25,019
Recorded events
2,951
Counties affected
271
Direct deaths
$2.1B
Property damage
The 1997 severe weather season produced 25,019 recorded events across 2,951 U.S. counties, with 271 direct deaths. It ranks #30 among all years in the archive by event count.
Through the year
1997 severe weather by month
By hazard type
What hit the U.S. in 1997
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 9,866 | 37 | $191.4M |
| Hail | 8,603 | 0 | $202.1M |
| Flash Flood | 3,022 | 86 | $864.6M |
| Tornado | 1,180 | 68 | $730.7M |
| Lightning | 838 | 42 | $40.1M |
| Flood | 428 | 3 | $36.4M |
| Funnel Cloud | 367 | 0 | $2K |
| Heavy Rain | 360 | 10 | $7.1M |
| Waterspout | 205 | 0 | $90K |
| Wildfire | 37 | 1 | $33.1M |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 25 | 0 | $1.2M |
| Strong Wind | 23 | 1 | $93K |
Deadliest days
The deadliest events of 1997
| Date | Event | County | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 1997 | Tornado F5 | Williamson County, Texas | 27 | 12 |
| Aug 12, 1997 | Flash Flood | Coconino County, Arizona | 11 | 1 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | Tornado F4 | Saline County, Arkansas | 10 | 40 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | Tornado F4 | Clark County, Arkansas | 6 | 100 |
| Aug 6, 1997 | Flash Flood | Cochise County, Arizona | 6 | 0 |
| Jul 29, 1997 | Flash Flood | Larimer County, Colorado | 5 | 40 |
| Jul 2, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wayne County, Michigan | 5 | 8 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | Tornado F4 | Pulaski County, Arkansas | 5 | 180 |
| Jul 23, 1997 | Flash Flood | Mecklenburg County, North Carolina | 3 | 0 |
| Jan 3, 1997 | Flash Flood | Yuba County, California | 3 | 0 |
Violent tornadoes
EF4 and EF5 tornadoes of 1997
| Date | Scale | Touchdown county | Deaths | Path |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-05-27 | EF5 | Williamson County, Texas | 27 | 5.1 mi |
| 1997-03-01 | EF4 | Saline County, Arkansas | 10 | 14.0 mi |
| 1997-03-01 | EF4 | Nevada County, Arkansas | 6 | 27.0 mi |
| 1997-03-01 | EF4 | Saline County, Arkansas | 5 | 11.0 mi |
| 1997-05-27 | EF4 | Travis County, Texas | 1 | 5.6 mi |
| 1997-03-01 | EF4 | Dyer County, Tennessee | 1 | 15.0 mi |
| 1997-03-01 | EF4 | Dyer County, Tennessee | 0 | 10.0 mi |
| 1997-03-01 | EF4 | Mississippi County, Arkansas | 0 | 20.0 mi |
| 1997-03-01 | EF4 | Clark County, Arkansas | 0 | 24.0 mi |
| 1997-01-24 | EF4 | Rutherford County, Tennessee | 0 | 6.5 mi |