Drought, Eastern Atlantic
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Atlantic forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in New Jersey, August 31, 1998
Unseasonably dry weather continued to take its toll on crops and vegetation across New Jersey during the month of August. On a county weighted monthly average only 43 percent to 87 percent of normal precipitation occurred with the greatest deficiencies (less than half of normal) in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 20 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
- 20
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 PHI wrote it up.
Unseasonably dry weather continued to take its toll on crops and vegetation across New Jersey during the month of August. On a county weighted monthly average only 43 percent to 87 percent of normal precipitation occurred with the greatest deficiencies (less than half of normal) in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties. Only Warren and Sussex Counties had monthly deficits of less than one inch. Grain and field crops were the most adversely affected agricultural crops. Farmers in central New Jersey who are more rainfall dependent were also hit the hardest. The dry conditions also led to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service to ban ground fires even on private land in many areas in northern New Jersey north of the Raritan River. The dry weather also led to the imposition of water restrictions in Mount Olive Township in Morris County. At the Atlantic City International Airport, the August precipitation total of 1.80 inches was 2.34 inches below normal. At nearby Philadelphia International Airport, the August precipitation total of 1.26 inches was 2.54 inches below normal. At nearby the Lehigh Valley International Airport, the August precipitation total of 3.13 inches was 1.15 inches below normal.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
20 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Eastern Cape May
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Cape May forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Eastern Monmouth
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Monmouth forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Eastern Ocean
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Ocean forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Gloucester
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Gloucester forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.717, -75.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Hunterdon
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Hunterdon forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.567, -74.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Mercer
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Mercer forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.283, -74.702 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Middlesex
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Middlesex forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.440, -74.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Morris
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Morris forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.862, -74.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Salem
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Salem forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.577, -75.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Somerset
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Somerset forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.564, -74.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Sussex
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Sussex forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 41.140, -74.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Warren
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Warren forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.857, -74.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Western Atlantic
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Western Atlantic forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Western Cape May
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Western Cape May forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Western Monmouth
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Western Monmouth forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Western Ocean
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Western Ocean forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Burlington
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Burlington forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.878, -74.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Camden
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Camden forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.804, -74.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Cumberland
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Cumberland forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.328, -75.129 (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
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in California, August 31, 1998
- Wildfire and Damaging Wind in California, August 31, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Louisiana, August 31, 1998
- Damaging Winds in South Carolina, August 31, 1998
- Damaging Wind in North Carolina, August 31, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Mississippi, August 31, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Alabama, August 31, 1998
- Drought in Pennsylvania, August 31, 1998
- Hail in Minnesota, August 31, 1998
- Drought in Maryland, August 31, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Florida, August 31, 1998
- Drought in Delaware, August 31, 1998
More
Every storm in New Jersey in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, 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: 5666749, 5666750, 5666751, 5666752, 5666753, 5666754, 5666755, 5666756, 5666757, 5666758, 5666759, 5666760, 5666761, 5666762, 5666763, 5666764, 5666765, 5668217, 5668218, 5668219.