Oklahoma, 1997

Flash Flooding and Hail in Oklahoma, June 29 to 30, 1997

June 29 to 30, 1997 · NWS OUN · 41 events in 12 counties and zones

Summary of events of June 29, 1997 through early morning of June 30, 1997:Evening severe thunderstorms moved across portions of north-central and central Oklahoma, producing severe damaging winds, large hail, and some flash flooding. The highest measured wind speed reached 67 mph at the Oklahoma Mesonet site near Medford in Grant County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
$64,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
41

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 June 29, 1997 through early morning of June 30, 1997:Evening severe thunderstorms moved across portions of north-central and central Oklahoma, producing severe damaging winds, large hail, and some flash flooding. The highest measured wind speed reached 67 mph at the Oklahoma Mesonet site near Medford in Grant County. Structural damage occurred in Alfalfa County west of Manchester and in and east of Byron and south of Little in Seminole County. Tree and power pole damage was reported in Grant County in Wakita and south of Nash, in Kay County east of Braman and in Pond Creek, in Logan County in Guthrie, and in Alfalfa County east of Byron. Hail up to quarter-size fell in many locations across north-central Oklahoma, including Medford (Grant County), in and east of Byron (Alfalfa County), north of Perry and near Lake McMurtry (Noble County), and east of Stillwater (Payne County). Flash flooding was particularly widespread across most of Kay and Alfalfa Counties and in the Medford area of Grant County. Other reports of flash flooding were received from southwest of Renfrow in Grant County.See preceding individual Storm Data entries for further details and additional reports.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

22 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 7 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When
June 29, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Wakita
Property damage
$400
Coordinates
36.880, -97.920

A few power poles were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kay

When
June 29, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Kay County, 5 mi E of Braman
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
36.930, -97.250

Several 6-8 inch diameter tree limbs were blown down by severe thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 to 75 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harmon

When
June 29, 6:20 PM CST
Where
Harmon County, 3 mi W of Gould
Measured
62 kt (71 mph)
Coordinates
34.670, -99.830

measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site

Thunderstorm Wind, Kay

When
June 29, 6:25 PM CST
Where
Kay County, 8 mi E of Newkirk
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Coordinates
36.880, -96.900

measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site

Flash Flood, Grant

When
June 29, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Grant County, 3 mi SW of Renfrow
Coordinates
36.796, -97.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wakita Road was impassable due to high water.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kay

When
June 29, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Kay County, 8 mi E of Newkirk
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Coordinates
36.880, -96.900

measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site

Thunderstorm Wind, Kay

When
June 29, 6:35 PM CST
Where
Kay County, 4 mi SE of Blackwell
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Coordinates
36.770, -97.230

measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site

Thunderstorm Wind, Kay

When
June 29, 6:35 PM CST
Where
Kay County, 8 mi E of Newkirk
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates
36.880, -96.900

measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site

Hail, Alfalfa

When
June 29, 6:40 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, 6 mi W of Manchester
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.720, -98.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Alfalfa

When
June 29, 6:40 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, 6 mi W of Manchester
Property damage
$250
Coordinates
36.720, -98.300

Severe winds blew the door off a barn.

Hail, Grant

When
June 29, 6:45 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Deer Creek
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.800, -97.520

Hail, Grant

When
June 29, 6:50 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Medford
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.820, -97.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When
June 29, 7:05 PM CST
Where
Grant County, 1 mi SW of Medford
Measured
58 kt (67 mph)
Coordinates
36.800, -97.750

measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site

Thunderstorm Wind, Harmon

When
June 29, 7:15 PM CST
Where
Harmon County, 6 mi SSE of Gould
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
34.580, -99.750

Two-inch diameter tree limbs were blown from trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When
June 29, 7:30 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Pond Creek
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
36.670, -97.800

Numerous small tree limbs were downed.

Hail, Alfalfa

When
June 29, 7:50 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, 4 mi E of Byron
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.900, -98.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Alfalfa

When
June 29, 7:50 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, 4 mi E of Byron
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$400
Coordinates
36.900, -98.220

Power poles were blown down by winds up to 70 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When
June 29, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Garfield County, Lahoma
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
36.380, -98.080

Severe thunderstorm winds downed numerous limbs and small trees.

