Kansas, 1997

Flash Flood and Hail in Kansas, August 21 to 22, 1997

August 21 to 22, 1997 · NWS GID · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

After dropping some hail across a part of north central Kansas, severe thunderstorms dumped in excess of three inches of rain in southern Rooks county. This caused the upper reaches of Paradise Creek to overflow and cover a part of U.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
$65,000
Crop damage
$300,000
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 GID wrote it up.

After dropping some hail across a part of north central Kansas, severe thunderstorms dumped in excess of three inches of rain in southern Rooks county. This caused the upper reaches of Paradise Creek to overflow and cover a part of U. S. Highway 183 for a time. Minor flooding resulted downstream as the creek remained at least bankfull the next day.

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:18 UTC.

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Event by event

6 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Phillips

When
August 21, 8:18 PM CST
Where
Phillips County, 5 mi S of Kirwin
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
39.600, -99.120

Hail, Rooks

When
August 21, 8:36 PM CST
Where
Rooks County, Stockton
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
$100,000
Coordinates
39.430, -99.280

Hail, Osborne

When
August 21, 8:45 PM CST
Where
Osborne County, 16 mi S of Osborne
Measured
1 in hail
Crop damage
$50,000
Coordinates
39.200, -98.700

Hail, Phillips

When
August 21, 9:02 PM CST
Where
Phillips County, 5 mi N of Stuttgart
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
39.870, -99.470

Hail, Rooks

When
August 21, 9:35 PM CST
Where
Rooks County, Codell
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
39.200, -99.180

Flash Flood, Rooks

When
August 21, 10:00 PM CST to August 22, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Rooks County, 3 mi S of Plainville
Property damage
$15,000
Coordinates
39.350, -99.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Jewell

When
August 21, 10:54 PM CST
Where
Jewell County, Mankato
Measured
1.5 in hail
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
$150,000
Coordinates
39.780, -98.220

What these are

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

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: 5612964, 5612965, 5612966, 5612967, 5612968, 5612969, 5612970.