Flood, Norman
- When
- April 17, 12:00 AM CST to April 21, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Norman forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10 million
- Coordinates
- 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood in Minnesota, April 17 to 21, 1997
The Red River was reported to be 10 miles wide as it reached Norman county. Several days of strong west winds produced whitecaps that threatened dikes in Perley and Hendrum.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $10 million
- 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 FGF wrote it up.
The Red River was reported to be 10 miles wide as it reached Norman county. Several days of strong west winds produced whitecaps that threatened dikes in Perley and Hendrum. Both these towns were evacuated, with only essential people remaining to fight the flood. On the 19th, new records were set on the Red River at Halstad and on the Wild Rice River at Hendrum. The Marsh River at Shelly set a new record stage on the 20th.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flood in Minnesota, April 17 to 23, 1997
- Flood in North Dakota, April 17 to 21, 1997
- Tornado and Hail in North Carolina, April 17 to 21, 1997
- Winter Weather in West Virginia, April 17 to 18, 1997
- High Wind in Alaska, April 17, 1997
- High Wind in Montana, April 17, 1997
- Heavy Snow in West Virginia, April 17 to 18, 1997
- Flash Flood in North Dakota, April 17, 1997
- High Wind in Montana, April 17, 1997
More
Every storm in Minnesota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, April 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: 5591910.