New York, 1997

Heavy Rain in New York, August 20 to 21, 1997

August 20 to 21, 1997 · NWS OKX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A low pressure system developed over the lower Midwest on Wednesday, August 20th. As it moved slowly east-northeast, it intensified.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OKX wrote it up.

A low pressure system developed over the lower Midwest on Wednesday, August 20th. As it moved slowly east-northeast, it intensified. It passed just south of Long Island during Thursday morning.The low produced heavy rain and strong gusty winds.Here are selected rainfall amounts for:New York City: 3.10 inches at Kennedy Airport in Queens and Graves End in Kings County. 1.21 inches at Central Park in Manhattan. 1.11 inches at LaGuardia Airport in Queens. Nassau County: 3.36 inches at Lynbrook and 2.88 inches at North Massapequa.Suffolk County: 1.63 inches at Islip Airport, 1.56 inches at Bridgehampton, and 1.14 inches at the NWS Upton Office.East to southeast winds averaged 15 to 25 mph with gusts over 30 mph.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Bronx

When
August 20, 1:00 PM EST to August 21, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Bronx County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.827, -73.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Kings

When
August 20, 1:00 PM EST to August 21, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Kings County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.634, -73.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, New York

When
August 20, 1:00 PM EST to August 21, 5:00 AM EST
Where
New York County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.774, -73.970 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Queens

When
August 20, 1:00 PM EST to August 21, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Queens County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.658, -73.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Richmond

When
August 20, 1:00 PM EST to August 21, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Richmond County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.583, -74.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Nassau

When
August 20, 2:00 PM EST to August 21, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Nassau County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.732, -73.585 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Suffolk

When
August 20, 3:00 PM EST to August 21, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Suffolk County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.941, -72.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, August 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5610690, 5610691, 5610693, 5610694, 5610695, 5610692, 5610696.