Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, April 4, 1997

Name: Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, April 4, 1997
Start: 1997-04-04T17:34
End: 1997-04-04T20:45
Location: Oklahoma

April 4, 1997 · NWS OUN · 6 events in 2 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms moved through southeastern Oklahoma during the evening of April 4th. Hail as large as quarters was reported in Bryan County in Colbert and near Durant.

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: $10,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms moved through southeastern Oklahoma during the evening of April 4th. Hail as large as quarters was reported in Bryan County in Colbert and near Durant. Wind gusts were estimated to be as high as 60 mph, also near Durant. A particularly strong storm produced an F0 tornado east of Nashoba and substantial wind damage in Nashoba in Pushmataha County.

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 159 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:33 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Bryan

When: April 4, 5:34 PM CST
Where: Bryan County, 2 mi E of Cartwright
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 33.850, -96.530

Hail, Bryan

When: April 4, 5:39 PM CST
Where: Bryan County, Colbert
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 33.850, -96.500

Hail, Bryan

When: April 4, 5:39 PM CST
Where: Bryan County, 3 mi S of Durant
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 33.950, -96.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Bryan

When: April 4, 5:39 PM CST
Where: Bryan County, 3 mi S of Durant
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 33.950, -96.380

Tornado, Pushmataha

When: April 4, 8:40 PM CST
Where: Pushmataha County, 2 mi E of Nashoba
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $100
Coordinates: 34.480, -95.180

A small tornado moved east of Nashoba, producing a narrow band of tree damage. The tornado was rated F0.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pushmataha

When: April 4, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Pushmataha County, Nashoba
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 34.480, -95.220

Roofs of 5 homes were damaged and a mobile home was blown off its foundation by severe thunderstorm winds.

What these are

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Oklahoma, 1997 Warnings in Oklahoma, April 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: 5601447, 5601448, 5601449, 5601450, 5601452, 5601451.