Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, May 31, 1998

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, May 31, 1998
Start: 1998-05-31T15:30
End: 1998-05-31T19:26
Location: New York

May 31, 1998 · NWS BUF · 21 events in 10 counties and zones

A second round of storms for the day moved across the region during the evening hours. Again the thunderstorms produced high winds, large hail and torrential rains.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $342,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 21

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 BUF wrote it up.

A second round of storms for the day moved across the region during the evening hours. Again the thunderstorms produced high winds, large hail and torrential rains. Trees and power lines were downed across western New York. In the Rochester area, the power company reported 30 poles snapped by the winds and 40,000 customers without power. A woman was injured in Depew, Erie county, when a falling tree broke her leg and pelvis. Lightning hit a car travelling on the New York State Thruway--travelled through the car to a door handle--burning the arm of 16 year old female passenger. Lightning throughout the area shattered trees and set a number of fires. At Locust Hill Country Club, the nationally televised Ladies Pro Golf Association tournament was delayed four times by the storms.

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 28 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:32 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Niagara

When: May 31, 3:30 PM EST
Where: Niagara County, Niagara Falls
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 43.080, -79.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Erie

When: May 31, 3:35 PM EST
Where: Erie County, Buffalo
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph)
Property damage: $30,000
Coordinates: 42.920, -78.850

Hail, Erie

When: May 31, 3:45 PM EST
Where: Erie County, Lancaster
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 42.900, -78.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Allegany

When: May 31, 3:51 PM EST to 3:57 PM EST
Where: Allegany County, Angelica
Property damage: $35,000
Coordinates: 42.300, -78.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Chautauqua

When: May 31, 3:55 PM EST
Where: Chautauqua County, Westfield
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 42.320, -79.570

Hail, Chautauqua

When: May 31, 4:25 PM EST
Where: Chautauqua County, Jamestown
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 42.100, -79.230

Hail, Chautauqua

When: May 31, 4:35 PM EST
Where: Chautauqua County, Lakewood
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 42.100, -79.320

Hail, Erie

When: May 31, 4:35 PM EST
Where: Erie County, Cheektowaga
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $21,000
Coordinates: 42.920, -78.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Genesee

When: May 31, 4:45 PM EST
Where: Genesee County, East Pembroke
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 43.000, -78.320

Thunderstorm Wind, Livingston

When: May 31, 4:45 PM EST
Where: Livingston County, Caledonia
Property damage: $18,000
Coordinates: 42.970, -77.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Wyoming

When: May 31, 4:45 PM EST
Where: Wyoming County, Wethersfield Spgs
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 42.680, -78.220

Hail, Cattaraugus

When: May 31, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Cattaraugus County, Carrollton
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $8,000
Coordinates: 42.120, -78.650

Hail, Cattaraugus

When: May 31, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Cattaraugus County, Ellicottville
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Property damage: $12,000
Coordinates: 42.270, -78.670

Hail, Chautauqua

When: May 31, 5:08 PM EST
Where: Chautauqua County, Jamestown
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $8,000
Coordinates: 42.100, -79.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Chautauqua

When: May 31, 5:10 PM EST
Where: Chautauqua County, Westfield
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 42.320, -79.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Genesee

When: May 31, 5:10 PM EST
Where: Genesee County, Bergen
Property damage: $12,000
Coordinates: 43.080, -77.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Allegany

When: May 31, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Allegany County, Angelica
Property damage: $20,000
Coordinates: 42.300, -78.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: May 31, 5:45 PM EST
Where: Monroe County, Rochester
Property damage: $30,000
Coordinates: 43.180, -77.630

Lightning, Monroe

When: May 31, 5:45 PM EST
Where: Monroe County, Henrietta
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 43.165, -77.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Orleans

When: May 31, 5:45 PM EST
Where: Orleans County, Yates Center
Property damage: $8,000
Coordinates: 43.330, -78.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Chautauqua

When: May 31, 7:26 PM EST
Where: Chautauqua County, Jamestown
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 42.100, -79.230

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.
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

Every storm in New York in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5642771, 5642772, 5642773, 5642774, 5642775, 5642776, 5642777, 5642778, 5642779, 5642780, 5642781, 5642782, 5642783, 5642784, 5642785, 5642786, 5642787, 5642788, 5642789, 5642790, 5642791.