Wisconsin, 1998Tornadoes and Hail in Wisconsin, May 15, 1998
May 15, 1998 · NWS MPX · 7 events in 5 counties and zones
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 2 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 7
- Property damage
- $2.3 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 7
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.
Event by event
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Tornado, Pepin
- When
- May 15, 4:54 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pepin County, Durand to 8 mi ENE of Durand
- Rating
- F3
- Path length
- 5 mi
- Path width
- 66 yd
- Injuries
- 6 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Coordinates
- 44.600, -91.830
Tornado touched down in northern Buffalo County, and continued on ground for 9 miles into eastern Pepin County. Two homes were destroyed in Pepin County. House collapse injured 6 family members. Trailer home also damaged. Tornado rated F3 for a brief time east of Durand, however most of its damage track rated F1.
Tornado, Dunn
- When
- May 15, 5:05 PM CST to 5:20 PM CST
- Where
- Dunn County, Meridean to 3 mi N of Elk Mound
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 18 mi
- Path width
- 150 yd
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $1.9 million
- Coordinates
- 44.680, -91.780
Chemical fertilizer plant northwest of Elk Mound sustained most of the severe damage. One house and a mobile home near Elk Mound were also destroyed. 7 other homes damaged. One man injured by flying glass.
Hail, Eau Claire
- When
- May 15, 5:38 PM CST
- Where
- Eau Claire County, 5 mi S of Eau Claire
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 44.750, -91.480
Thunderstorm Wind, Eau Claire
- When
- May 15, 5:45 PM CST
- Where
- Eau Claire County, Eau Claire
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Property damage
- $73,000
- Coordinates
- 44.820, -91.480
Trees and power lines down. Estimated windspeed. Damage estimate for entire county.
Hail, Chippewa
- When
- May 15, 5:55 PM CST
- Where
- Chippewa County, 5 mi E of Chippewa Falls
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 44.930, -91.280
Thunderstorm Wind, Rusk
- When
- May 15, 6:05 PM CST
- Where
- Rusk County, Ladysmith
- Measured
- 70 kt (81 mph)
- Property damage
- $230,000
- Coordinates
- 45.470, -91.100
Roof ripped off apartment building and restaurant. Flying debris from apartment building damaged nearby motel. 3,000 pound pontoon boat on Lake Flambeau blown a distance of 125 feet and destroyed. Many trees blown over. Numerous garages and sheds destroyed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Chippewa
- When
- May 15, 6:25 PM CST
- Where
- Chippewa County, 1 mi NE of Bloomer
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Coordinates
- 45.120, -91.470
Shed destroyed. Estimated windspeed.
- 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.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- 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.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Iowa, May 15, 199847 injured · $15 million · F3 · 6 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, May 15, 19981 death · 31 injured · $950 million · F1 · 74 events
- Tornado and Hail in Wisconsin, May 15, 199811 injured · $1.9 million · F2 · 23 events
- Tornadoes and Flood in Iowa, May 15, 19981 injured · $4.8 million · F2 · 80 events
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 15, 19981 injured · $2.6 million · F2 · 6 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 15 to 18, 1998$1.1 million · 1.75 in hail · 44 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 15, 19984 injured · $600,000 · 1 in hail · 7 events
- Hail in Minnesota, May 15, 1998$3.0 million · 3 in hail · 1 event
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 15, 1998$313,000 · F1 · 15 events
- High Wind in South Dakota, May 15, 1998$1.0 million · 1 event
- Damaging Winds in Iowa, May 15, 1998$474,000 · 72 kt wind · 16 events
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 15, 19981 injured · $133,000 · F0 · 9 events
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: 5649322, 5649323, 5649318, 5649319, 5649320, 5649324, 5649321.