Tornado and Flash Flooding in Montana, July 1 to 23, 1997

Name: Tornado and Flash Flooding in Montana, July 1 to 23, 1997
Start: 1997-07-01T06:00
End: 1997-07-23T22:08
Location: Montana

July 1 to 23, 1997 · NWS GGW · 38 events in 9 counties and zones

24 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 3 flash flood, 2 flood, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: $506,000
Crop damage: $40,000
Events: 38

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 Glasgow radar (KGGW), 176 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:26 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

24 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 3 flash flood, 2 flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Prairie

When: July 1, 6:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
Where: Prairie County, Terry
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 46.861, -105.378 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Six inches of rain in less than 4 hours caused flash flooding. The town of Terry was inundated. Both Terry and Fallon reported extensive street flooding. A section of Interstate 90 by Terry had water running across it. Several washouts were reported on gravel county roads.

Flash Flood, Dawson

When: July 1, 10:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
Where: Dawson County, Glendive
Coordinates: 47.266, -104.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Richland

When: July 1, 5:00 PM MST to July 2, 2:00 AM MST
Where: Richland County, Sidney
Property damage: $269,000
Coordinates: 47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Six inches of rain falling in less than four hours caused flash flooding throughout much of Richland County. Five bridges in the county sustained damage. One family along Lone Tree Creek was evacuated as the normally dry creek rose four feet. Numerous county roads were closed due to washouts and flood waters over the roads. The added water put a strain on the Vaux Dam and there was some concern it would fail.

Flood, Roosevelt

When: July 1, 8:00 PM MST to July 2, 3:00 AM MST
Where: Roosevelt County, Bainville
Coordinates: 48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Wibaux

When: July 1, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Wibaux County, Carlyle
Coordinates: 46.965, -104.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Phillips

When: July 6, 6:28 PM MST
Where: Phillips County, Zortman
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 47.920, -108.530

Hail, Phillips

When: July 6, 6:35 PM MST
Where: Phillips County, 12 mi S of Zortman
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 47.750, -108.530

Hail, Valley

When: July 6, 7:07 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 50 mi SW of Glasgow
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.680, -107.400

Hail, Phillips

When: July 17, 5:02 PM MST
Where: Phillips County, 45 mi S of Malta
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.700, -107.870

Tornado, Valley

When: July 17, 6:15 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 30 mi S of Glasgow
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 60 yd
Coordinates: 47.770, -106.630

The public reported a tornado just north of the Pines Recreation Area. Trees in that area were snapped in two or flattened to the ground.

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When: July 17, 6:19 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 6 mi W of Hinsdale
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 48.400, -107.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When: July 17, 6:20 PM MST
Where: Valley County, Hinsdale
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 48.400, -107.080

Damaging thunderstorms winds rolled a small mobile home.

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When: July 17, 6:28 PM MST
Where: Garfield County, 18 mi N of Jordan
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph)
Coordinates: 47.580, -106.880

Thunderstorm winds did damge to picnic ground at the Hell Creek Recreation area. Trees were snapped in two and picnic tables were damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When: July 17, 6:45 PM MST
Where: Garfield County, Cohagen
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 47.030, -106.600

Thunderstorm winds destroyed a 50' x 100' shop. Debris was carried two miles away.

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When: July 17, 6:47 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 6 mi SE of Hinsdale
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 48.330, -106.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When: July 17, 6:56 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 13 mi S of Glasgow
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 48.020, -106.630

Hail, Valley

When: July 17, 6:58 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 2 mi W of Ft Peck
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 48.020, -106.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When: July 17, 6:59 PM MST
Where: Garfield County, 25 mi ENE of Jordan
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 47.450, -106.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When: July 17, 7:00 PM MST to 7:02 PM MST
Where: Valley County, Glasgow
Measured: 100 kt (115 mph)
Coordinates: 48.200, -106.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When: July 17, 7:30 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 25 mi NE of Glasgow
Property damage: $20,000
Coordinates: 48.450, -106.250

A wind gust measured at 94 miles an hour destroyed an airplane hanger and the airplane inside.

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When: July 17, 7:40 PM MST
Where: Garfield County, 40 mi NE of Jordan
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 47.730, -106.280

Thunderstorm Wind, McCone

When: July 17, 7:40 PM MST
Where: McCone County, 40 mi NW of Vida
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 48.250, -106.120

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When: July 17, 7:45 PM MST
Where: Valley County, Glasgow
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 48.200, -106.630

Trees were toppled onto parked cars.

Thunderstorm Wind, McCone

When: July 17, 8:00 PM MST
Where: McCone County, 12 mi N of Circle
Property damage: $40,000
Coordinates: 47.580, -105.600

An airplane hanger housing two airplanes was destroyed as its roof was lifted off and the walls caved in. The airplanes inside were significantly damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When: July 17, 8:03 PM MST
Where: Garfield County, 3 mi N of Cohagen
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 47.080, -106.600

Damaging thunderstorms winds ripped apart a 50' x 100' shop sending debris up to 2 miles away.

Thunderstorm Wind, Prairie

When: July 17, 8:25 PM MST
Where: Prairie County, 23 mi NW of Terry
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 47.020, -105.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Roosevelt

When: July 17, 9:00 PM MST
Where: Roosevelt County, Poplar
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 48.100, -105.200

Hail, Prairie

When: July 17, 9:35 PM MST
Where: Prairie County, 8 mi S of Mildred
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.570, -104.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Dawson

When: July 17, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Dawson County, Glendive
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $30,000
Coordinates: 47.100, -104.730

Sixty mile an hour winds downed trees and power lines across the city of Glendive.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dawson

When: July 17, 10:05 PM MST
Where: Dawson County, Intake
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 47.300, -104.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Dawson

When: July 17, 10:05 PM MST
Where: Dawson County, 3 mi N of Intake
Property damage: $12,000
Coordinates: 47.350, -104.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: July 17, 10:10 PM MST
Where: Richland County, Savage
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 47.450, -104.350

Thunderstorm Wind, Dawson

When: July 17, 10:10 PM MST
Where: Dawson County, Intake
Crop damage: $40,000
Coordinates: 47.300, -104.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: July 17, 10:10 PM MST
Where: Richland County, Savage
Property damage: $20,000
Coordinates: 47.450, -104.350

Thunderstorm winds left a 6 mile wide path of damage with tree limbs as great as 4 inches in diameter felled by the wind.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wibaux

When: July 17, 10:30 PM MST
Where: Wibaux County, Wibaux
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 46.980, -104.180

Hail, Phillips

When: July 22, 8:50 PM MST
Where: Phillips County, 3 mi E of Malta
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 48.350, -107.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Phillips

When: July 22, 9:42 PM MST
Where: Phillips County, 13 mi E of Whitewater
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Coordinates: 48.770, -107.330

Hail, Valley

When: July 23, 10:08 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 5 mi SE of Hinsdale
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 48.350, -107.000

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.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
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.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Montana, 1997 Warnings in Montana, July 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: 5613105, 5613106, 5613107, 5613108, 5613227, 5613109, 5613110, 5613111, 5613112, 5613228, 5613113, 5613114, 5613115, 5613116, 5613117, 5613118, 5613119, 5613120, 5613121, 5613122, 5613123, 5613124, 5613126, 5613125, 5613127, 5613128, 5613130, 5613131, 5613217, 5613218, 5613219, 5613220, 5613221, 5613222, 5613223, 5613224, 5613225, 5613226.