New York, 1998

Flash Flood and Hail in New York, May 31, 1998

May 31, 1998 · NWS OKX · 14 events in 4 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms (in lines and clusters) formed and moved over the Lower Hudson Valley of New York. Severe thunderstorms produced high winds, large hail, torrential rain, and frequent lightning.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
0
Property damage
$200,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
14

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.

Severe thunderstorms (in lines and clusters) formed and moved over the Lower Hudson Valley of New York. They formed in a moist and unstable airmass ahead of an approaching trough of low pressure.Severe thunderstorms produced high winds, large hail, torrential rain, and frequent lightning. High winds downed many trees onto power lines, into houses, and onto cars. Spotters reported funnel clouds 5 miles south of the Harriman Tolls on Interstate-87 and near Stewart AFB in Newburgh. Up to 6 inches of rain caused flash flooding of roads and basements across Orange County. Frequent lightning strikes caused numerous brush and structure fires and downed trees onto power lines and houses. There were significant interruptions of power for up to 48 hours following these storms.The combination of high winds, large hail, and flash flooding caused significant damage to onion crops on 4000 (out of 5000) acres in Orange County. This resulted in $200K in property damage.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 2 funnel cloud, 1 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Orange

When
May 31, 6:50 PM EST
Where
Orange County, Port Jervis
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.370, -74.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Orange

When
May 31, 7:11 PM EST
Where
Orange County, Slate Hill
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.380, -74.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Orange

When
May 31, 7:40 PM EST
Where
Orange County, Goshen
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
41.400, -74.330

Funnel Cloud, Orange

When
May 31, 7:47 PM EST
Where
Orange County, Harriman
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.402, -74.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Funnel Cloud, Orange

When
May 31, 7:55 PM EST
Where
Orange County, Stewart Afb
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.402, -74.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Orange

When
May 31, 8:13 PM EST
Where
Orange County, Slate Hill
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.380, -74.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Putnam

When
May 31, 8:20 PM EST
Where
Putnam County, Cold Spgs
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
41.420, -73.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Orange

When
May 31, 8:57 PM EST
Where
Orange County, Warwick
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
41.250, -74.370

Hail, Putnam

When
May 31, 9:06 PM EST
Where
Putnam County, Mahopac
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.370, -73.750

Flash Flood, Orange

When
May 31, 10:00 PM EST
Where
Orange County, Slate Hill
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.402, -74.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Westchester

When
May 31, 10:03 PM EST
Where
Westchester County, Peekskill
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.280, -73.930

Lightning, Rockland

When
May 31, 10:03 PM EST
Where
Rockland County, West Nyack
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
41.152, -74.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Westchester

When
May 31, 10:18 PM EST
Where
Westchester County, Pound Ridge
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.200, -73.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Rockland

When
May 31, 10:27 PM EST
Where
Rockland County, Nanuet
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.080, -74.020

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
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.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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: 5659744, 5659745, 5659756, 5659746, 5659747, 5659748, 5659749, 5659757, 5659751, 5659750, 5659752, 5659753, 5659754, 5659755.