New York, 2006

Flash Flooding in New York, July 28, 2006

July 28, 2006 · NWS BUF · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

An area of training thunderstorms brought heavy rains first to portions of the Niagara Frontier during the early morning hours and then to parts of the northen Finger Lakes region later in the morning. Rainfall amounts of two to four inches in a matter of a few hours resulted in flash flooding.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
$450,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

An area of training thunderstorms brought heavy rains first to portions of the Niagara Frontier during the early morning hours and then to parts of the northen Finger Lakes region later in the morning. Rainfall amounts of two to four inches in a matter of a few hours resulted in flash flooding. Roads and basements quickly became inundated. The flooding wreaked havoc with the morning rush hour in the northern suburbs of Buffalo.

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 Jul 28, 1:56 AM EST, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 28, 1:56 AM EST, 2 hours 4 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 28, 3:50 AM EST, 10 minutes before
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The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 21 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Erie

When
July 28, 4:00 AM EST to 6:30 AM EST
Where
Erie County, Kenmore
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Niagara

When
July 28, 4:30 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Niagara County, Lockport
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.173, -78.691 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Wayne

When
July 28, 8:30 AM EST to 10:30 AM EST
Where
Wayne County, Sodus
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.066, -76.978 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Cayuga

When
July 28, 9:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where
Cayuga County, Fair Haven
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
43.010, -76.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Oswego

When
July 28, 9:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where
Oswego County, Hannibal
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
POST OFFICE
Coordinates
43.464, -76.209 (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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, July 2006

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5521136, 5521137, 5521140, 5521138, 5521139.