Flash Flood and Hail in Oklahoma, June 9, 1997

at Lake Ellsworth

Severe thunderstorm winds caused scattered damage along a path from southwest of Norman to south of Slaughterville. A survey conducted the following day (June 10th) by a National Weather Service meteorologist revealed a path extending along the South Canadian River from 2 miles southwest of Norman to 5 miles south of Slaughterville with wind speeds estimated at 60 to 70 mph. The primary damage along this track was uprooted trees and a few areas of minor tree and limb damage near the beginning of the path. As the storm progressed toward Slaughterville, damage became more significant, with structural damage both west and south of Slaughterville. Specifically, power lines were downed 2 miles south of Noble, a barn was unroofed 1 mile east of Lexington, and power poles were broken 3.5 miles east of Lexington. One mile west of Slaughterville, the roof was blown off of an old frame house and 12 mobile homes in a mobile home park were damaged, including one that was completely unroofed. About 5 miles south of Slaughterville, a tree was blown over onto a house and pickup truck.

Several trees were toppled by severe thunderstorm winds.

Severe thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a barn in Goldsby on Highway 74 and blew a tractor-trailer rig over on I-35, completely closing the north-bound lanes of the interstate for 2 hours.

at KSWO TV

Severe thunderstorm winds downed trees and tree limbs.

Power poles were blown down 3.5 miles east of Hwy 99.

One mobile home and ten barns were destroyed by severe thunderstorm winds. Numerous trees were blown down, blocking several roads.

Severe thunderstorm winds blew two small barns away and damaged the roofs of several homes. Eleven power poles were blown down in Oakman and trees were downed across several roads.

Trees were blown down across a roadway.

Severe thunderstorm winds at the downtown airport broke one plane from its tie-downs and blew it into 2 others, damaging all three aircraft.

Several three to four inch diameter tree limbs were blown down.

Power lines were blown down.

measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site

Run-off from torrential rain (about 2 inches in 45 minutes) swept two motorists into swift floodwaters and resulted in rapid-water rescues in both of the incidents. In the first incident, a woman driving a mini-van pulled into a parking lot to await the end of the downpour, but was washed by runoff into a nearby, full drainage ditch. The water in the ditch completely submerged the van with the woman trapped inside. She survived by breathing the air that was trapped in a shallow bubble at the ceiling of the van. A police officer, with the help of 2 bystanders, was finally able to break a window and pull her from the van. The woman was treated for shock and hypothermia, but was otherwise uninjured. Her van, valued at $20,000, was totalled.In the second incident, a man driving a car across a flooded low-water bridge was swept into a creek. He escaped from the car and was pulled to shore by nearby residents with a garden hose. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $5000.

Severe thunderstorm winds up to 70 mph blew the roof off a realtor's office and destroyed a storage building. The high school scoreboard was damaged and a tree was blown over onto an archway at a city park. Numerous other trees were downed, as well as power lines and signs throughout town.

Hail slightly larger than golf balls broke the windows out of a pickup truck.

Severe thunderstorm winds downed trees as large as 2 feet in diameter.