New York, 1998

Flooding in New York, May 10 to 13, 1998

May 10 to 13, 1998 · NWS ALY · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Low pressure off the Mid-Atlantic coast produced 3 to 7 inches of rain across the Catskill Mountains in Greene County. The rain fell on fairly wet ground and forced the Esopus Creek to spill out of its banks both above and below the Ashokan Reservoir.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
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  • Cold
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 ALY wrote it up.

Low pressure off the Mid-Atlantic coast produced 3 to 7 inches of rain across the Catskill Mountains in Greene County. The rain fell on fairly wet ground and forced the Esopus Creek to spill out of its banks both above and below the Ashokan Reservoir. The creek flooded above the dam on May 10 and crested just over flood stage at Mount Tremper during the evening hours. Below the Ashokan Reservoir the creek flooded from the early morning hours of May 11 to the early afternoon hours of May 13. The creek crested approximately three feet over flood stage at Mount Marion. The flood waters caused problems mainly between Kingston and Saugerties. Flooding occurred in a trailer park in the Town of Saugerties. Several trailers were surrounded by water but no evacuations were necessary. Minor flooding also occurred in the Kingston Plaza area.

The radar

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

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Event by event

2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Western Ulster

When
May 10, 2:00 PM EST to May 13, 2:00 PM EST
Where
Western Ulster forecast zone
Coordinates
41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Eastern Ulster

When
May 10, 2:00 PM EST to May 13, 2:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Ulster forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
41.888, -74.259 (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, May 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: 5646465, 5646888.