Drought, Berks
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Berks forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.416, -75.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in Pennsylvania, August 31, 1998
Unseasonably dry weather continued to take its toll on crops and vegetation across Eastern Pennsylvania during the month of August. On a county weighted monthly average only Berks and Delaware Counties had near normal precipitation during the month.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
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 PHI wrote it up.
Unseasonably dry weather continued to take its toll on crops and vegetation across Eastern Pennsylvania during the month of August. On a county weighted monthly average only Berks and Delaware Counties had near normal precipitation during the month. The remaining counties received between 50 percent and 83 percent of normal precipitation with the greatest deficiencies in Monroe and Philadelphia Counties. In spite of normal August precipitation, up to half of the crops growing in Berks County could be lost. The dry weather also led to several minor brush fires in Chester County. At Philadelphia International Airport, the August precipitation total of 1.26 inches was 2.54 inches below normal. At the Lehigh Valley International Airport, the August precipitation total of 3.13 inches was 1.15 inches below normal.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
10 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Bucks
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Bucks forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Drought, Carbon
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Carbon forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.918, -75.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Chester
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Chester forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Drought, Delaware
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Delaware forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.917, -75.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Lehigh
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Lehigh forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.613, -75.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Monroe
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Monroe forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 41.058, -75.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Montgomery
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Montgomery forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Drought, Northampton
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Northampton forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.754, -75.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Philadelphia
- When
- August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Philadelphia forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.008, -75.134 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Drought
- A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in California, August 31, 1998
- Wildfire and Damaging Wind in California, August 31, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Louisiana, August 31, 1998
- Damaging Winds in South Carolina, August 31, 1998
- Damaging Wind in North Carolina, August 31, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Mississippi, August 31, 1998
- Drought in New Jersey, August 31, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Alabama, August 31, 1998
- Hail in Minnesota, August 31, 1998
- Drought in Maryland, August 31, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Florida, August 31, 1998
- Drought in Delaware, August 31, 1998
More
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, August 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: 5668207, 5668208, 5668209, 5668210, 5668211, 5668212, 5668213, 5668214, 5668215, 5668216.