New York, 1997

Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in New York, June 22, 1997

June 22, 1997 · NWS OKX · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms moved southeast over the area. High winds in Queens downed more than 60 trees, which fell on cars, houses, and powerlines.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
5

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.

Severe thunderstorms moved southeast over the area. They caused high winds and frequent lightning.High winds in Queens downed more than 60 trees, which fell on cars, houses, and powerlines. Three houses along 222nd Street suffered damage together with five cars. Each car was crushed by fallen trees. Three other cars were also damaged.High winds also downed trees, some of which fell on cars in Suffolk County.In Suffern, lightning struck the antennas on the roof of a two-family house on Ramapo Ave. The fire was confined to the attic area and the damage was minimal.In Port Chester, lightning struck the roof of a three story apartment building. The lightning caused severe damage to the top floor of this building located at 19-21 Parker Street. It took more than 45 firefighters almost an hour to control the flames. All of the building's 20 occupants were evacuated and taken to an emergency shelter.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Rockland

When
June 22, 1:15 PM EST
Where
Rockland County, Suffern
Coordinates
41.152, -74.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Westchester

When
June 22, 2:00 PM EST
Where
Westchester County, Port Chester
Coordinates
41.152, -73.753 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Queens

When
June 22, 2:25 PM EST
Where
Queens County, Countywide
Measured
75 kt (86 mph)
Coordinates
40.700, -73.850

Thunderstorm Wind, Suffolk

When
June 22, 2:40 PM EST
Where
Suffolk County, Huntington to Northport Harbor
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
40.830, -73.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Suffolk

When
June 22, 3:45 PM EST
Where
Suffolk County, Patchogue
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
40.770, -73.020

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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.

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, June 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: 5610275, 5610276, 5610277, 5610278, 5610279.