Late-May 1998 Tornado Outbreak And Derecho
   HOME
*





Late-May 1998 Tornado Outbreak And Derecho
The Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho was a historic tornado outbreak and derecho that began on the afternoon of May 30 and extended throughout May 31, 1998, across a large portion of the northern half of the United States and southern Ontario from southeastern Montana east and southeastward to the Atlantic Ocean. The initial tornado outbreak, including the devastating Spencer tornado, hit southeast South Dakota on the evening of May 30. The Spencer tornado was the most destructive and the second-deadliest tornado in South Dakota history. A total of 13 people were killed; 7 by tornadoes and 6 by the derecho. Over two million people lost electrical power, some for up to 10 days. The derecho was the most violent line of thunderstorms observed on earth during the 1998 calendar year according to the National Weather Service review shortly after the year was over. It was the climax of an unusually heavy derecho season in the North-Central United States and adjacent parts of C ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Tornadoes Of 1998
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1998, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today. Synopsis The 1998 tornado season saw record numbers of tornadoes and also the most fatalities since 1974 (surpassed in 2011). A number of tornado events resulted in large loss of life. In February, a series of tornadoes caused 42 fatalities in Florida. In March, a tornado killed 12 in Georgia. In April an F5 tornado killed 32 in the Birmingham, Alabama area (no stranger to killer tornadoes). By year's end, 130 people had been killed in the United States. Events Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1998 in the United States. January There were 47 tornadoes confirmed ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Spencer, South Dakota
Spencer is a city in McCook County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 136 at the 2020 census. The city was almost destroyed by a violent F4 tornado on May 30, 1998 which killed six people. History Spencer was laid out in 1887 when the railroad was extended to that point. The city was named for H. Spencer, a railroad official. A post office has been in operation in Spencer since 1887. Spencer was officially incorporated in 1917. 1998 tornado On May 30, 1998, the most destructive and second deadliest tornado in South Dakota history struck Spencer. It began as a large, dust-cloaked tornado northwest of Farmer in Hanson County, concurrent with the demise of the "Fulton" tornado. Continuing toward the east-southeast, it struck several farmsteads before crossing the Hanson/McCook County line a half mile west-northwest of Spencer. At this time, the tornado was being observed by the OU Doppler on Wheels crew, whose mobile Doppler radar data showed up to 264 mph winds ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Haboob
A haboob ( ar, هَبوب, lit=blasting/drifting, translit=habūb) is a type of intense dust storm carried on an atmospheric gravity current, also known as a weather front. Haboobs occur regularly in dry land area regions throughout the world. Description During thunderstorm formation, winds move in a direction opposite to the storm's travel, and they move from all directions into the thunderstorm. When the storm collapses and begins to release precipitation, wind directions reverse, gusting outward from the storm and generally gusting the strongest in the direction of the storm's travel. When this downdraft of cold air, or downburst, reaches the ground, it blows dry, loose silt and clay (collectively, dust) up from the desert, creating a wall of airborne sediment that precedes the storm cloud. This wall of dust can be up to wide and several kilometers in elevation. At their strongest, haboob winds often travel at , and they may approach with little or no warning. Often rai ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Rear Flank Downdraft
The rear flank downdraft (RFD) is a region of dry air wrapping around the back of a mesocyclone in a supercell thunderstorm. These areas of descending air are thought to be essential in the production of many supercellular tornadoes. Large hail within the rear flank downdraft often shows up brightly as a hook on weather radar images, producing the characteristic ''hook echo'', which often indicates the presence of a tornado. Formation The rear flank downdraft can arise owing to negative buoyancy, which can be generated by cold anomalies produced at the rear of the supercell thunderstorm by evaporative cooling of precipitation or hail melting, or injection of dry and cooler air in the cloud, and by vertical perturbation pressure gradients that can arise from vertical gradients of vertical vorticity, ''stagnation'' of environmental flow at an updraft, and pressure perturbations due to vertical buoyancy variations (which are partially due to hydrostatic effects). Vertical press ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Alexandria, South Dakota
Alexandria is a city in central Hanson County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 649 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Hanson County. History In 1879, the community was founded with the name Clarksville. Its post office was established in 1880, and the city later incorporated in 1885 as Alexandria. The city was named after Alexander Mitchell. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Alexandria has been assigned the ZIP code 57311, and the FIPS place code 00820. Climate Demographics Alexandria is part of the Mitchell, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area. 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 615 people, 231 households, and 171 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 249 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.5% White, 0.5% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 0.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino o ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




