Flash Flooding and Coastal Flood in Massachusetts, February 23 to 25, 1998

Name: Flash Flooding and Coastal Flood in Massachusetts, February 23 to 25, 1998
Start: 1998-02-23T23:00
End: 1998-02-25T12:00
Location: Massachusetts

February 23 to 25, 1998 · NWS BOX · 38 events in 20 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 38 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: $70,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 38

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 BOX wrote it up.

The second powerful nor'easter to affect the region in less than a week brought a deluge of rain to southeastern Massachusetts, gale force winds along the coast, and coastal flooding to Chatham on Cape Cod and to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. An extremely intense low pressure system moving to the northeast and passing just to the southeast of Nantucket had a central barometric pressure just under 29 inches of mercury. Maximum rainfall totals for this storm exceeded 4 inches in Plymouth County along a north-south axis extending from Plymouth on the south end to Hingham and Hull on the north end. At least 3 inches fell across southern Bristol County, almost all of Plymouth County, and in southeast Norfolk County just to the south of Boston. Two inches or more fell across Essex County, eastern Middlesex County, and across all of southeastern Massachusetts, including all of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. Plymouth had 4.26" and Hingham had 4.03". At Hingham, 3.81" fell in just 24 hours and, for the second time within a week, established a new maximum 24-hour rainfall amount for the month of February. The James Brook, a small stream in Cohasset (Norfolk County) jumped out of its banks flooding Ripley Road, which was closed by the local police. A spotter reported that a small stream had gone over its banks in Plymouth County as well. In Middlesex County, beginning around 6 PM on the 24th, the Aberjona River in Winchester went out of its banks, flooding a ball field near a school. This flooding continued through about 1130 PM. Meanwhile, also in Middlesex County, around 11 PM, the Sudbury River in Wayland briefly went out of its banks. There were numerous reports of flooded basements throughout Plymouth and southern Bristol Counties.High winds were reported at several locations. Some peak gusts in the category of high winds included: Blue Hill Observatory, Milton, 63 mph; Hull, 61 mph; Wayland, 59 mph; and Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard, 58 mph. Strong winds gusted to 40 to 47 mph at many locations, including 47 mph at Nantucket and 46 mph at Boston. In Boston, one person was slightly injured when winds blew down a plaster canopy at the World Trade Center. Inland, gusts of 47 mph occurred at Framingham and 45 mph at Littleton. Farther inland, strong winds were felt in Worcester County, where some tree limbs were blown down causing scattered power outages. A large tree limb fell on a house in Leicester. Coastal flooding occurred on Martha's Vineyard where Beach Road was closed from Edgartown to Oak Bluffs. Waves were reported splashing over the top of houses in the Eastville section of Oak Bluffs. Beach erosion occurred on Nantucket, where there was a loss of about 20 feet of dunes on the east side of the Island. Up to 12 to 15 feet was lost along Sconset Bluff. There were a few reports of coastal flooding at Chatham on Cape Cod. Dozens of basements were flooded and coastal roads had to be closed as the aftermath of the heavy rain and a high tide overwhelmed drainage systems in the Sand Hills section of Scituate on February 25th, a day after the storm.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 strong wind, 12 heavy rain, 3 coastal flood, 3 high wind, 3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Western Essex

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Western Essex forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Barnstable

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Barnstable forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Eastern Essex

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Essex forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Eastern Norfolk

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Norfolk forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Eastern Plymouth / Also Part of Norfolk

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Plymouth / Also Part of Norfolk forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.079, -70.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Northern Bristol

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Bristol forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Southeast Middlesex

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Southeast Middlesex forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Southern Bristol

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Bristol forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Southern Plymouth

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Plymouth forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Western Middlesex

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Western Middlesex forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Western Norfolk

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Western Norfolk forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Western Plymouth

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Western Plymouth forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Northern Worcester

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Worcester forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Barnstable

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Barnstable forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Dukes

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Dukes forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 41.389, -70.699 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Eastern Essex

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Essex forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Eastern Norfolk

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Norfolk forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Eastern Plymouth / Also Part of Norfolk

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Plymouth / Also Part of Norfolk forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.079, -70.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Nantucket

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Nantucket forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 41.270, -70.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Northern Bristol

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Bristol forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Southeast Middlesex

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Southeast Middlesex forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Southern Bristol

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Bristol forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Southern Plymouth

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Plymouth forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Southern Worcester

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Worcester forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Suffolk / Also Part of Norfolk

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Suffolk / Also Part of Norfolk forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.264, -71.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Western Essex

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Western Essex forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Western Middlesex

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Western Middlesex forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Western Norfolk

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Western Norfolk forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Western Plymouth

When: February 24, 12:00 AM EST to February 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Western Plymouth forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Coastal Flood, Dukes

When: February 24, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Dukes forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 41.389, -70.699 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Coastal Flood, Barnstable

When: February 24, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Barnstable forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Coastal Flood, Nantucket

When: February 24, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Nantucket forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.270, -70.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Norfolk

When: February 24, 8:30 AM EST
Where: Eastern Norfolk forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Plymouth / Also Part of Norfolk

When: February 24, 9:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Plymouth / Also Part of Norfolk forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 42.079, -70.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Western Middlesex

When: February 24, 9:00 AM EST
Where: Western Middlesex forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Norfolk

When: February 24, 4:00 PM EST to 11:30 PM EST
Where: Norfolk County, Cohasset
Coordinates: 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Plymouth

When: February 24, 5:00 PM EST to 11:30 PM EST
Where: Plymouth County, Central Portion
Coordinates: 41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Middlesex

When: February 24, 6:00 PM EST to 11:30 PM EST
Where: Middlesex County, Winchester
Coordinates: 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
Coastal Flood: Flooding of coastal land by the sea, from storm surge, onshore wind or high tides.
High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
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 Massachusetts in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Massachusetts, February 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: 5632487, 5632488, 5632489, 5632490, 5632491, 5632492, 5632493, 5632494, 5632495, 5632496, 5632497, 5632498, 5632502, 5632503, 5632504, 5632505, 5632506, 5632507, 5632508, 5632509, 5632510, 5632511, 5632512, 5632513, 5632514, 5632515, 5632516, 5632517, 5632518, 5632522, 5632523, 5632524, 5632499, 5632500, 5632501, 5632519, 5632520, 5632521.