Oklahoma, 1997

Flash Flood and Hail in Oklahoma, July 17 to 18, 1997

July 17 to 18, 1997 · NWS OUN · 12 events in 6 counties and zones

Summary of events of evening of July 17, 1997 through the morning of July 18, 1997:Nighttime thunderstorms moved through northern and central Oklahoma, producing large hail, severe winds, and flash flooding. The largest hail was reported southeast of Glencoe in Payne County, where hail reached the size of golf balls.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
$235,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
12

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 evening of July 17, 1997 through the morning of July 18, 1997:Nighttime thunderstorms moved through northern and central Oklahoma, producing large hail, severe winds, and flash flooding. The largest hail was reported southeast of Glencoe in Payne County, where hail reached the size of golf balls. Severe thunderstorm winds caused damage in Cushing in Payne County, in Waukomis and east of Garber in Garfield County, in Medford and east of Renfrow in Grant County. Flash flooding occurred in Lincoln County near Chandler. See preceding individual Storm Data entries for further details and additional reports.

The radar

The Norman radar (KTLX), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:26 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 3 lightning, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Payne

When
July 17, 7:25 PM CST
Where
Payne County, 3 mi SE of Glencoe
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.200, -96.900

Lightning, Payne

When
July 17, 7:33 PM CST
Where
Payne County, Yale
Property damage
$80,000
Coordinates
36.077, -96.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck and set fire to a house, destroying the home and its contents.

Thunderstorm Wind, Payne

When
July 17, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Payne County, Cushing
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
35.980, -96.770

Severe thunderstorm winds downed numerous tree limbs.

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When
July 18, 12:20 AM CST
Where
Garfield County, 4 mi E of Garber
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
36.430, -97.520

Limbs up to eight inches in diameter were blown down.

Hail, Garfield

When
July 18, 12:20 AM CST
Where
Garfield County, 4 mi E of Garber
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.430, -97.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When
July 18, 12:30 AM CST
Where
Garfield County, Waukomis
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
36.280, -97.900

Severe thunderstorm winds downed large trees, broke plate glass windows, damaged signs, and snapped numerous tree limbs.

Hail, Grant

When
July 18, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Grant County, 3 mi E of Renfrow
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.920, -97.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When
July 18, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Grant County, 3 mi E of Renfrow
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
36.920, -97.600

Limbs up to four inches in diameter were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When
July 18, 1:30 AM CST
Where
Grant County, Medford
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
36.820, -97.730

Severe thunderstorm winds downed a large tree at a chuch.

Flash Flood, Lincoln

When
July 18, 2:03 AM CST
Where
Lincoln County, 1 mi S of Chandler
Coordinates
35.703, -96.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The southbound lane of Highway 18 was blocked due to high water.

Lightning, Kingfisher

When
July 18, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Kingfisher County, Hennessey
Property damage
$50,000
Coordinates
35.945, -97.942 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck and set fire to a lawnmower repair shop, completely destroying the shop and two vehicles.

Lightning, Hughes

When
July 18, 7:15 AM CST
Where
Hughes County, Holdenville
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
35.048, -96.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck and set fire to a brick home, destroying the house and its contents.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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.
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

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, July 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: 5618707, 5618706, 5618708, 5618699, 5618709, 5618704, 5618700, 5618701, 5618705, 5618698, 5618702, 5618703.