Maryland, 1998

Drought in Maryland, August 1 to 31, 1998

August 1 to 31, 1998 · NWS LWX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Persistent high pressure brought unusually dry weather to central and lower southern Maryland. 91 inches.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 LWX wrote it up.

Persistent high pressure brought unusually dry weather to central and lower southern Maryland. Only 0.91 inches of rain fell at Baltimore/Washington International Airport (MDZ014), compared with the monthly normal of 3.91 inches. Similar measurements were found across lower southern Maryland. The lack of rainfall significantly reduced crop yields. Charles and St Mary's Cos were expected to lose between 30 and 40 percent of their corn crop. The soybean crop was also expected to be down around 20 percent from 1997 yields - a season which was also somewhat dry. By mid month, the Maryland Department of Agriculture reported that 51 percent of the state's corn crop and 56 percent of the soybean crop was rated "fair" to "very poor". In addition, the tobacco crop was showing signs of water stress by the end of the month.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Charles

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Charles forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.474, -77.013 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Calvert

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Calvert forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.535, -76.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, St. Mary'S

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
St. Mary'S forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.216, -76.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Prince Georges

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Prince Georges forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.830, -76.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Anne Arundel

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Anne Arundel forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.994, -76.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Montgomery

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER

Drought, Howard

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Howard forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER

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

More

Every storm in Maryland in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, 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: 5665208, 5665209, 5665210, 5665211, 5665212, 5665213, 5665214.