Nebraska, 1997

Tornado and Hail in Nebraska, August 21, 1997

August 21, 1997 · NWS GLD · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

2 hail, 1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$12,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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 national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

2 hail, 1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Dundy

When
August 21, 6:25 PM MST
Where
Dundy County, 19 mi NNE of Benkelman
Rating
F1
Path length
0.3 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
40.300, -101.400

Weak tornado moving south southeast blew out windows and tore down tree branches. One inch hail was observed 2 miles east of tornado.

Hail, Dundy

When
August 21, 6:45 PM MST
Where
Dundy County, 15 mi N of Benkelman
Measured
4 in hail
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
40.270, -101.530

Hail up to grapefruit size damaged vehicles, roofs, and siding and destroyed windows and windshields. The hail was accompanied by strong winds. At 1840 MST, 1.25 inch diameter hail was reported 16 miles north of Benkelman and winds broke 4 branches up to 3 inches in diameter. At 1841 MST winds estimated at 60 mph were reported 11 miles NNE Benkelman.

Hail, Red Willow

When
August 21, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Red Willow County, 14 mi SSW of Mc Cook
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.020, -100.720

Hail accompanied by 50 to 60 mph wind.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dundy

When
August 21, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Dundy County, 7 mi SSE of Max
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
40.020, -101.350

Tree branches up to 8 inches in diameter downed. Hail up to 2 inches in diameter fell at Max between 1848 and 1853 MST.

What these are

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

More

Every storm in Nebraska in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Nebraska, 1997Warnings in Nebraska, August 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: 5612253, 5612254, 5612252, 5612255.