Drought in Louisiana, August 1 to 31, 1998

Name: Drought in Louisiana, August 1 to 31, 1998
Start: 1998-08-01T00:00
End: 1998-08-31T23:59
Location: Louisiana

August 1 to 31, 1998 · NWS LIX · 27 events in 27 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: $77 million
Events: 27

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 LIX wrote it up.

East Central and Southeast Louisiana saw another hot month as average temperatures were 2 to 3 degrees above normal for August. Audubon Park in New Orleans tied or broke 12 previous record daily high temperatures and New Orleans International Airport tied two previous record highs. In addition, August 1998 was the 4th warmest month on record at New Orleans International Airport and ranked among the ten warmest August in the century across the state. Southeast Louisiana received near normal precipitation amounts, while East Central Louisiana received a rainfall average of 2.35 inches below the normal amount of 5.74 inches. The Palmer Drought Index remained in the severe drought range for East Central Louisiana and in the moderate to mild drought range for Southeast Louisiana. Damage estimates for crops is for the entire growing season and is based on a final crop damage report by the Louisiana Crop Extension Service issued in October of 1998.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

27 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Ascension

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ascension forecast zone
Crop damage: $2.8 million
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Assumption

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Assumption forecast zone
Crop damage: $3.6 million
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 29.901, -91.063 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, East Baton Rouge

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: East Baton Rouge forecast zone
Crop damage: $970,000
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 30.538, -91.096 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, East Feliciana

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: East Feliciana forecast zone
Crop damage: $280,000
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 30.845, -91.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Iberville

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Iberville forecast zone
Crop damage: $10 million
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 30.259, -91.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Livingston

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Livingston forecast zone
Crop damage: $60,000
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Lower Jefferson

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lower Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Lower Lafourche

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lower Lafourche forecast zone
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Lower Plaquemines

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lower Plaquemines forecast zone
Crop damage: $250,000
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Lower St. Bernard

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lower St. Bernard forecast zone
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 29.874, -89.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lower Terrebonne

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lower Terrebonne forecast zone
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Orleans

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Orleans forecast zone
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Pointe Coupee

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Pointe Coupee forecast zone
Crop damage: $23 million
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 30.709, -91.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, St. Charles

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: St. Charles forecast zone
Crop damage: $180,000
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, St. Helena

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: St. Helena forecast zone
Crop damage: $3.9 million
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 30.822, -90.710 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, St. James

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: St. James forecast zone
Crop damage: $20 million
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 30.026, -90.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, St. John the Baptist

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: St. John the Baptist forecast zone
Crop damage: $1.5 million
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 30.127, -90.471 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, St. Tammany

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: St. Tammany forecast zone
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Tangipahoa

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Tangipahoa forecast zone
Crop damage: $3.9 million
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Upper Jefferson

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Upper Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Upper Lafourche

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Upper Lafourche forecast zone
Crop damage: $240,000
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Upper Plaquemines

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Upper Plaquemines forecast zone
Crop damage: $250,000
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Upper St. Bernard

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Upper St. Bernard forecast zone
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 29.874, -89.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Upper Terrebonne

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Upper Terrebonne forecast zone
Crop damage: $2.5 million
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)

Drought, Washington

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Crop damage: $1.1 million
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 30.853, -90.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, West Baton Rouge

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: West Baton Rouge forecast zone
Crop damage: $3.1 million
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 30.463, -91.313 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, West Feliciana

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: West Feliciana forecast zone
Crop damage: $740,000
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 30.880, -91.420 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Louisiana in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Louisiana, August 1998

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: 5669744, 5669745, 5669746, 5669747, 5669748, 5669749, 5669750, 5669751, 5669752, 5669753, 5669754, 5669755, 5669756, 5669757, 5669758, 5669759, 5669760, 5669761, 5669762, 5669763, 5669764, 5669765, 5669766, 5669767, 5669768, 5669769, 5669770.