Louisiana, 1997

Flash Flood in Louisiana, June 17, 1997

June 17, 1997 · NWS LCH · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorms dumped between eight and twelve inches of rain across Franklin in three hours, resulting in severe damage to ten homes and one hotel/restaurant. The Yokley Canal was out of its banks near LA Highway 182.

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.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$100,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 LCH wrote it up.

Thunderstorms dumped between eight and twelve inches of rain across Franklin in three hours, resulting in severe damage to ten homes and one hotel/restaurant. The Yokley Canal was out of its banks near LA Highway 182. Water rose to two to three feet in some homes. Other cities hit with flood problems included Centerville, Morgan City, Bayou Vista, and Berwick.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, St. Mary

When
June 17, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where
St. Mary County, Franklin
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
29.635, -91.473 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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 Louisiana in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, June 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: 5607759.