Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, August 17, 1997

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, August 17, 1997
Start: 1997-08-17T16:23
End: 1997-08-17T17:45
Location: Georgia

August 17, 1997 · NWS FFC · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

4 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $150,000
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.

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 128 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:21 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Clarke

When: August 17, 4:23 PM EST to 4:30 PM EST
Where: Clarke County, Athens
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 33.950, -83.380

Several public reports of dime to quarter size hail were received.

Thunderstorm Wind, Oglethorpe

When: August 17, 4:30 PM EST
Where: Oglethorpe County, 3 mi NW of Arnoldsville
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 33.930, -83.250

The Fleming poultry farm suffered damage from severe thunderstorm winds . Three 3 chicken houses were destroyed and 5 others were damaged. A small pickup truck was totaled. There was damage to the corner of a home on the farm. Roofs were blown off a hay barn and another shed. Almost every electrical fence on the property was also blown down. Most of the 50,000 chickens on the farm had to be destroyed due to unsuitability for marketing after the storm damage.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clarke

When: August 17, 4:30 PM EST
Where: Clarke County, Athens Muni Arpt
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 33.950, -83.330

Severe thunderstorm winds knocked two hanger doors down. Two or three aircraft were damaged.The winds were reported by the weather observer as having been strong enough to move an old Radome like structure.

Thunderstorm Wind, Taliaferro

When: August 17, 5:40 PM EST
Where: Taliaferro County, 5 mi NW of Lyneville
Property damage: $100
Coordinates: 33.680, -83.000

Georgia State Patrol reported two trees were blown down..

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkes

When: August 17, 5:45 PM EST
Where: Wilkes County, Rayle
Property damage: $100
Coordinates: 33.780, -82.900

Rayle EMC reported several large trees were blown down.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Georgia in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, August 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: 5611284, 5611287, 5611288, 5611286, 5611285.