Hail, Alfalfa
- When
- August 20, 12:05 PM CST to 12:30 PM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa County, Burlington
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.900, -98.420
Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, August 20, 1997
Summary of events of August 20, 1997:Severe thunderstorms moved across northern and western Oklahoma, producing large hail and damaging winds. The town of Burlington in Alfalfa County was particularly hard-hit, as a combination of 2-inch hail and winds estimated at 80 mph caused major damage across the town.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $87,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 30
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.
Summary of events of August 20, 1997:Severe thunderstorms moved across northern and western Oklahoma, producing large hail and damaging winds. The town of Burlington in Alfalfa County was particularly hard-hit, as a combination of 2-inch hail and winds estimated at 80 mph caused major damage across the town. Wind damage was also reported west of Ingersoll, in Driftwood, and in Cherokee in Alfalfa County and in Elk City in Beckham County. See preceding individual Storm Data entries for further details and additional reports.
The radar
The Vance AFB radar (KVNX), 31 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:06 UTC.
Event by event
21 hail, 9 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Alfalfa
- When
- August 20, 12:15 PM CST to 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa County, Burlington
- Measured
- 69 kt (79 mph)
- Property damage
- $75,000
- Coordinates
- 36.900, -98.420
A combination of severe thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 mph and 2-inch hail blew out nearly all of the north-facing windows at the Alfalfa County School. Damage to the school was estimated at $25,000, but no injuries occurred since the students and teachers had moved to a storm shelter. Throughout the town of Burlington, trees up to 10 inches in diameter were blown over, power lines were blown down, and numerous homes received roof and window damage from the wind and hail.
Thunderstorm Wind, Alfalfa
- When
- August 20, 12:20 PM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa County, 6 mi W of Ingersoll
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 36.800, -98.500
Severe thunderstorm winds blew an empty cattle tractor-trailer over into a ditch.
Hail, Alfalfa
- When
- August 20, 12:25 PM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa County, Cherokee
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.750, -98.350
Hail, Woods
- When
- August 20, 12:35 PM CST
- Where
- Woods County, 8 mi NE of Lookout
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 37.030, -99.170
Hail, Woodward
- When
- August 20, 12:55 PM CST
- Where
- Woodward County, 18 mi NE of Mooreland
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.620, -98.970
Hail, Alfalfa
- When
- August 20, 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa County, 4 mi NW of Goltry
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.570, -98.200
Hail, Alfalfa
- When
- August 20, 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa County, Burlington
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.900, -98.420
Hail, Woodward
- When
- August 20, 1:10 PM CST
- Where
- Woodward County, 10 mi N of Mooreland
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.580, -99.200
Thunderstorm Wind, Alfalfa
- When
- August 20, 1:15 PM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa County, Driftwood
- Property damage
- $10
- Coordinates
- 36.880, -98.350
Several tree limbs were blown down by severe winds.
Hail, Alfalfa
- When
- August 20, 1:15 PM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa County, Driftwood
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.880, -98.350
Hail, Alfalfa
- When
- August 20, 1:30 PM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa County, Cherokee
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.750, -98.350
Thunderstorm Wind, Alfalfa
- When
- August 20, 1:30 PM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa County, Cherokee
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 36.750, -98.350
Twelve doors were blown off of an airport hangar at Cherokee Municipal Airport. Numerous limbs were also downed in the Cherokee area.
Hail, Alfalfa
- When
- August 20, 1:40 PM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa County, Goltry
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.530, -98.150
Hail, Dewey
- When
- August 20, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Dewey County, 5 mi E of Vici
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.150, -99.220
Thunderstorm Wind, Dewey
- When
- August 20, 2:25 PM CST
- Where
- Dewey County, 4 mi NW of Camargo
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph)
- Coordinates
- 36.050, -99.330
Hail, Ellis
- When
- August 20, 2:30 PM CST
- Where
- Ellis County, 2 mi S of Harmon
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.130, -99.630
Hail, Ellis
- When
- August 20, 2:35 PM CST
- Where
- Ellis County, 10 mi E of Arnett
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.130, -99.580
Hail, Custer
- When
- August 20, 2:55 PM CST
- Where
- Custer County, 6 mi NE of Moorewood
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.800, -99.270
Hail, Woodward
- When
- August 20, 3:14 PM CST
- Where
- Woodward County, Mutual
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.230, -99.170
Hail, Roger Mills
- When
- August 20, 3:15 PM CST
- Where
- Roger Mills County, 1 mi NW of Hammon
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.650, -99.400
Thunderstorm Wind, Custer
- When
- August 20, 3:15 PM CST
- Where
- Custer County, 5 mi SW of Butler
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 35.580, -99.250
measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site
Thunderstorm Wind, Custer
- When
- August 20, 3:20 PM CST
- Where
- Custer County, 5 mi SW of Butler
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph)
- Coordinates
- 35.580, -99.250
measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site
Hail, Custer
- When
- August 20, 3:30 PM CST
- Where
- Custer County, 3 mi W of Foss Lake
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.580, -99.280
Thunderstorm Wind, Custer
- When
- August 20, 3:30 PM CST
- Where
- Custer County, 3 mi W of Foss Lake
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 35.580, -99.280
Hail, Roger Mills
- When
- August 20, 3:30 PM CST
- Where
- Roger Mills County, 3 mi SW of Hammon
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.600, -99.420
Hail, Beckham
- When
- August 20, 3:53 PM CST
- Where
- Beckham County, Elk City
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $750
- Coordinates
- 35.420, -99.420
Hail as large as golf balls broke several windows and knocked holes in the siding of a house.
Hail, Roger Mills
- When
- August 20, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Roger Mills County, 1 mi N of Angora
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.850, -99.450
Hail, Beckham
- When
- August 20, 4:20 PM CST
- Where
- Beckham County, 2 mi E of Delhi
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.170, -99.650
Thunderstorm Wind, Beckham
- When
- August 20, 4:25 PM CST
- Where
- Beckham County, Elk City
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Coordinates
- 35.420, -99.420
Severe thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 mph downed trees, fences, and tree limbs.
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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heavy Rain in Connecticut, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Utah, August 20, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 20, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Texas, August 20, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, August 20, 1997
- Damaging Winds in North Carolina, August 20, 1997
- Flood in Michigan, August 20 to 22, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 20, 1997
More
Every storm in Oklahoma in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5622577, 5622616, 5622632, 5622545, 5622578, 5622546, 5622548, 5622552, 5622547, 5622617, 5622618, 5622619, 5622620, 5622621, 5622549, 5622550, 5622551, 5622622, 5622623, 5622629, 5622624, 5622630, 5622631, 5622625, 5622626, 5622633, 5622627, 5622634, 5622628, 5622635.