Hail, Ellis
- When
- May 23, 3:05 PM CST
- Where
- Ellis County, 6 mi N of Gage
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.400, -99.750
Flash Flooding and Hail in Oklahoma, May 23, 1997
Summary of events of May 23, 1997:Several slow-moving thunderstorms moved across Ellis County during the afternoon of the 23rd. One report of 3/4 inch hail was received; however, flash flooding was of greater impact after extended periods of heavy rain.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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 May 23, 1997:Several slow-moving thunderstorms moved across Ellis County during the afternoon of the 23rd. One report of 3/4 inch hail was received; however, flash flooding was of greater impact after extended periods of heavy rain. Highway 46 was covered by as much as 3 feet of water and crops were completely flooded in some areas.
The radar
The Vance AFB radar (KVNX), 150 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:05 UTC.
Event by event
3 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flood, Ellis
- When
- May 23, 3:06 PM CST
- Where
- Ellis County, 8 mi N of Gage
- Coordinates
- 36.218, -99.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
State Highway 46 was under water due to flash flooding.
Flash Flood, Ellis
- When
- May 23, 3:20 PM CST
- Where
- Ellis County, 8 mi NE of Shattuck
- Coordinates
- 36.218, -99.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Crops were under water after 3.3 inches of rain during the afternoon.
Flash Flood, Ellis
- When
- May 23, 4:05 PM CST
- Where
- Ellis County, 7 mi N of Gage
- Coordinates
- 36.218, -99.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Three feet of water covered State Highway 46.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- 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
- Flash Flooding in Texas, May 23, 1997
- Cold in West Virginia, May 23, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Florida, May 23, 1997
- Cold in Ohio, May 23, 1997
- Flash Flood and Hail in Texas, May 23, 1997
- Flash Flood and Hail in Mississippi, May 23, 1997
- Flash Flood and Hail in Texas, May 23, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Alabama, May 23, 1997
- Flood in U.S. Virgin Islands, May 23, 1997
- Waterspout in Florida, May 23, 1997
- Funnel Cloud in Louisiana, May 23, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Florida, May 23, 1997
More
Every storm in Oklahoma in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, May 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: 5613695, 5613693, 5613692, 5613694.