Massachusetts, 1998

Flash Flood and Hail in Massachusetts, June 20, 1998

June 20, 1998 · NWS BOX · 6 events in 3 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms produced large hail in several towns in western and central Massachusetts. Dime size hail fell in Barre and Brookfield in Worcester County.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$75,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

Severe thunderstorms produced large hail in several towns in western and central Massachusetts. Dime size hail fell in Barre and Brookfield in Worcester County. In Franklin County, nickel size hail fell in Ashfield and dime size hail fell in Wendell. Also, In Franklin County, in the town of Hawley, a torrential downpour resulted in a flash flood event. Radar estimated rainfall of 5 inches in 3 hours. The Chickley River washed out two bridges and a portion of Route 8A was washed out. A state of emergency was declared in town.

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:27 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Worcester

When
June 20, 2:30 PM EST
Where
Worcester County, Barre
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.420, -72.100

Hail, Hampshire

When
June 20, 2:37 PM EST
Where
Hampshire County, Plainfield
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.520, -72.920

Hail, Franklin

When
June 20, 2:45 PM EST
Where
Franklin County, Ashfield
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.530, -72.780

Hail, Worcester

When
June 20, 3:10 PM EST
Where
Worcester County, Brookfield
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.220, -72.100

Hail, Franklin

When
June 20, 3:20 PM EST
Where
Franklin County, Wendell
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.550, -72.400

Flash Flood, Franklin

When
June 20, 4:05 PM EST to 4:30 PM EST
Where
Franklin County, Hawley
Property damage
$75,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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

More

Every storm in Massachusetts in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, June 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: 5660889, 5660890, 5660891, 5660892, 5660893, 5660894.