It was the 8th most costly tornado in Wisconsin history injuring two people, destroying multiple structures and disrupting the regional economy and tourism.

During the late morning on August 23, 1998, a well-defined short-wave trough was pushing across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and in response to this feature a group of severe storms formed across the region.

[2] One of the severe storm's high winds toppled a pine tree onto a camper at Ottawa National Forest killing its sole occupant.

[2][3][4] At 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC) a boundary was starting to develop across northern Wisconsin, however it was not yet evident in a surface analysis.

[2] At around 1:30 CDT (18:30 UTC) the atmospheric conditions over Central Wisconsin continued to deteriorate as the CAPE in the region approached 4300 j/kg.

[2] By 4:00 CDT (21:00 UTC) the Green bay radar was picking up two well-developed supercells heading towards the Fox Cities, at the same time a meso-scale boundary began developing over Northeast Wisconsin.

By 5:45 CDT (22:45 UTC) a well-defined hook had developed in the southwestern portion of the storm, prompting a Tornado Warning to be issued for Menominee County in Michigan.

[2] A report of a funnel cloud was made while the storm was near Birch Creek, approximately 5 miles north of Menominee, Michigan, and at 6:10 CDT (23:10 UTC) a waterspout was confirmed to have touched down in Green Bay.

[5] At 7:35 CDT (00:35 UTC) another storm crossed over central Wisconsin, producing a F0 tornado near Maple, destroying a mobile home before lifting.

[9] The tornado first touched down as a waterspout[10] but moved onshore in Door County, causing significant property and crop damage.

The southern part of the park received the most substantial damage with 99%+ of all trees and shrubs in the area being uprooted or destroyed.

[12] Chief deputy Gary Bies of the Door County Sheriff's Department said of the event, "People are sitting in motels with nothing to do.

[1] Following the devastating storms Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration from President Bill Clinton.