: June 18, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Blue River
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph)
Property damage: $18,000
Crop damage: $30,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.180, -90.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Trempealeau

When: June 18, 4:35 PM CST
Where: Trempealeau County, 1 mi SW of Trempealeau
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.980, -91.450

A boat capsized on the Mississippi River from strong wind gusts.

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: June 18, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Monroe County, Cashton
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.750, -90.780

Elementary school roof blown off

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: June 18, 4:47 PM CST
Where: Richland County, Viola
Property damage: $700
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.500, -90.670

Large trees and power lines blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: June 18, 4:55 PM CST
Where: Monroe County, Tomah
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.980, -90.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: June 18, 4:57 PM CST
Where: Richland County, Richland Center
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.330, -90.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: June 18, 4:58 PM CST
Where: Monroe County, 5 mi S of Tomah
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.920, -90.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: June 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Monroe County, Oakdale
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.970, -90.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: June 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Monroe County, 3 mi N of Oakdale
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.020, -90.380

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When: June 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where: La Crosse County, 10 mi N of La Crosse
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph)
Property damage: $6,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 43.950, -91.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Juneau

When: June 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Juneau County, 3 mi NW of Camp Douglas
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.950, -90.320

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: June 18, 5:05 PM CST
Where: Richland County, Bloom City
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage: $15,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.500, -90.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Juneau

When: June 18, 5:10 PM CST to 5:12 PM CST
Where: Juneau County, Mauston
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage: $45,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.800, -90.080

Thunderstorm Wind, Adams

When: June 18, 5:25 PM CST
Where: Adams County, Dellwood
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.970, -89.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Adams

When: June 18, 5:35 PM CST
Where: Adams County, 1 mi E of Adams
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $12,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.950, -89.800

What these are

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.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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 The tornado archive for Wisconsin, 1998 Warnings in Wisconsin, June 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: 5653469, 5653476, 5653474, 5653475, 5653471, 5653222, 5653473, 5653481, 5653223, 5653472, 5653224, 5653478, 5653482, 5653225, 5653468, 5653226, 5653480, 5653227, 5653477, 5653470, 5653230, 5653228, 5653229, 5653231, 5653479, 5653232, 5653233, 5653234, 5653235.