The tornado outbreak of May 31, 1998

46 tornadoesPennsylvania, New York, Michigan and 6 more states

46 tornadoes touched down across 9 states between 1:20 AM and 12:20 AM the next day CDT, 6 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 1 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · May 31, 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 46 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: 46; 94th of 12,998 tornado days since 1950
F3 or stronger: 6; None rated F4 or F5
Killed: 1; Along all the paths
Injured: 109; Along all the paths
Path miles: 210; All the paths end to end
First and last: 1:20 AM to 12:20 AM the next day; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown.

Tornadoes of May 31, 1998

1:20 AM	F0	Marathon County WI	0.2	50	0	0
2:20 AM	F1	Calumet County WI	1.4	80	0	0
4:30 AM	F0	Missaukee County MI	0.3	100	0	0
4:35 AM	F0	Antrim County MI	0.1	30	0	0
4:50 AM	F1	Kalkaska County MI	7.0	100	0	0
4:55 AM	F0	Crawford County MI	0.1	30	0	0
5:25 AM	F0	Genesee County MI	0.1	30	0	0
12:44 PM	F0	DeKalb County IN	0.1	30	0	0
1:15 PM	F0	DeKalb County IN	0.1	30	0	0
2:04 PM	F0	Putnam County OH	0.1	30	0	0
3:22 PM	F3	Saratoga County, Rensselaer County and 1 more NY, VT	30.5	970	0	68
3:37 PM	F1	Albany County NY	3.5	80	0	0
3:45 PM	F0	Delaware County NY	3.0	80	0	0
4:05 PM	F1	Chautauqua County NY	2.0	30	0	2
4:20 PM	F1	Lycoming County PA	0.5	440	0	0
4:30 PM	F3	Tioga County, Broome County and 1 more NY	62.0	200	0	12
4:50 PM	F2	Chenango County NY	1.0	1,500	0	0
5:00 PM	F0	Chenango County NY	0.5	80	0	0
5:03 PM	F2	Hillsborough County NH	0.5	90	0	0
5:25 PM	F0	Otsego County NY	0.7	30	0	0
5:30 PM	F3	Otsego County NY	5.0	800	0	3
6:00 PM	F0	Luzerne County PA	0.2	40	0	0
6:22 PM	F2	Rensselaer County NY	8.0	200	0	0
6:25 PM	F1	Clinton County OH	0.3	100	0	0
6:30 PM	F1	Elk County PA	3.0	100	0	0
6:30 PM	F0	Elk County PA	0.5	100	0	0
7:08 PM	F2	Pike County PA	2.0	550	0	0
7:10 PM	F1	Cameron County, Clinton County PA	5.0	50	0	0
7:20 PM	F3	Pike County PA	20.0	200	0	2
7:20 PM	F2	Pike County PA	3.0	200	0	0
7:20 PM	F0	Lackawanna County PA	0.3	30	0	0
7:20 PM	F0	Lackawanna County PA	0.1	100	0	0
7:45 PM	F1	Lycoming County PA	7.0	80	0	0
7:50 PM	F0	Wayne County PA	0.5	30	0	0
7:50 PM	F3	Somerset County PA	13.0	880	1	15
8:00 PM	F3	Berks County PA	8.3	120	0	7
8:02 PM	F0	Lycoming County PA	0.5	50	0	0
8:15 PM	F1	Wyoming County PA	0.5	50	0	0
8:15 PM	F0	Lycoming County PA	0.2	40	0	0
8:30 PM	F1	Litchfield County CT	0.3	30	0	0
8:35 PM	F2	Adair County KY	1.0	100	0	0
8:50 PM	F0	Pike County PA	0.3	30	0	0
9:48 PM	F1	Bell County KY	1.5	300	0	0
11:30 PM	F2	Lancaster County PA	7.0	880	0	0
11:52 PM	F1	Chester County PA	3.0	100	0	0
12:20 AM	F2	Philadelphia County PA	5.6	200	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, May 31, 1998

Pennsylvania	21	3	1
New York	10	3	0
Michigan	5	0	0
Indiana	2	0	0
Kentucky	2	0	0
Ohio	2	0	0
Wisconsin	2	0	0
Connecticut	1	0	0
New Hampshire	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 1998 · On this date in other years · The biggest outbreak days · The day’s damaging winds

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.