New York, 1998

Hail in New York, September 27, 1998

September 27, 1998 · NWS BUF · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

Some of the most intense thunderstorms in years moved across the Niagara Peninsula into Niagara, Erie, and Orleans counties. The thunderstorms produced hail up to four inches in diameter that broke numerous windows and windshields.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
$660,000
Crop damage
$800,000
Events
5

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.

Some of the most intense thunderstorms in years moved across the Niagara Peninsula into Niagara, Erie, and Orleans counties. The thunderstorms produced hail up to four inches in diameter that broke numerous windows and windshields. Hundreds of cars were dented with damages of up to a couple of thousand dollars each. Although the storms were not accompanied by strong winds, the torrential rains produced resulted in visibilities near zero at times. After the storms, lawns and streets were covered white with hailstones. In Niagara Falls, a greenhouse was 98% destroyed as hailstones smashed the glass panes. The large hailstones damaged apple crops in Niagara and Orleans counties which had already been hurt by a windstorm earlier in the month.

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 17 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:16 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Erie

When
September 27, 1:15 PM EST
Where
Erie County, Millgrove
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.930, -78.530

Hail, Erie

When
September 27, 1:36 PM EST
Where
Erie County, Alden
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.900, -78.480

Hail, Niagara

When
September 27, 3:40 PM EST
Where
Niagara County, Niagara Falls
Measured
4 in hail
Property damage
$500,000
Crop damage
$500,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.080, -79.030

Hail, Niagara

When
September 27, 4:10 PM EST
Where
Niagara County, Lockport
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
43.170, -78.700

Hail, Orleans

When
September 27, 4:30 PM EST
Where
Orleans County, Albion
Measured
0.75 in hail
Property damage
$20,000
Crop damage
$300,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.250, -78.200

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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, September 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: 5667666, 5667667, 5667668, 5667669, 5667444.