New York, 1998

Flooding in New York, March 8 to 9, 1998

March 8 to 9, 1998 · NWS OKX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

S. S.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
8

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 OKX wrote it up.

Two low pressure systems formed along a front over the Southeast U.S. One low formed over the Western Gulf of Mexico and another formed off the Southeast U.S. Coast. As both lows moved north-northeast, they intensified. A strong moist east wind flow developed ahead of the approaching strong warm front.This system produced widespread heavy rainfall including thunderstorms that caused widespread urban and small stream flooding across the region. Many low-lying and poor drainage areas, including streets were flooded throughout the area. For example, significant street flooding occurred on Wellwood Ave. in North Lindenhurst (Nassau County) and on Riverside Ave. in Amityville (Suffolk County). Rainfall began around noon on March 8th and became heavy producing flooding by the times indicated above.This system also produced strong wind gusts from 40 to 50 mph that in combination with the heavy rain caused some tree limbs to fall along with scattered power outages.Here are selected rainfall amounts:o For Rockland County, from 1.44 inches at Suffern to 2.38 inches at Nanuet.o For New York City, from 2.30 inches at Central Park to 2.73 inches at LaGuardia Airport. For March 9th at Central Park, a new daily rainfall record was set. The new record is 1.82 inches and the old record was 1.70 inches (1983).o For Nassau County, from 2.62 inches at Levitown to 3.04 inches at Sea Cliff.o For Suffolk County, from 3.21 inches at Bridgehampton to 4.49 inches at the NWS Office at Upton.

The radar

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

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Event by event

8 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Nassau

When
March 8, 10:00 PM EST to March 9, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Nassau County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.732, -73.585 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Suffolk

When
March 8, 10:00 PM EST to March 9, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Suffolk County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.941, -72.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Rockland

When
March 9, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Rockland County, Countywide
Coordinates
41.152, -74.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Bronx

When
March 9, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Bronx County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.827, -73.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, New York

When
March 9, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
New York County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.774, -73.970 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Richmond

When
March 9, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Richmond County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.583, -74.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Kings

When
March 9, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Kings County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.634, -73.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Queens

When
March 9, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Queens County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.658, -73.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, March 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: 5637032, 5637033, 5636911, 5637027, 5637028, 5637029, 5637030, 5637031.