Heavy Rain, Orange
- When
- September 11, 8:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
- Where
- Orange County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 41.402, -74.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Damaging Wind and Heavy Rain in New York, September 11, 1997
Lines of heavy showers and thunderstorms developed in a moist unstable airmass ahead of a slow moving cold front. As the lines moved slowly north, thunderstorms produced high winds that downed several trees and power lines from Orange Lake east to Gardnertown near Route 52 (just north of Newburgh).
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
Lines of heavy showers and thunderstorms developed in a moist unstable airmass ahead of a slow moving cold front. As the lines moved slowly north, thunderstorms produced high winds that downed several trees and power lines from Orange Lake east to Gardnertown near Route 52 (just north of Newburgh). Toppling trees that pulled down wires trapped several motorists in their cars on Route 52. Some trees fell onto and damaged houses. The area damaged was about 400 yards in length and 20 yards wide.Heavy rain caused flooding of streets and poor drainage areas. Rainfall amounts ranged from 1.50 inches at Newburgh to 4.34 inches at Greenwood Lake.
The radar
The Albany radar (KENX), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:06 UTC.
Event by event
1 heavy rain, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Orange
- When
- September 11, 6:05 PM EST
- Where
- Orange County, Orange Lake to Gardnertown
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 41.530, -74.100
What these are
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
- 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
- Hail in North Carolina, September 11, 1997
- Tornado and Heavy Rain in New Jersey, September 11, 1997
- Hurricane in Guam, September 11 to 12, 1997
- Flash Flood in Idaho, September 11, 1997
- Flash Flood and Flood in Utah, September 11, 1997
- Heavy Rain in New Jersey, September 11, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Florida, September 11, 1997
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Texas, September 11 to 23, 1997
- Heavy Rain in Pennsylvania, September 11, 1997
- Flash Flood and Hail in Arizona, September 11, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Virginia, September 11, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Wind in South Carolina, September 11, 1997
More
Every storm in New York in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, September 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: 5613979, 5613978.