Flood, Lac Qui Parle
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Lac Qui Parle forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.996, -96.173 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flooding in Minnesota, May 1 to 16, 1997
The Minnesota River remained in flood stage through mid May. The river first went above flood stage in late March.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 14
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 MPX wrote it up.
The Minnesota River remained in flood stage through mid May. The river first went above flood stage in late March. Peak crests of the river were reached during the first two weeks of April. The crest at Montevideo reached 23.9 feet on 4/7/97 which set a new record crest. Minnesota River flooding resulted in severe losses to public and private property. Please check the April edition of Storm Data for a more detailed description.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
14 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flood, Blue Earth
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Blue Earth forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.035, -94.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Carver
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Carver forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.821, -93.803 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Chippewa
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Chippewa forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.022, -95.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Dakota
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Dakota forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.672, -93.065 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Hennepin
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Hennepin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.005, -93.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Le Sueur
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Le Sueur forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.371, -93.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Nicollet
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Nicollet forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.350, -94.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Redwood
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Redwood forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.404, -95.254 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Renville
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Renville forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.727, -94.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Scott
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Scott forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.649, -93.536 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Sibley
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Sibley forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.580, -94.232 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Swift
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Swift forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.283, -95.681 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Yellow Medicine
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 16, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Yellow Medicine forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.716, -95.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kansas, May 1 to 29, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, May 1, 1997
- Lightning Strike in New Jersey, May 1, 1997
- Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 1997
- Flooding in Idaho, May 1 to 31, 1997
- Heavy Rain in Ohio, May 1 to 31, 1997
- Flooding in Montana, May 1 to 31, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, May 1, 1997
- Flooding in Louisiana, May 1 to 9, 1997
- Flooding in Texas, May 1 to 9, 1997
- High Wind in Ohio, May 1, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Tennessee, May 1, 1997
More
Every storm in Minnesota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, May 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: 5601542, 5601543, 5601544, 5601545, 5601546, 5601547, 5601548, 5601549, 5601550, 5601551, 5601552, 5601553, 5601554, 5602166.