Damaging Winds in Illinois, August 3, 1997

Name: Damaging Winds in Illinois, August 3, 1997
Start: 1997-08-03T14:58
End: 1997-08-03T21:57
Location: Illinois

August 3, 1997 · NWS DVN · 7 events in 3 counties and zones

A line of severe thunderstorms brought widespread damaging winds and heavy rains. 46,000 electrical customers in the Quad Cities area were left without power due to widespread downed power lines.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $250,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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 DVN wrote it up.

A line of severe thunderstorms brought widespread damaging winds and heavy rains. 46,000 electrical customers in the Quad Cities area were left without power due to widespread downed power lines. Newspaper quotes from electrical company spokesman, called this the largest outage since the ice storm of January 1993. Winds were strong enough to snap cables which held a Bettendorf, Iowa casino riverboat to the dock. The boat and 1,076 passengers took an unexpected cruise in the Mississippi River for 90 minutes before they could be re-docked. One casino employee was injured by flying glass; no other injuries were reported.

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 12 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rock Island

When: August 3, 2:58 PM CST
Where: Rock Island County, Rock Is
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 41.500, -90.580

60 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rock Island

When: August 3, 3:06 PM CST
Where: Rock Island County, (Mli) Quad City Arpt
Measured: 69 kt (79 mph)
Coordinates: 41.450, -90.520

Measured 79 mph gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rock Island

When: August 3, 3:15 PM CST to 3:18 PM CST
Where: Rock Island County, Rock Is to Oak Grove
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates: 41.500, -90.580

Trees and power lines down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rock Island

When: August 3, 3:18 PM CST
Where: Rock Island County, Illinois City
Measured: 79 kt (91 mph)
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 41.400, -90.900

91 mph wind gust reported. Roof at the high school was damaged causing water damage to the gymnasium floor. Cost for the new roof and floor $250,000.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henry

When: August 3, 3:33 PM CST
Where: Henry County, Countywide
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates: 41.370, -90.130

60 to 70 mph wind gusts with numerous trees and powerlines downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henry

When: August 3, 3:45 PM CST
Where: Henry County, Galva
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates: 41.170, -90.050

Trees and power lines downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hancock

When: August 3, 9:57 PM CST
Where: Hancock County, Nauvoo
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates: 40.550, -91.380

Trees downed.

What these are

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 Illinois in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, 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: 5609799, 5609800, 5609802, 5609801, 5609803, 5609804, 5609888.