Flash Flood and Flood in Missouri, May 26, 1997

Name: Flash Flood and Flood in Missouri, May 26, 1997
Start: 1997-05-26T14:06
End: 1997-05-26T17:15
Location: Missouri

May 26, 1997 · NWS PAH · 9 events in 4 counties and zones

4 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 1 flood, 1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 151 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:07 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 1 flood, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne

When: May 26, 2:06 PM CST to 2:26 PM CST
Where: Wayne County, Greenville to Wappapello
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 37.130, -90.470

Tree limbs were down near Greenville. Police estimated gusts near 60 MPH at Wappapello.

Hail, Wayne

When: May 26, 2:06 PM CST
Where: Wayne County, Greenville
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 37.130, -90.470

Flood, Perry

When: May 26, 2:30 PM CST
Where: Perry County, Perryville
Coordinates: 37.707, -89.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Streets were closed by flooding.

Hail, Perry

When: May 26, 2:35 PM CST
Where: Perry County, Perryville
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 37.720, -89.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Perry

When: May 26, 2:35 PM CST
Where: Perry County, Perryville
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 37.720, -89.870

Wind gusts to 70 MPH were reported. Some trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stoddard

When: May 26, 2:48 PM CST to 2:53 PM CST
Where: Stoddard County, Dudley to Dexter
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $40,000
Coordinates: 36.780, -90.100

Trees were blown down in a line from Dudley to east of Dexter. Some roof damage and power line damage occurred. Siding was ripped from a house along Route 153. Trees landed across a few roads, including Route 51, which was blocked for a time. A house about 3 miles south of Puxico was damaged by flying debris.

Hail, Stoddard

When: May 26, 3:08 PM CST
Where: Stoddard County, Dexter
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 36.800, -89.950

Thunderstorm Wind, New Madrid

When: May 26, 3:30 PM CST
Where: New Madrid County, New Madrid
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 36.600, -89.530

Trees and power poles were down.

Flash Flood, Stoddard

When: May 26, 4:00 PM CST to 5:15 PM CST
Where: Stoddard County, Aid
Coordinates: 36.856, -89.944 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorms continually regenerated over northwest parts of Stoddard County and moved southeast. Rainfall totals were estimated as much as 3.5 inches in 3 hours northwest of Dexter. Street flooding occurred in Aid.

What these are

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
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

Every storm in Missouri in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Missouri, 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: 5604608, 5604609, 5604612, 5604610, 5604611, 5604613, 5604614, 5604615, 5604616.