Kentucky, 1997Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Kentucky, August 17, 1997
August 17, 1997 · NWS RLX · 13 events in 4 counties and zones
12 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $121,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 13
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.
Thunderstorm Wind, Greenup
- When
- August 17, 1:10 PM EST to 1:20 PM EST
- Where
- Greenup County, Tygarts Vly to Samaria
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Coordinates
- 38.480, -83.030
Several trees were knocked down along Route 7, plus along Route 784 near Salem Church.
Lightning, Carter
- When
- August 17, 1:20 PM EST
- Where
- Carter County, Grayson
- Property damage
- $30,000
- Coordinates
- 38.318, -83.049 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The emergency dispatch system for the county was damaged. The director said, "we lost the entire control console".
Thunderstorm Wind, Carter
- When
- August 17, 1:20 PM EST
- Where
- Carter County, Grayson
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 38.330, -82.950
Thunderstorm Wind, Boyd
- When
- August 17, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Boyd County, 2 mi S of Coalton
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Coordinates
- 38.330, -82.750
Thunderstorm Wind, Carter
- When
- August 17, 3:15 PM EST
- Where
- Carter County, Iron Hill
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Coordinates
- 38.400, -83.050
Thunderstorm Wind, Carter
- When
- August 17, 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Carter County, 5 mi NE of Olive Hill
- Property damage
- $8,000
- Coordinates
- 38.350, -83.100
Numerous trees were blown down around Carter Cave State Park. One large wind was broken in the lodge.
Thunderstorm Wind, Greenup
- When
- August 17, 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Greenup County, Oldtown to Argillite
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Coordinates
- 38.430, -82.900
Numerous trees were fallen along Route 1. Electricity was off for 6 hours.
Thunderstorm Wind, Carter
- When
- August 17, 3:45 PM EST
- Where
- Carter County, 2 mi NW of Grayson
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Coordinates
- 38.350, -82.980
Uprooted trees blew onto a house along Route 7. A 100 pound well box was blown 70 feet.
Thunderstorm Wind, Boyd
- When
- August 17, 3:45 PM EST
- Where
- Boyd County, Ashland
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 38.470, -82.630
Thunderstorm Wind, Carter
- When
- August 17, 3:45 PM EST
- Where
- Carter County, Beetle
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Coordinates
- 38.200, -82.950
Thunderstorm Wind, Carter
- When
- August 17, 6:35 PM EST
- Where
- Carter County, Carter
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Coordinates
- 38.430, -83.120
Trees and large branches were blown down along Route 2.
Thunderstorm Wind, Lawrence
- When
- August 17, 7:25 PM EST
- Where
- Lawrence County, Fallsburg
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Coordinates
- 38.170, -82.670
Thunderstorm Wind, Boyd
- When
- August 17, 7:30 PM EST
- Where
- Boyd County, Durbin
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Coordinates
- 38.280, -82.600
- 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.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flash Flood and Hail in West Virginia, August 17 to 18, 19971 death · $462,000 · 0.75 in hail · 29 events
- Lightning Strike in West Virginia, August 17, 19971 death · $35,000 · 1 event
- Heat in Missouri, August 17, 19971 death · 1 event
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, August 17, 19972 injured · $2.3 million · F0 · 20 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Maryland, August 17, 19973 injured · $521,000 · 75 kt wind · 13 events
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Ohio, August 17, 1997$1.0 million · F0 · 21 events
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Virginia, August 17, 19973 injured · $445,000 · 55 kt wind · 7 events
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Ohio, August 17 to 20, 1997$706,000 · 0.88 in hail · 13 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in New Mexico, August 17, 19971 injured · $750,000 · 1.75 in hail · 2 events
- Damaging Wind in Pennsylvania, August 17, 1997$300,000 · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in West Virginia, August 17, 1997$300,000 · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, August 17, 1997$150,000 · 1 in hail · 5 events
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: 5612993, 5612987, 5612988, 5612991, 5612996, 5612990, 5612994, 5612989, 5612992, 5612997, 5612995, 5612998, 5612999.