Thunderstorm Wind, Butler
- When
- August 16, 11:52 PM CST
- Where
- Butler County, 5 mi NW of De Graff
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 38.030, -96.930
Flash Flood and Hail in Kansas, August 16 to 22, 1997
26 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 1 flash flood, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $895,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 36
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 Wichita radar (KICT), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:52 UTC.
Event by event
26 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 1 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Sedgwick
- When
- August 17, 12:12 AM CST
- Where
- Sedgwick County, 8 mi E of Wichita
- Measured
- 70 kt (81 mph)
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Coordinates
- 37.700, -97.180
SHERWIN WILLIAMS PLANT IN ANDOVER SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO ROOF, SPRINKLER BUILDING & AN 8 X 12 OVERHEAD DOOR. ABOUT 20 POWER POLES WERE BLOWN DOWN, CLOSING US-54 BETWEEN GREENWICH RD & EAST 143RD ST FOR 18 HOURS. OTHER BUILDINGS SUSTAINED ROOF DAMAGE AS WELL.
Thunderstorm Wind, Harper
- When
- August 18, 7:55 PM CST
- Where
- Harper County, 1 mi SE of Ruella
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.070, -98.150
DOUBLE-WIDE TRAILER HAD HALF IT'S ROOF TORN OFF. LARGE GRAIN BIN TIPPED OVER.
Thunderstorm Wind, Harper
- When
- August 18, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Harper County, 3 mi W of Anthony
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.150, -98.080
NUMEROUS LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWNED.
Hail, Kingman
- When
- August 20, 10:12 AM CST
- Where
- Kingman County, 10 mi SW of Kingman
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 37.550, -98.250
Thunderstorm Wind, Reno
- When
- August 20, 10:16 AM CST
- Where
- Reno County, 2 mi E of Sylvia
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.970, -98.380
Hail, Kingman
- When
- August 20, 10:32 AM CST
- Where
- Kingman County, Nashville
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 37.450, -98.430
Thunderstorm Wind, Reno
- When
- August 20, 10:35 AM CST
- Where
- Reno County, Langdon
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 37.850, -98.320
TWO TREES BLOWN DOWN: ONE ON A HOME & ONE ON AN OUTBUILDING. OTHER TREES AND POWER POLES BLOWN DOWN RESULTED IN POWER OUTAGES.
Thunderstorm Wind, Reno
- When
- August 20, 10:51 AM CST
- Where
- Reno County, Pretty Prairie
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.780, -98.020
Thunderstorm Wind, Kingman
- When
- August 20, 11:05 AM CST
- Where
- Kingman County, 4 mi NE of Waterloo
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.720, -97.880
TWO LARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN.
Thunderstorm Wind, Reno
- When
- August 20, 11:05 AM CST
- Where
- Reno County, Pretty Prairie
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.780, -98.020
NUMEROUS TREES DOWNED.
Hail, Harper
- When
- August 20, 11:25 AM CST
- Where
- Harper County, 5 mi W of Attica
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 37.230, -98.320
Hail, Russell
- When
- August 21, 8:43 PM CST
- Where
- Russell County, 5 mi W of Luray
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Coordinates
- 39.120, -98.800
Hail, Russell
- When
- August 21, 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Russell County, 8 mi SE of Waldo
- Measured
- 2.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Coordinates
- 39.030, -98.700
THOUGH NOT HAIL-RELATED, TORRENTIAL RAINS OCCURRING AT THE TIME ERODED A ONE FOOT THICK LIMESTONE WALL BENEATH A SIDEWALK AND FOOTBRIDGE, CAUSING BOTH TO CRUMBLE.
Hail, Russell
- When
- August 21, 9:05 PM CST
- Where
- Russell County, 5 mi NE of Russell
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 38.930, -98.780
Hail, Ellsworth
- When
- August 21, 9:25 PM CST
- Where
- Ellsworth County, Ellsworth
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 38.730, -98.230
Hail, Ellsworth
- When
- August 21, 10:15 PM CST
- Where
- Ellsworth County, 8 mi S of Ellsworth
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 38.620, -98.230
Thunderstorm Wind, Ellsworth
- When
- August 21, 10:30 PM CST
- Where
- Ellsworth County, Ellsworth
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 38.730, -98.230
NUMEROUS TREE LIMBS DOWNED.
Thunderstorm Wind, Ellsworth
- When
- August 21, 10:45 PM CST
- Where
- Ellsworth County, 7 mi SE of Lorraine
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 38.500, -98.230
A PORCH AWNING WAS BLOWN OFF A HOUSE.
Flash Flood, Rice
- When
- August 21, 10:58 PM CST
- Where
- Rice County, 2 mi N of Lyons
- Coordinates
- 38.347, -98.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
WATER COVERED ROADS.
