New York, 1999

Flash Flooding and Flooding in New York, August 26, 1999

August 26, 1999 · NWS OKX · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Widespread rain developed just north of a warm front that remained nearly stationary just south of the area. Scattered thunderstorms produced torrential rain that caused significant and serious urban flash flooding across New York, Bronx, and Southern Westchester Counties.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

Widespread rain developed just north of a warm front that remained nearly stationary just south of the area. Scattered thunderstorms produced torrential rain that caused significant and serious urban flash flooding across New York, Bronx, and Southern Westchester Counties. Less serious flooding occurred across Northwest Queens and Rockland Counties. Flash flooding crippled mass transit at the height of the morning rush hour in the New York Metro area.During the afternoon, torrential rain caused urban flash flooding across parts of Western and Central Suffolk County. Around 2 feet of water covered Main Street in Northport and up to 4 feet of water flooded many roads across Central Suffolk County , mainly in a band from Shirley north across Manorville to Wading River, where the heaviest rain fell.In New York County, parts of many roads such as FDR Drive, Harlem River Drive,Henry Hudson Parkway, 12th Ave. and West Side Highway were forced to close. Subway service was severely disrupted as 3 to 5 feet of water collected at subway station locations. Fifty-two inches of water was measured at the 6 line station at Cypress Ave. A 10 to 20 foot section of the northbound platform on the 6 line at 28th street crumbled and washed away.In Bronx County, in addition to many road closures, the Metro-North Railroad system was forced to close in Mott Haven, South Bronx, which went under water. Ten trains carrying thousands of passengers were stranded.In Southern Westchester County, parts of many roads such as Bronx River Parkway, Hutchinson River Parkway, and Saw Mill River Parkway were forced to close. Here are selected rainfall amounts for:Queens County: 2.64 inches of rain was measured at LaGuardia Airport. Some less serious flooding of roads and subway stations occurred across parts of Northwest Queens.Westchester County: 2.30 inches was measured at White Plains.Rockland County: from 3.16 inches at Nanuet to 3.31 inches at New City.Suffolk County: 6.10 inches at Manorville, 4.03 inches at South Setauket, 3.76 inches at the NWS Office in Upton and 3.48 inches in Riverhead.

The radar

The Brookhaven radar (KOKX), 94 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 flash flood, 2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, New York

When
August 26, 6:30 AM EST to 8:30 AM EST
Where
New York County, Countywide
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.774, -73.970 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Queens

When
August 26, 6:30 AM EST to 8:30 AM EST
Where
Queens County, Long Is City
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.658, -73.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Bronx

When
August 26, 6:30 AM EST to 8:30 AM EST
Where
Bronx County, Countywide
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.827, -73.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Westchester

When
August 26, 6:30 AM EST to 8:30 AM EST
Where
Westchester County, South Portion
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
41.152, -73.753 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Rockland

When
August 26, 6:30 AM EST to 8:30 AM EST
Where
Rockland County, Countywide
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
41.152, -74.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Suffolk

When
August 26, 12:00 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where
Suffolk County, West Portion
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
40.941, -72.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, August 1999

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: 5717787, 5717788, 5717789, 5717790, 5717791, 5717908.