Event narrative (NOAA)
Straight line wind damage across the entire county from west to east. Lake Livingston Dam measured 134 mph wind gusts before their equipment blew away. The hardest hit are was from the Tobacco Patch community to the west of the Livingston area, though major damage occurred across the majority of the county. Numerous trees/powerpoles down, 18 homes completely destroyed, 172 with major damage, 180 with moderate to minor damage. Timber industry took a large loss due to the number of downed trees. Governor George Bush Jr. declared Polk County a disaster area on 3/11/98.
Other notable thunderstorm wind events in Texas
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.