Thunderstorm Wind, Rice
- When
- August 21, 10:58 PM CST
- Where
- Rice County, 1 mi N of Lyons
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Coordinates
- 38.370, -98.200
TREES DOWNED ACROSS K-14. POWER POLES BLOWN DOWN 1N LYONS.
Thunderstorm Wind, Rice
- When
- August 21, 11:11 PM CST
- Where
- Rice County, Lyons
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 38.350, -98.200
8-10 INCH TREE LIMBS BLOWN DOWN
Thunderstorm Wind, Barton
- When
- August 21, 11:14 PM CST
- Where
- Barton County, Great Bend
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
- Coordinates
- 38.370, -98.770
Thunderstorm Wind, Reno
- When
- August 21, 11:27 PM CST
- Where
- Reno County, 3 mi N of Sylvia
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Coordinates
- 38.020, -98.420
Thunderstorm Wind, Barton
- When
- August 21, 11:40 PM CST
- Where
- Barton County, Claflin
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 38.520, -98.530
NUMEROUS LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWNED.
Thunderstorm Wind, Reno
- When
- August 21, 11:45 PM CST
- Where
- Reno County, Hutchinson
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Coordinates
- 38.070, -97.920
2 POWER POLES DOWNED.
Thunderstorm Wind, Kingman
- When
- August 22, 12:05 AM CST
- Where
- Kingman County, Kingman
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.650, -98.120
Thunderstorm Wind, Reno
- When
- August 22, 12:07 AM CST
- Where
- Reno County, Sylvia
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.970, -98.420
NUMEROUS TREES & POWER LINES DOWNED.
Thunderstorm Wind, Harper
- When
- August 22, 12:40 AM CST
- Where
- Harper County, Anthony
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.150, -98.030
Thunderstorm Wind, Sedgwick
- When
- August 22, 12:41 AM CST
- Where
- Sedgwick County, Goddard
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.670, -97.580
MEASURED AT KSNW WEATHER LAB.
Thunderstorm Wind, Sumner
- When
- August 22, 12:57 AM CST
- Where
- Sumner County, 5 mi NW of Belle Plaine
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Coordinates
- 37.450, -97.300
ROOF BLOWN OFF A HOUSE JUST NORTH OF BELLE PLAINE.
Thunderstorm Wind, Sumner
- When
- August 22, 1:00 AM CST to 1:15 AM CST
- Where
- Sumner County, Mulvane
- Measured
- 70 kt (81 mph)
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Coordinates
- 37.480, -97.250
THREE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED, INCLUDING ONE COMPLETELY UNROOFED. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER POLES BLOWN DOWN RESULTED IN WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES.
Thunderstorm Wind, Cowley
- When
- August 22, 1:25 AM CST
- Where
- Cowley County, Winfield
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.250, -96.980
3 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWNED ALONG WITH NUMEROUS PYLONS ALONG HIGHWAY 77.
Lightning, Harvey
- When
- August 22, 1:30 AM CST
- Where
- Harvey County, Newton
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Coordinates
- 38.043, -97.427 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
LIGHTNING STRUCK DUPLEX, SETTING IT ON FIRE. DUPLEX DESTROYED.
Thunderstorm Wind, Cowley
- When
- August 22, 1:31 AM CST
- Where
- Cowley County, Winfield
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.250, -96.980
MEASURED AT EOC.
Thunderstorm Wind, Cowley
- When
- August 22, 1:32 AM CST
- Where
- Cowley County, Arkansas City
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 37.070, -97.050
MEASURED AT KSNW WEATHER LAB.
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.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heat in Maryland, August 16 to 17, 1997
- Heat in Virginia, August 16 to 17, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, August 16, 1997
- Heat in District of Columbia, August 16 to 17, 1997
- Heat in Pennsylvania, August 16 to 17, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, August 16, 1997
- Damaging Winds in New York, August 16, 1997
- Tornado in Pennsylvania, August 16, 1997
- Tornado in Pennsylvania, August 16, 1997
- Damaging Wind in New Jersey, August 16, 1997
- Damaging Wind in New Jersey, August 16, 1997
- Damaging Wind in New Jersey, August 16, 1997
More
Every storm in Kansas in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, 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: 5614644, 5614645, 5614646, 5614729, 5614731, 5614730, 5614732, 5614734, 5614733, 5614736, 5614759, 5614735, 5614737, 5614743, 5614744, 5614738, 5614739, 5614745, 5614746, 5614740, 5614741, 5614747, 5614742, 5614749, 5614748, 5614750, 5614752, 5614751, 5614753, 5614755, 5614754, 5612944, 5614756, 5612943, 5614757, 5614758.