Wisconsin, 1998

Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 15, 1998

May 15, 1998 · NWS ARX · 9 events in 5 counties and zones

60 to 70 mph winds downed trees and power lines. Small tornadoes touched down briefly near Mondovi and West Salem.

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
1
Property damage
$118,000
Crop damage
$15,000
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 ARX wrote it up.

60 to 70 mph winds downed trees and power lines. Small tornadoes touched down briefly near Mondovi and West Salem. The one near West Salem sheared off the tops of trees and destroyed a barn. A woman in the barn at the time was injured slightly.

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:50 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Tornado, Buffalo

When
May 15, 4:50 PM CST to 4:54 PM CST
Where
Buffalo County, Mondovi to 7 mi NW of Mondovi
Rating
F0
Path length
3 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$20,000
Coordinates
44.570, -91.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Buffalo

When
May 15, 5:50 PM CST
Where
Buffalo County, 2 mi SE of Fountain City
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
44.120, -91.680

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When
May 15, 6:33 PM CST
Where
La Crosse County, 3 mi E of La Crosse
Measured
59 kt (68 mph)
Coordinates
43.800, -91.180

Tornado, La Crosse

When
May 15, 6:40 PM CST to 6:44 PM CST
Where
La Crosse County, West Salem to 3 mi NW of West Salem
Rating
F0
Path length
2 mi
Path width
50 yd
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$40,000
Coordinates
43.900, -91.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When
May 15, 6:40 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Hazel Green
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Property damage
$13,000
Crop damage
$15,000
Coordinates
42.530, -90.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When
May 15, 6:45 PM CST
Where
Jackson County, 5 mi W of City Pt
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$8,000
Coordinates
44.350, -90.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When
May 15, 7:07 PM CST
Where
Monroe County, 6 mi NW of Tomah
Measured
54 kt (62 mph)
Property damage
$12,000
Coordinates
44.050, -90.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When
May 15, 7:10 PM CST
Where
Jackson County, Black River Falls
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
44.300, -90.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When
May 15, 7:15 PM CST
Where
Monroe County, 4 mi N of Warrens
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
44.180, -90.500

What these are

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.
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.

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 historyThe tornado archive for Wisconsin, 1998Warnings in Wisconsin, May 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: 5642216, 5642217, 5642219, 5642327, 5642490, 5642491, 5642218, 5642492, 5642493.