New York, 1998
The year's recorded storm events, federal disaster declarations and flood insurance claims.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders.
Events by hazard
Includes events recorded by forecast zone. The state's yearly total for 1998 was 1,379 against 1,114 in 1997.
Counties with the most recorded events
Notable events
| Date | County | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep 1998 | Onondaga | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $90,000,000 | 3 | 7 |
| 8 Jul 1998 | Wyoming | Flood | — | $500,000 | 2 | — |
| 31 May 1998 | Otsego | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $100,000 | 1 | 5 |
| 26 Jun 1998 | Warren | Lightning | — | — | 1 | 3 |
| 7 Sep 1998 | Suffolk | Thunderstorm Wind | 72 mph | — | 1 | 2 |
| 7 Sep 1998 | Bronx | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | 1 | 2 |
| 29 May 1998 | Onondaga | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $40,000 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 Jan 1998 | Forecast zone | Ice Storm | — | $3,000,000 | 1 | — |
| 24 Aug 1998 | Onondaga | Flash Flood | — | $20,000 | 1 | — |
| 29 May 1998 | Ulster | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $500 | 1 | — |
| 1 Oct 1998 | Orange | Strong Wind | — | — | 1 | — |
| 9 Apr 1998 | New York | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | 1 | — |
| 31 May 1998 | Saratoga | Tornado | F3 | $60,000,000 | — | 68 |
| 31 May 1998 | Broome | Tornado | F3 | $1,500,000 | — | 12 |
| 31 May 1998 | Otsego | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $125,000 | — | 10 |
| 7 Sep 1998 | Nassau | Tornado | F2 | $1,000,000 | — | 6 |
| 8 Dec 1998 | Saratoga | Winter Weather | — | $10,000 | — | 5 |
| 7 Sep 1998 | Cayuga | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $20,000,000 | — | 3 |
| 30 Jun 1998 | Orange | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | — | — | 4 |
| 2 Jun 1998 | Suffolk | Lightning | — | — | — | 4 |
| 6 Sep 1998 | Monroe | Thunderstorm Wind | 90 mph | $20,000,000 | — | 1 |
| 31 May 1998 | Otsego | Tornado | F3 | $800,000 | — | 3 |
| 7 Jul 1998 | St. Lawrence | Lightning | — | $10,000 | — | 3 |
| 11 Oct 1998 | Dutchess | Heavy Rain | — | $5,000 | — | 3 |
| 26 Jun 1998 | Schenectady | Lightning | — | — | — | 3 |
| 30 Jun 1998 | Queens | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | — | — | 3 |
| 31 May 1998 | Chautauqua | Tornado | F1 | $75,000 | — | 2 |
| 29 May 1998 | Fulton | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $30,000 | — | 2 |
| 21 Sep 1998 | Saratoga | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $20,000 | — | 2 |
| 9 Jan 1998 | Putnam | Dense Fog | — | — | — | 2 |
| 31 May 1998 | Rensselaer | Tornado | F2 | $10,000,000 | — | — |
| 31 May 1998 | Erie | Hail | 1.50 in | $15,000 | — | 1 |
| 29 May 1998 | Montgomery | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $2,000 | — | 1 |
| 6 Sep 1998 | Orleans | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $5,000,000 | — | — |
| 8 Jan 1998 | Jefferson | Ice Storm | — | $10,000,000 | — | — |
| 14 Oct 1998 | Fulton | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 |
| 7 Sep 1998 | Richmond | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | — | — | 1 |
| 7 Sep 1998 | Kings | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | — | — | 1 |
| 7 Sep 1998 | Kings | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | 1 |
| 6 Sep 1998 | Niagara | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 |
Up to 40 events with deaths, injuries, damage of $50,000 or more, or a tornado rating, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage.
Federal disaster declarations in 1998
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Sep 1998 | DR-1244 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Ny - Severe Wx, Sept 7, 1998 | 11 |
| 7 Jul 1998 | DR-1233 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | 15 |
| 16 Jun 1998 | DR-1222 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Tornadoes | 6 |
| 6 Jan 1998 | DR-1196 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Storms And Flooding | 10 |
Flood insurance claims with a 1998 date of loss
1,101 NFIP claims, 707 of them paid, for $7,604,942.
Sources: NOAA NCEI Storm Events through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2 (1 Oct 2026); OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 (8 Sep 2026). Built 1 Oct 2026.