The tornado outbreak of May 7, 1998

43 tornadoesNorth Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and 5 more states

43 tornadoes touched down across 8 states between 6:03 AM and 11:13 PM CDT, 4 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 1 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · May 7, 1998

How the day unfolded

Every tornado recorded that day, at its logged touchdown time and along its path, with the counties it crossed.

About this replay

Central time—Historical replay — logged touchdown times

Tornadoes—of 43 that day

Strongest so far—

Killed—in tornadoes so far

The day’s milestones

Tornado pathsWider and brighter with the rating; F3 and stronger glow

On the groundEach grows from its logged touchdown time

Counties crossedLit as a tornado reaches them, brighter for F3 or stronger

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database (touchdown times, ratings, start and end points) and Storm Events Database (segment paths and times for the notable tornadoes that have record pages). SPC logs the touchdown time only; other paths are drawn at a typical forward speed of 35 mph. Times are Central Daylight Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 43; on Thursday, May 7, 1998
F3 or stronger: 4; 1 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 1; Along all the paths
Injured: 30; Along all the paths
Path miles: 139; All the paths end to end
First and last: 6:03 AM to 11:13 PM; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. One has a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of May 7, 1998

6:03 AM	F1	Madison County AL	1.5	50	0	0
6:27 AM	F1	Madison County AL	2.0	80	0	0
1:30 PM	F1	Bradley County TN	6.0	100	0	0
2:00 PM	F1	Polk County, Cherokee County TN, NC	14.0	100	0	0
2:55 PM	F0	Union County GA	9.0	100	0	0
3:35 PM	F0	Caswell County NC	0.5	50	0	2
3:35 PM	F1	Madison County NC	1.3	50	0	0
4:08 PM	F0	Oconee County SC	0.1	50	0	0
4:15 PM	F0	Alexander County NC	5.0	300	0	0
4:25 PM	F1	Iredell County NC	3.0	1,320	0	0
4:25 PM	F0	Oconee County SC	0.1	50	0	0
4:49 PM	F4	Caldwell County NC	4.0	1,320	0	2
4:50 PM	F1	Iredell County NC	3.0	440	0	0
4:55 PM	F2	McDowell County NC	3.7	880	0	0
5:03 PM	F1	Alexander County NC	10.0	200	0	0
5:15 PM	F0	Davie County NC	5.0	100	0	0
5:19 PM	F1	Surry County NC	2.5	100	0	0
5:24 PM	F0	Elbert County GA	0.1	30	0	0
5:25 PM	F0	Abbeville County SC	5.0	50	0	0
5:30 PM	F3	Forsyth County NC	2.0	30	0	5
5:42 PM	F1	Greenwood County SC	10.0	100	0	0
5:49 PM	F2	Lincoln County NC	2.0	440	0	0
6:10 PM	F1	Davidson County NC	0.1	100	0	0
6:15 PM	F3	Edgefield County SC	5.0	880	0	0
6:20 PM	F1	Guilford County NC	1.5	30	0	0
6:25 PM	F0	Lincoln County NC	5.0	50	0	0
6:33 PM	F1	Lincoln County GA	0.5	100	0	0
6:40 PM	F1	Pittsylvania County VA	0.3	50	0	2
6:41 PM	F2	Lincoln County GA	1.0	200	0	8
6:45 PM	F0	Mecklenburg County NC	6.0	50	0	0
6:47 PM	F1	Lincoln County GA	1.0	100	0	0
6:47 PM	F2	Edgefield County SC	6.0	440	0	2
6:53 PM	F2	Lincoln County GA	0.5	200	0	0
7:03 PM	F0	McCormick County SC	0.5	100	0	0
7:04 PM	F0	Seward County KS	0.4	50	0	0
7:07 PM	F1	Guilford County NC	1.5	30	0	0
7:11 PM	F1	Randolph County NC	1.0	30	0	0
7:12 PM	F1	Saluda County SC	1.5	150	0	0
7:15 PM	F3	Edgefield County SC	12.0	880	1	9
7:35 PM	F0	Greene County OH	0.2	30	0	0
7:45 PM	F0	Aiken County SC	3.0	100	0	0
10:48 PM	F1	New Hanover County NC	2.0	40	0	0
11:13 PM	F0	McCormick County SC	0.5	100	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, May 7, 1998

North Carolina	19	2	0
South Carolina	11	2	1
Georgia	6	0	0
Alabama	2	0	0
Tennessee	2	0	0
Kansas	1	0	0
Ohio	1	0	0
Virginia	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 1998 · On this date in other years · The biggest outbreak days

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025. A day is SPC’s calendar date in Central Standard Time; an outbreak day here has 40 or more tornadoes, or 6 or more rated F3/EF3 or stronger.