Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Ohio, August 17, 1997

Name: Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Ohio, August 17, 1997
Start: 1997-08-17T10:30
End: 1997-08-17T21:40
Location: Ohio

August 17, 1997 · NWS ILN · 21 events in 12 counties and zones

14 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 2 tornado, 1 lightning, 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 21

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

14 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 2 tornado, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: August 17, 10:30 AM EST to 10:35 AM EST
Where: Brown County, Georgetown
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 38.870, -83.900

Numerous trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Adams

When: August 17, 10:45 AM EST to 10:55 AM EST
Where: Adams County, Seaman to Lawshe
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 38.930, -83.570

Several trees knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pike

When: August 17, 11:00 AM EST to 11:05 AM EST
Where: Pike County, Camp
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 38.970, -83.100

Many large trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scioto

When: August 17, 11:15 AM EST to 11:20 AM EST
Where: Scioto County, Rarden
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 38.920, -83.230

Several trees downed, one of which fell on a car.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pike

When: August 17, 11:30 AM EST to 11:35 AM EST
Where: Pike County, Byington
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 39.080, -83.300

Several trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scioto

When: August 17, 12:00 PM EST to 12:05 PM EST
Where: Scioto County, Mt Joy
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 38.950, -83.170

Several large limbs downed.

Tornado, Delaware

When: August 17, 1:15 PM EST to 1:20 PM EST
Where: Delaware County, 3 mi SE of Sunbury
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 40.200, -82.820

A tornado made a brief touchdown damaging numerous trees, destroying a barn, damaged 2 homes, and carried away a swingset.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hamilton

When: August 17, 1:30 PM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Hamilton County, Countywide
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 39.150, -84.530

Numerous trees and power lines were downed across the county by the thunderstorm winds. Lunken Field reported a wind gust to 60 mph. Moderate damage occurred to the Goodyear blimp "Spirit of Akron", which was parked at the airport at the time of the storm.

Lightning, Hamilton

When: August 17, 1:30 PM EST
Where: Hamilton County, Mt Washington
Property damage: $40,000
Coordinates: 39.196, -84.543 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck the Jarco, Inc building causing a fire which resulted in significant damage.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clermont

When: August 17, 1:45 PM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Clermont County, Countywide
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 38.980, -84.150

Numerous trees downed across the county including one that fell on a truck. The two passengers were not injured.

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: August 17, 2:00 PM EST to 2:05 PM EST
Where: Brown County, Sardinia
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 39.000, -83.800

Numerous trees downed.

Tornado, Adams

When: August 17, 2:15 PM EST to 2:25 PM EST
Where: Adams County, West Union to 2 mi NE of West Union
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 38.820, -83.570

This thunderstorm had a long line of downbursts which caused damage to numerous trees, some of which fell on a house and a mobile home. Embedded within this path of damage was evidence that a tornado made brief touchdowns. In two different areas, tree damage showed twisting motion indicating that a tornado existed. Also, one home was knocked off its foundation in one of the areas where the tornado touched down. Winds from some of the downburst activity were near 100 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scioto

When: August 17, 2:30 PM EST to 2:35 PM EST
Where: Scioto County, Otway
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 38.870, -83.180

Several trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pike

When: August 17, 2:45 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Pike County, Countywide
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 39.070, -83.050

Numerous trees and power lines downed, mainly in the western part of the county.

Flash Flood, Hocking

When: August 17, 5:30 PM EST to 9:40 PM EST
Where: Hocking County, Countywide
Property damage: $500,000
Coordinates: 39.497, -82.479 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearly 6.5 inches of rain fell on parts of the county on the 17th, with 4 inches falling in about 4 hours. Numerous roads were flooded and several people were evacuated from their homes. A state of emergency was declared by the county due to flooding.

Flash Flood, Fairfield

When: August 17, 6:00 PM EST to 9:30 PM EST
Where: Fairfield County, Countywide
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 39.752, -82.631 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Persistent heavy rainfall caused numerous roads to be flooded.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hamilton

When: August 17, 6:23 PM EST to 6:35 PM EST
Where: Hamilton County, Harrison to Cheviot
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 39.270, -84.800

Numerous trees downed. An observer reported a 70 mph wind gust.

Flash Flood, Butler

When: August 17, 6:59 PM EST to 7:45 PM EST
Where: Butler County, Countywide
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 39.439, -84.576 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Persistent heavy rainfall caused roads to be flooded, mainly across the southern parts of the county. One bride collapsed due to the force of the water.

Thunderstorm Wind, Butler

When: August 17, 7:00 PM EST to 7:05 PM EST
Where: Butler County, Okeana
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 39.350, -84.770

Trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Warren

When: August 17, 7:20 PM EST to 7:25 PM EST
Where: Warren County, Lebanon
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 39.430, -84.200

Several trees downed.

Flash Flood, Clinton

When: August 17, 8:30 PM EST to 9:30 PM EST
Where: Clinton County, Westboro
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 39.415, -83.808 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall lasted for several hours causing several roads to be closed due to high water flowing across them.

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.
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.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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 Ohio in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Ohio, 1997 Warnings in Ohio, 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: 5612184, 5612185, 5612186, 5612187, 5612188, 5612189, 5611920, 5611908, 5611909, 5611907, 5612190, 5611910, 5611912, 5611911, 5611918, 5611919, 5611913, 5611917, 5611914, 5611915, 5611916.