Florida, 1997

Flooding in Florida, October 31, 1997

October 31, 1997 · NWS TBW · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Three to six inches of rain caused localized street flooding along the I-75 corridor from east Bradenton in Manatee county north to Ruskin and Sun City in southern Hillsborough county. In Bradenton, urban flooding caused damage to 222 apartment units at the Oakridge and Rogers Garden apartment complexes, 63 single family dwellings, three mobile homes and 25 stalled vehicles.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$2.3 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 TBW wrote it up.

Three to six inches of rain caused localized street flooding along the I-75 corridor from east Bradenton in Manatee county north to Ruskin and Sun City in southern Hillsborough county. In Bradenton, urban flooding caused damage to 222 apartment units at the Oakridge and Rogers Garden apartment complexes, 63 single family dwellings, three mobile homes and 25 stalled vehicles. Most dwelling damage was caused by water soaked carpets.

The radar

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

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Event by event

2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Hillsborough

When
October 31, 1:00 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where
Hillsborough County, Ruskin
Property damage
$320,000
Coordinates
27.906, -82.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Manatee

When
October 31, 1:00 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where
Manatee County, Bradenton
Property damage
$2.0 million
Coordinates
27.478, -82.357 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, October 1997

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: 5620546, 5620547.