Lightning Strikes in New York, August 13, 2001

Name: Lightning Strikes in New York, August 13, 2001
Start: 2001-08-13T13:00
End: 2001-08-13T13:30
Location: New York

August 13, 2001 · NWS BUF · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Thunderstorms crossed the Niagara Frontier during the early afternoon hours. Lightning struck a 58-unit senior housing facility in Wheatfield, Niagara county.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $200,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

Thunderstorms crossed the Niagara Frontier during the early afternoon hours. Lightning struck a 58-unit senior housing facility in Wheatfield, Niagara county. Sixteen apartments were completely destroyed while a good portion of the remainder of the complex sustained smoke and water damage. In Grand Island, a mail carrier was struck by lightning while delivering the mail. Lightning struck the mailbox and the 37-year-old male suffered burns on his right arm, from elbow to hand, and also experienced impaired movement in his hand.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Buffalo, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 13, 10:48 AM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 13, 10:48 AM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
1148 AM EDT MON AUG 13 2001

HAVE UPDATED TO ACCOUNT FOR INCREASED AMOUNTS OF SUNSHINE...AS VIS
SAT SHOWS A LOT OF OPEN SKY UPSTREAM. CONVECTIVE TEMPS IN THE UPPER
70S HAVE BEEN MET IN MOST LOCATIONS...BUT TEMPS IN THE LOWER 80S ALSO
REQUIRE AN UPDATE TO CONTINUITY.

HAVE ALSO TWEAKED WED HIGH TEMPS BASED ON EARLY PEAK ON 12Z MODEL
OUTPUT. REMAINDER OF CONTINUITY LEFT INTACT. WILL LEAVE ORIGINAL AFD
BELOW.

A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS POISED TO CROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BUT UPSTREAM RADARS AND VIS SAT LOOPS ARE
RATHER UNIMPRESSIVE. ECHOES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FEATURE ARE CONFINED
TO SITES NORTH OF THE BORDER AT 14Z...BUT CANNOT RULE OUT SOME SPOTTY
CONVECTION AS THE FRONT PASSES. CURRENT LOW CHC POPS LOOK REASONABLE.

I WILL REMOVE CHC POPS FOR MOST AREAS THIS EVENING THOUGH...AS
1) FRONTAL BASED DYNAMICS SHOULD BE THROUGH
2) DO NOT AGREE WITH MENTIONING POPS IN TWO PERIODS WHEN DROUGHT IS
  IN PLACE ACROSS MUCH OF THE FA.

HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD BACK INTO THE REGION TUESDAY WITH MORE
FAIR WEATHER SLATED THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY.

.BUF...NONE.

RSH

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 25 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Niagara

When: August 13, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Niagara County, Niagara Falls
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 43.173, -78.691 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Erie

When: August 13, 1:30 PM EST
Where: Erie County, Grandyle Vlg
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, August 2001

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: 5264478, 5264479.