Late-May 1998 Tornado Outbreak And Derecho
The Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho was a historic tornado outbreak and derecho that began on the afternoon of May 30 and extended throughout May 31, 1998, across a large portion of the northern half of the United States and southern Ontario from southeastern Montana east and southeastward to the Atlantic Ocean. The initial tornado outbreak, including the devastating Spencer tornado, hit southeast South Dakota on the evening of May 30. The Spencer tornado was the most destructive and the second-deadliest tornado in South Dakota history. A total of 13 people were killed; 7 by tornadoes and 6 by the derecho. Over two million people lost electrical power, some for up to 10 days. The derecho was the most violent line of thunderstorms observed on earth during the 1998 calendar year according to the National Weather Service review shortly after the year was over. It was the climax of an unusually heavy derecho season in the North-Central United States and adjacent parts of C ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


McCook County, South Dakota
McCook County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. At the 2020 census, the population was 5,682. Its county seat is Salem. The county was established in 1873, and was organized in 1878. It was named for the former governor of the Dakota Territory and Civil War general Edwin Stanton McCook. McCook County is part of the Sioux Falls, SD Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography The terrain of McCook County consists of rolling hills, mostly devoted to agriculture. The terrain slopes to the south and southwest; its highest point is near its northeast corner, at 1,798' (548m) ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water. Major highways * Interstate 90 * U.S. Highway 81 * South Dakota Highway 38 * South Dakota Highway 42 Adjacent counties * Lake County - northeast * Minnehaha County - east * Turner County - southeast * Hutchinson County - southwest * Hanson County - west * Miner County - northwest Protected areas * Ediger State Ga ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Tornado Family
A tornado family is a series of tornadoes spawned by the same supercell thunderstorm. These families form a line of successive or parallel tornado paths and can cover a short span or a vast distance. Tornado families are sometimes mistaken as a single continuous tornado, especially prior to the 1970s. Sometimes the tornado tracks can overlap and expert analysis is necessary to determine whether or not damage was created by a family or a single tornado. In some cases, such as the March 1990 Central US tornado outbreak, Hesston-Goessel, Kansas tornadoes of March 1990, different tornadoes of a tornado family merge, making discerning whether an event was continuous or not more difficult. Some tornado damage remains a mystery even today due to a lack of evidence. The Tri-State Tornado of March 1925 was one such event. It could either have been the longest single tornado recorded or a family of tornadoes. A thorough re-analyses project found that it was probably one continuous tornado for ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Hanson County, South Dakota
Hanson County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,461. Its county seat is Alexandria. The county was founded in 1871 and organized in 1873. It was named for Joseph R. Hanson, clerk of the first legislature. Hanson County is part of the Mitchell, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county is somewhat unique among those in the United States in that there are no officially registered airports within the county borders. Geography The terrain of Hanson County consists of low rolling hills; its area is mostly devoted to agriculture. The James River flows southeastward through the lower western part of the county. The terrain slopes toward the river basin on both sides, and generally gently slopes to the south. Hanson county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in South Dakota by area. Major highways * Interstate 90 * South Dakota Highway 25 * South Dakota Highway 38 ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Fulton, South Dakota
Fulton is a town in Hanson County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Mitchell, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 87 at the 2020 census. History The town was laid out in 1887. Some say that the town was named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first commercially successful steamboat, while others believe the town has the name of a railroad employee. A post office has been in operation in Fulton since 1887. Geography Fulton is located at (43.727173, -97.822639). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. Fulton has been assigned the ZIP code 57340 and the FIPS place code 23220. Demographics 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 91 people, 38 households, and 26 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 44 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 100.0% White. There were 38 households, of which 28.9% had children un ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




Kingsbury County, South Dakota
Kingsbury County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,187. Its county seat is De Smet. The county was created in 1873, and was organized in 1880. It was named for brothers George W. and T. A. Kingsbury, descendants of the colonial English Kingsbury family in Boston, Massachusetts. They were prominently involved in the affairs of Dakota Territory and served as elected members of several Territorial Legislatures. Geography The terrain of Kingsbury County consists of low rolling hills. The central and east portions of the county hold numerous lakes and ponds. The land is largely devoted to agriculture. The terrain generally slopes to the southwest, and the highest point is near the midpoint of the east boundary line, at 1,857' (566m) ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (6.2%) is water. Lakes * Cherry Lake * Mud Lake * Lake Albert * Lake Badger * Lake Henry * Lake Iroquois * Lake Preston * Lake T ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Lake Preston, South Dakota
Lake Preston is a city in Kingsbury County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 599 at the 2010 census. History A post office called Preston was established in 1879, and the name was changed to Lake Preston in 1882. The town site was platted in 1881. It was located in the Dakota Territory at the time. The city took its name from nearby Lake Preston. Geography Lake Preston is located at (44.362848, -97.374872). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Lake Preston has been assigned the ZIP code 57249 and the FIPS place code 35500. Demographics 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 599 people, 295 households, and 162 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 346 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.3% White, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2 ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]