Oklahoma, 1997

Tornado and Flash Flooding in Oklahoma, August 18 to 19, 1997

August 18 to 19, 1997 · NWS OUN · 28 events in 16 counties and zones

11 thunderstorm wind, 10 hail, 5 flash flood, 1 tornado, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
$61,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
28

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.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 thunderstorm wind, 10 hail, 5 flash flood, 1 tornado, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Kay

When
August 18, 8:25 AM CST
Where
Kay County, Ponca City
Coordinates
36.818, -97.144 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The sheriff reported that water covered the highways in several locations across the county.

Hail, Murray

When
August 18, 1:20 PM CST
Where
Murray County, Sulphur
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.520, -96.970

occurred at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Thunderstorm Wind, Murray

When
August 18, 1:30 PM CST
Where
Murray County, Sulphur
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
34.520, -96.970

Severe thunderstorm winds downed tree limbs in Sulphur.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carter

When
August 18, 1:30 PM CST
Where
Carter County, 2 mi S of Healdton
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage
$6,000
Coordinates
34.200, -97.480

Severe thunderstorm winds estimated at 65 mph downed 2 trees and destroyed a few outbuildings.

Thunderstorm Wind, Johnston

When
August 18, 1:40 PM CST
Where
Johnston County, Mill Creek
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
34.400, -96.820

Siding was blown off of a house, a carport was detroyed, and limbs were snapped by severe thunderstorm winds.

Hail, Pontotoc

When
August 18, 1:40 PM CST
Where
Pontotoc County, 7 mi S of Fittstown
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.520, -96.630

Flash Flood, Murray

When
August 18, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Murray County, Sulphur
Coordinates
34.482, -97.068 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The police department reported that the city park was closed due to high water.

Hail, Pontotoc

When
August 18, 2:20 PM CST
Where
Pontotoc County, 7 mi S of Fittstown
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.520, -96.630

Flash Flood, Murray

When
August 18, 2:35 PM CST
Where
Murray County, Sulphur
Coordinates
34.482, -97.068 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several areas in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area were closed due to flash flooding.

Thunderstorm Wind, Coal

When
August 18, 3:25 PM CST
Where
Coal County, 2 mi E of Clarita
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
34.480, -96.400

A three-foot diameter tree was uprooted.

Hail, Canadian

When
August 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Canadian County, Piedmont
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.650, -97.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Grady

When
August 18, 5:33 PM CST
Where
Grady County, 3 mi SW of Rush Spgs
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
35.000, -97.920

Hail, Comanche

When
August 18, 6:10 PM CST
Where
Comanche County, Lawton
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.620, -98.400

KSWO-TV in Lawton received several reports of golfball-size hail.

Hail, Blaine

When
August 18, 6:15 PM CST
Where
Blaine County, 5 mi S of Canton
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.000, -98.580

Tornado, Blaine

When
August 18, 6:42 PM CST to 6:45 PM CST
Where
Blaine County, 2 mi E of Eagle City
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
75 yd
Coordinates
35.930, -98.550

A tornado was observed east of Eagle City. It remained on the ground for about 3 minutes and caused tree and fence damage for about a half mile. Large trees along this path were uprooted and the tornado was rated F0.

Thunderstorm Wind, Alfalfa

When
August 18, 6:55 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, 9 mi W of Cherokee
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
36.750, -98.520

Numerous 8-12 inch diameter limbs were blown down.

Hail, Blaine

When
August 18, 7:50 PM CST
Where
Blaine County, Eagle City
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.930, -98.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Woods

When
August 18, 7:50 PM CST
Where
Woods County, Freedom
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
36.770, -99.120

Hail, Dewey

When
August 18, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Dewey County, 3 mi E of Oakwood
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.930, -98.670

Hail, Custer

When
August 18, 8:10 PM CST
Where
Custer County, 8 mi E of Butler
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.630, -99.030

Hail, Harper

When
August 18, 8:20 PM CST
Where
Harper County, 8 mi NE of Buffalo
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.920, -99.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Harper

When
August 18, 8:20 PM CST
Where
Harper County, 8 mi NE of Buffalo
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
36.920, -99.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Woods

When
August 18, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Woods County, 4 mi NW of Plainview
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
36.870, -99.280

Tree limbs up to four inches in diameter were blown from trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Woods

When
August 18, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Woods County, Alva
Property damage
$8,000
Coordinates
36.800, -98.670

Severe thunderstorm winds completely destroyed a shed and damaged all other buildings on a farm just southeast of Alva.

Thunderstorm Wind, Blaine

When
August 18, 8:45 PM CST
Where
Blaine County, 3 mi W of Watonga
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
35.850, -98.470

Severe thunderstorm winds bent road signs over on Highway 33.

Flash Flood, Custer

When
August 18, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Custer County, Clinton
Coordinates
35.639, -99.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two intersections in town were closed due to flash flooding.

Flash Flood, Blaine

When
August 18, 10:00 PM CST
Where
Blaine County, Watonga
Coordinates
35.875, -98.433 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

After 4.92 inches of rain in only a few hours, several homes in town were flooded.

Lightning, Stephens

When
August 19, 1:56 AM CST
Where
Stephens County, Marlow
Property damage
$40,000
Coordinates
34.486, -97.851 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck and set fire to a house, completely gutting the home.

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.
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.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Oklahoma, 1997Warnings in Oklahoma, 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: 5622564, 5622436, 5622567, 5622572, 5622439, 5622557, 5622438, 5622437, 5622440, 5622561, 5622558, 5622441, 5622442, 5622559, 5622568, 5622443, 5622553, 5622563, 5622560, 5622554, 5622555, 5622556, 5622566, 5622569, 5622565, 5622562, 5622570, 5622571.