Remembering the Southern Great Lakes Derecho of 1998, 25 years later

by Meteorologist Will Haenni | News Channel 3

Wed, May 31st 2023, 2:56 PM UTC

During the morning of May 31, 1998, a destructive line of thunderstorms, also known as a derecho, raced across Michigan's Lower Peninsula at an average speed of 70 mph. (WWMT)

During the morning of May 31, 1998, a destructive line of thunderstorms, also known as a derecho, raced across Michigan's Lower Peninsula at an average speed of 70 mph. This archived radar image shows the powerful line of storms as it moved into West Michigan. (NWS Storm Prediction Center/WWMT)

A graphic showing the path of the May 30-31, 1998 derecho. Several states across the upper Midwest were affected. Purple lines shows the approximate location of the most intense winds at three hour intervals, "+" symbols show 58 mph or greater wind gusts, while red dots depict tornadoes. (NWS Storm Prediction Center/WWMT)

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During the morning of May 31, 1998, a destructive line of thunderstorms, also known as a derecho, raced across Michigan's Lower Peninsula at an average speed of 70 mph. (WWMT)

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