Montana, 1997

Flash Flooding and Flooding in Montana, June 6 to 29, 1997

June 6 to 29, 1997 · NWS GGW · 36 events in 9 counties and zones

19 hail, 9 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 3 flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
$35,000
Crop damage
$260,000
Events
36

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 Billings radar (KBLX), 139 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:46 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 hail, 9 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Garfield

When
June 6, 12:45 AM MST
Where
Garfield County, Mosby
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
47.000, -107.870

Flash Flood, Garfield

When
June 6, 7:00 AM MST to 8:00 AM MST
Where
Garfield County, 28 mi E of Jordan
Property damage
$15,000
Coordinates
47.278, -106.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Five inches of rain falling in less than 3 hours caused flash flooding along Dead Horse Creek. The gravel road running from Hwy 200 to Hwy 22 had numerous washouts.

Hail, Phillips

When
June 6, 4:04 PM MST
Where
Phillips County, 10 mi E of Malta
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
48.350, -107.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Phillips

When
June 6, 8:48 PM MST
Where
Phillips County, 45 mi S of Malta
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
47.700, -107.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Phillips

When
June 6, 9:45 PM MST
Where
Phillips County, 10 mi E of Malta
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
48.350, -107.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When
June 6, 10:07 PM MST
Where
Valley County, 8 mi SE of Hinsdale
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
48.320, -106.970

Hail, Dawson

When
June 8, 5:15 PM MST
Where
Dawson County, 10 mi WSW of Glendive
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
47.050, -104.930

Hail, Dawson

When
June 8, 6:24 PM MST
Where
Dawson County, 14 mi NW of Richey
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
47.800, -105.280

Flash Flood, Petroleum

When
June 10, 4:33 PM MST to 8:30 PM MST
Where
Petroleum County, 15 mi N of Cat Creek
Coordinates
47.118, -108.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Prairie

When
June 16, 9:15 AM MST to June 18, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Prairie forecast zone
Coordinates
46.861, -105.378 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow melt from the mountains in the wester n portion of the state caused the Yellowstone River to rise.

Flood, Richland

When
June 16, 9:15 AM MST to June 18, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Richland forecast zone
Coordinates
47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow melt from the mountains in the western portion of the state casued the Yellowstone River to rise. The flooding mainly affected low lying land along the river. Beet fields along the river suffered the most damage.

Flood, Dawson

When
June 16, 9:15 AM MST to June 18, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Dawson forecast zone
Coordinates
47.266, -104.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow melt from the mountains in the west caused the Yellowstone RIver to rise. The flooding was mainly confined to low lands along the river . There was significant damage to beet fields along the river.

Hail, Prairie

When
June 18, 4:15 PM MST
Where
Prairie County, Terry
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
46.780, -105.300

Hail, Prairie

When
June 18, 4:30 PM MST
Where
Prairie County, Terry
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
46.780, -105.300

Hail, Prairie

When
June 18, 4:50 PM MST
Where
Prairie County, 4 mi E of Terry
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
46.780, -105.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When
June 22, 3:04 PM MST
Where
Richland County, Sidney
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Coordinates
47.700, -104.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When
June 22, 3:05 PM MST
Where
Richland County, 3 mi S of Sidney
Measured
71 kt (82 mph)
Coordinates
47.650, -104.150

Hail, Richland

When
June 22, 3:10 PM MST
Where
Richland County, Sidney
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
47.700, -104.150

Hail, Richland

When
June 22, 4:40 PM MST
Where
Richland County, Savage
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
47.450, -104.350

Hail, Richland

When
June 22, 5:19 PM MST
Where
Richland County, Fairview
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
47.850, -104.050

Hail, McCone

When
June 22, 5:50 PM MST
Where
McCone County, 10 mi N of Circle
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
47.570, -105.600

Hail, Dawson

When
June 22, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Dawson County, 4 mi N of Lindsay
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
47.270, -105.150

Hail, Richland

When
June 22, 6:40 PM MST
Where
Richland County, Sidney
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
47.700, -104.150

Hail, Dawson

When
June 22, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Dawson County, 5 mi W of Bloomfield
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
47.420, -105.030

Flash Flood, Richland

When
June 22, 7:00 PM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Richland County, 12 mi NW of Sidney
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
$250,000
Coordinates
47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

More than 6 inches of rain falling in less than 2 hours caused a total loss of wheat which was pounded by heavy rain or washed away. Rapid runoff caused Hay Creek to rise rapidly and the high flow and velocity took out a bridge on County Road 350. Further downstream the creek washed out a bank causing a telephone pole to be toppled as well as taking out a shed and a propane tank. The resident of the property esttimated he lost about 125 square feet of property.

Hail, Dawson

When
June 22, 7:10 PM MST
Where
Dawson County, 4 mi E of Bloomfield
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
47.420, -104.850

Hail, Richland

When
June 22, 7:15 PM MST
Where
Richland County, Savage
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
47.450, -104.350

Hail, Richland

When
June 22, 7:55 PM MST
Where
Richland County, 4 mi S of Savage
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
47.400, -104.350

Flash Flood, Richland

When
June 22, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Richland County, 16 mi W of Sidney
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A bridge northeast of Lambert sustained damage due to flash flood waters.

Flash Flood, Dawson

When
June 22, 8:30 PM MST to 9:30 PM MST
Where
Dawson County, 10 mi NW of Bloomfield
Coordinates
47.266, -104.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rain caused wash outs on numerous secondary roads.

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When
June 26, 8:25 PM MST
Where
Valley County, 5 mi S of Hinsdale
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Crop damage
$10,000
Coordinates
48.330, -107.080

Thunderstorm winds to 60 mph picked up and blew around wind rows of hay.

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When
June 26, 9:05 PM MST
Where
Valley County, 8 mi SW of Lustre
Measured
54 kt (62 mph)
Coordinates
48.300, -106.020

Hail, Roosevelt

When
June 29, 3:38 PM MST
Where
Roosevelt County, Bainville
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
48.130, -104.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When
June 29, 7:08 PM MST
Where
Valley County, 17 mi W of Glasgow
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
48.200, -107.000

Hail, Valley

When
June 29, 7:25 PM MST
Where
Valley County, 3 mi W of Wheeler
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
48.020, -106.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When
June 29, 7:35 PM MST
Where
Valley County, Ft Peck
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
48.020, -106.450

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
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.
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

More

Every storm in Montana in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, 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: 5614320, 5614321, 5614322, 5614323, 5614324, 5614325, 5614326, 5614327, 5614328, 5614700, 5614701, 5614702, 5614329, 5614330, 5614331, 5614334, 5614335, 5614336, 5614684, 5614685, 5614688, 5614689, 5614686, 5614690, 5614697, 5614692, 5614687, 5614691, 5614698, 5614699, 5614332, 5614333, 5614693, 5614694, 5614695, 5614696.