Flash Flood and Hail in New York, July 15, 1997

Name: Flash Flood and Hail in New York, July 15, 1997
Start: 1997-07-15T13:24
End: 1997-07-15T19:51
Location: New York

July 15, 1997 · NWS ALY · 26 events in 8 counties and zones

During July 15, an extremely hot and humid airmass was situated over eastern New York. Scattered severe thunderstorms developed over the region through the afternoon and early evening hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $663,000
Crop damage: $30,000
Events: 26

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 ALY wrote it up.

During July 15, an extremely hot and humid airmass was situated over eastern New York. Scattered severe thunderstorms developed over the region through the afternoon and early evening hours. In Saratoga County near Gurn Springs, a seventy foot steel Citgo sign crashed to the ground, three trailers were overturned at the Whispering Pines Trailer Park and a RV was flipped over at the Freedom RV Outlet. There was also extensive hail damage at the Freedom RV Outlet. Camp Saratoga had 2,000 trees uprooted, the galvanized roofing ripped off the mess hall, utility lines downed and minor damage done to the medical lodge. In this same area along Ballard Road, many trees were downed by the wind with several landing on houses. At Moreau State Park near Fortsville, many trees were downed by thunderstorm winds. In Herkimer County across the northern portion of the Town of Herkimer, torrential rain caused flash flooding of several streams along with some road washouts. These storms were accompanied by frequent lightning which resulted in several fires. In Ulster County at Highland, a 180 foot by 120 foot storage facility was burned to the ground. In South Glens Falls, a male was struck by lightning while on the phone. The individual was hospitalized and released.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

18 thunderstorm wind, 5 lightning, 2 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ulster

When: July 15, 1:24 PM EST
Where: Ulster County, Accord
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 41.780, -74.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Schoharie

When: July 15, 1:45 PM EST
Where: Schoharie County, Middleburg
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 42.600, -74.350

Hail, Ulster

When: July 15, 1:58 PM EST
Where: Ulster County, Accord
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 41.780, -74.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Warren

When: July 15, 2:10 PM EST
Where: Warren County, Lake Luzerne
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 43.320, -73.850

Thunderstorm Wind, Saratoga

When: July 15, 2:12 PM EST
Where: Saratoga County, Corinth
Property damage: $4,000
Coordinates: 43.250, -73.850

Thunderstorm Wind, Saratoga

When: July 15, 2:15 PM EST
Where: Saratoga County, Gurn Spg
Property damage: $120,000
Coordinates: 43.170, -73.730

Hail, Saratoga

When: July 15, 2:15 PM EST
Where: Saratoga County, Gurn Spg
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 43.170, -73.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Saratoga

When: July 15, 2:20 PM EST
Where: Saratoga County, South Glens Falls
Property damage: $6,000
Coordinates: 43.300, -73.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Ulster

When: July 15, 2:20 PM EST
Where: Ulster County, Ulster Hgts
Property damage: $4,000
Coordinates: 41.770, -74.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Albany

When: July 15, 2:35 PM EST
Where: Albany County, Albany
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 42.650, -73.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Albany

When: July 15, 2:35 PM EST
Where: Albany County, Cohoes
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 42.770, -73.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Saratoga

When: July 15, 2:35 PM EST
Where: Saratoga County, Schuylerville
Property damage: $4,000
Crop damage: $30,000
Coordinates: 43.100, -73.600

Lightning, Saratoga

When: July 15, 2:40 PM EST
Where: Saratoga County, Quaker Spgs
Property damage: $40,000
Coordinates: 43.107, -73.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: July 15, 3:10 PM EST
Where: Washington County, Cambridge
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 43.030, -73.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: July 15, 3:13 PM EST
Where: Washington County, Easton
Property damage: $12,000
Coordinates: 42.980, -73.570

Lightning, Ulster

When: July 15, 3:19 PM EST
Where: Ulster County, Highland
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Dutchess

When: July 15, 3:19 PM EST
Where: Dutchess County, Pleasant Vly
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 41.730, -73.830

Lightning, Washington

When: July 15, 3:20 PM EST
Where: Washington County, Cambridge
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 43.314, -73.431 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Warren

When: July 15, 3:34 PM EST
Where: Warren County, North Creek
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 43.720, -73.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Warren

When: July 15, 3:40 PM EST
Where: Warren County, Chestertown
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 43.650, -73.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Herkimer

When: July 15, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Herkimer County, Frankfort
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 43.030, -75.070

Lightning, Herkimer

When: July 15, 5:05 PM EST
Where: Herkimer County, Herkimer
Property damage: $70,000
Coordinates: 43.420, -74.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Herkimer

When: July 15, 5:17 PM EST
Where: Herkimer County, Middleville
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 43.150, -74.970

Flash Flood, Herkimer

When: July 15, 5:30 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where: Herkimer County, Herkimer
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 43.420, -74.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Saratoga

When: July 15, 7:40 PM EST
Where: Saratoga County, South Glens Falls
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 43.107, -73.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Saratoga

When: July 15, 7:51 PM EST
Where: Saratoga County, Fortsville
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 43.250, -73.680

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New York in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, July 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: 5607351, 5607352, 5607353, 5607354, 5607355, 5607359, 5607360, 5607356, 5607357, 5605863, 5607358, 5607361, 5605858, 5607362, 5607363, 5605860, 5607364, 5605861, 5607365, 5605853, 5605854, 5605859, 5605855, 5605856, 5605862, 5605857.