New York, 2002

Drought in New York, May 1 to 31, 2002

May 1 to 31, 2002 · NWS OKX · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

A wetter pattern developed during late March that lasted through May. The tri-state region saw drought conditions relax a bit due to some very beneficial rains and some diligent water use restrictions and conservation measures.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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
15

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.

A wetter pattern developed during late March that lasted through May. The tri-state region saw drought conditions relax a bit due to some very beneficial rains and some diligent water use restrictions and conservation measures. May broke a string of 10 consecutive months of below normal precipitation. The Hydrologic Service Area (HSA) received 4.77 inches for the month, which was 122 percent of normal or 0.85 inches above normal. Sixteen of the past 20 months, dating back to October 2000, were below normal. The total precipitation deficit during the past 20 months was 17.71 inches; and during the past 11 months was 14.26 inches.Despite the recent rainfall, ground water levels were similar to levels during the 1965-66 drought. Ground water storage was much less than in normal years. However, surface water storage did improve.The combined storage in the New York City reservoir system at the end of May was 77.0 percent capacity, which was 20.0 percent below normal. Capacities in the individual reservoirs at the end of May were: Croton System 89.3% (Percent capacity)Roundout Reservoir 97.2%Ashokan Reservoir 69.6%Schoharie Reservoir 79.3%Cannonsville Reservoir 81.7%Pepcaton Reservoir 73.2%Neversink Reservoir 74.4%The combined storage in the Upper Delaware River Basin at the Neversink, Pepcaton and Cannonsville Reservoirs was 77.0 percent capacity (approximately 270.2 billion gallons). This was 61.6 billion gallons below normal, or 22.8 percent below normal levels.The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation extended the Drought Warning for the Lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island through May 31st.

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 New York, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 30, 11:20 PM EST, 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 11:20 PM EST, 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
1220 AM EDT TUE MAY 1 2002

FORECAST UPDATED FOR RAIN FOG THAT HAS FORMED AS THE SKIES HAVE
CLEARED. DENSE FOG ADVISORY ONLY UP FOR INLAND ZONES UNTIL 4 AM AS
MIXING IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR BEFORE DAWN. MAY NEED TO EXPAND THE
ADVISORY TO THE ISLAND.

.OKX...
CT...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM CTZ005>008.
NJ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM NJZ002.
NY...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM NYZ067>070.
MARINE...SCA ALL WATERS...ANZ330-335-338-350-353-355.

TONGUE

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Northeast Suffolk

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northeast Suffolk forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
40.941, -72.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southeast Suffolk

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southeast Suffolk forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
40.941, -72.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southwest Suffolk

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southwest Suffolk forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
40.941, -72.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northwest Suffolk

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northwest Suffolk forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
40.941, -72.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Nassau

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Nassau forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

Drought, Queens

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Queens forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

Drought, Richmond (Staten Is.)

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Richmond (Staten Is.) forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
40.583, -74.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Kings (Brooklyn)

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Kings (Brooklyn) forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
40.634, -73.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, New York (Manhattan)

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
New York (Manhattan) forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
40.774, -73.970 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Bronx

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Bronx forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
40.827, -73.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Rockland

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Rockland forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
41.152, -74.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Westchester

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southern Westchester forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
41.152, -73.753 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern Westchester

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northern Westchester forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
41.152, -73.753 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Putnam

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Putnam forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
41.427, -73.749 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Orange

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Orange forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
41.402, -74.306 (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

More

Every storm in New York in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, May 2002

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: 5296828, 5296829, 5296830, 5296831, 5296832, 5296833, 5296834, 5296835, 5296836, 5296837, 5296838, 5296839, 5296840, 5296841, 5296842.