Hail, Noble

When
June 29, 8:02 PM CST
Where
Noble County, 7 mi N of Perry
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.400, -97.280

Hail, Alfalfa

When
June 29, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, Byron
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.900, -98.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Alfalfa

When
June 29, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, Byron
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
36.900, -98.280

A trailer house, wooden barn, and small metal barn were destroyed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Alfalfa

When
June 29, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, 2 mi E of Byron
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
36.900, -98.250

A metal grainery silo was destroyed.

Hail, Grant

When
June 29, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Medford
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.820, -97.730

Hail, Noble

When
June 29, 8:43 PM CST
Where
Noble County, 1 mi S of Lake McMurtry
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.380, -97.220

Hail, Payne

When
June 29, 8:43 PM CST
Where
Payne County, 9 mi ENE of Stillwater
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.170, -96.920

Hail, Woods

When
June 29, 8:50 PM CST
Where
Woods County, 4 mi NW of Capron
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.930, -98.620

Flash Flood, Alfalfa

When
June 29, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, Byron
Coordinates
36.731, -98.324 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several county roads were under water.

Thunderstorm Wind, Payne

When
June 29, 9:04 PM CST
Where
Payne County, Lake Carl Blackwell
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
36.080, -96.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Logan

When
June 29, 9:20 PM CST
Where
Logan County, Guthrie
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
35.880, -97.430

Numerous tree limbs were blown down.

Flash Flood, Grant

When
June 29, 9:30 PM CST
Where
Grant County, 3 mi N of Medford
Coordinates
36.796, -97.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Highway 81 three miles north of Medford was under water.

Flash Flood, Grant

When
June 29, 9:30 PM CST
Where
Grant County, 3 mi S of Medford
Coordinates
36.796, -97.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Highway 81 two to three miles south of Medford was under water.

Flash Flood, Grant

When
June 29, 9:30 PM CST
Where
Grant County, 3 mi E of Medford
Coordinates
36.796, -97.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Highway 11 three miles east of Medford was under water.

Thunderstorm Wind, Alfalfa

When
June 29, 9:35 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, 1 mi SW of Cherokee
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates
36.730, -98.370

measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When
June 29, 9:45 PM CST
Where
Grant County, 2 mi S of Nash
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
36.630, -98.050

Tree limbs 6-8 inches in diameter were blown from trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Alfalfa

When
June 29, 9:45 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, 1 mi SW of Cherokee
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
36.730, -98.370

measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site

Thunderstorm Wind, Lincoln

When
June 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where
Lincoln County, 3 mi NW of Stroud
Property damage
$100
Coordinates
35.780, -96.700

A tree of unknown size blocked the road at the intersection of Highways 99 and 66.

Flash Flood, Alfalfa

When
June 29, 10:00 PM CST to June 30, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Alfalfa County, Countywide
Coordinates
36.731, -98.324 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Eight bridges were washed out and numerous dams were broken across Alfalfa County, prompting the county commissioners to declare a state of emergency.

Lightning, Lincoln

When
June 29, 10:30 PM CST
Where
Lincoln County, Chandler
Property damage
$35,000
Coordinates
35.703, -96.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck and set fire to a garage and a motor home, destroying both. Damage was estimated at $35,000.

Thunderstorm Wind, Seminole

When
June 29, 11:30 PM CST
Where
Seminole County, 2 mi S of Little
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
35.320, -96.680

One-quarter of the roof was blown off a house, and trees as large as six inches in diameter were blown over.

Flash Flood, Kay

When
June 30, 12:25 AM CST
Where
Kay County, Countywide
Coordinates
36.818, -97.144 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous low-lying roads were under water across the county. Also, Highway 11 between Ponca City and Blackwell was under water.

Hail, Blaine

When
June 30, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Blaine County, 8 mi W of Geary
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.880, -98.470

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.
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.
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 historyWarnings in Oklahoma, June 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: 5619279, 5619293, 5619372, 5619373, 5619280, 5619374, 5619370, 5619371, 5619271, 5619272, 5619281, 5619368, 5619369, 5619276, 5619282, 5619298, 5619367, 5619379, 5619297, 5619273, 5619274, 5619275, 5619283, 5619294, 5619376, 5619295, 5619286, 5619296, 5619287, 5619288, 5619289, 5619290, 5619291, 5619277, 5619292, 5619284, 5619375, 5619378, 5619278, 5619377, and more.