Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, September 6 to 7, 1998

A derecho developed ahead of a strong cold front in Ontario Canada late on the evening of the 6th. The Derecho moved across northwestern New York State, down the Mohawk Valley then departed the state shortly before dawn. The line of storms produced widespread damage to a good portion of upstate New York. Fulton, Montgomery and Herkimer Counties were declared disaster areas. In Herkimer County the wind was clocked as high as 78 mph, and blew down scores of trees and powerlines. Many residences were left in the dark. Extensive damage was done in Gorge View Lanes and Veterans Memorial Park in Herkimer County. In Gloversville, Fulton County, winds clocked at 60 mph toppled a 300 foot antenna that was owned by WIZR-930 AM Radio Station. 1.5 million dollars of damage was sustained in Fulton County alone which included 350 homes that were damaged or destroyed. In Glen, Montgomery County, a wind gust was clocked at 80 mph. Thunderstorm wind in Fonda knocked down an 80 foot long tent while the Montgomery County Fair was in progress. Downed trees limbs and wires clogged roadways across much of the Mohawk Valley and to a lesser extent, in the Lake George Saratoga Region and Hudson Valley region from Glens Falls south to Kingston. An old cemetery was damaged in Charlton Saratoga County. At the height of the storm as many as 30,000 people were without power. In some cases, power was not restored for several days. Several school districts in the Mohawk Valley were closed on the first official school day. There were several reports of dime size hail, mainly in Herkimer County. There were no fatalities or significant injuries reported in Eastern New York with this storm.