Major lightning storm and Tornadoes in NewYork state on this date in 1998

1998 - During the afternoon of May 31, 1998, lines of severe thunderstorms formed and moved rapidly east across New York and Western New England. Several of these storms became tornadic over Saratoga, Albany, Rensselaer, and Washington counties in New York and Bennington county Vermont. Straight-line wind damage occurred across a wide area. Cloud to ground lightning rates over the region reached 15,000 strokes per hour, rates not observed before over this region. These storms resulted 68 injuries but no fatalities, tens of millions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses, and extensive forest damage.