Oklahoma, 1997

Hail and Lightning Strikes in Oklahoma, May 24 to 25, 1997

May 24 to 25, 1997 · NWS OUN · 7 events in 6 counties and zones

Summary of events of May 24, 1997 to early morning of May 25, 1997:Thunderstorms moved into western Oklahoma late in the evening of the 24th, producing nickel-sized hail near Angora in Roger Mills County and south of Taloga in Dewey County. See preceding individual Storm Data entries for further details and additional reports.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 24, 1997 to early morning of May 25, 1997:Thunderstorms moved into western Oklahoma late in the evening of the 24th, producing nickel-sized hail near Angora in Roger Mills County and south of Taloga in Dewey County. As the storms moved into central Oklahoma overnight, nickel-sized hail also fell in Norman in Cleveland County and in Newcastle in McClain County.In Carter County in south-central Oklahoma lightning struck and set fire to a house and a shed in Ardmore.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.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Beckham

When
May 24, 8:16 PM CST
Where
Beckham County, 12 mi N of Erick
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.380, -99.870

Hail, Roger Mills

When
May 24, 8:59 PM CST
Where
Roger Mills County, 5 mi WNW of Angora
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
35.870, -99.530

Lightning, Carter

When
May 24, 9:30 PM CST
Where
Carter County, Ardmore
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
34.251, -97.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck and set fire to a storage shed.

Hail, Dewey

When
May 24, 9:48 PM CST
Where
Dewey County, 5 mi S of Taloga
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
35.970, -98.970

Lightning, Carter

When
May 25, 12:55 AM CST
Where
Carter County, Ardmore
Property damage
$8,000
Coordinates
34.251, -97.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck and set fire to a vacant house. Damage was estimated at $8000.

Hail, McClain

When
May 25, 1:45 AM CST
Where
McClain County, Newcastle
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
35.250, -97.600

Hail, Cleveland

When
May 25, 1:55 AM CST
Where
Cleveland County, Norman
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
35.220, -97.450

Nickel-sized hail fell on the northwest side of Norman.

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.

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, 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: 5613696, 5613697, 5613702, 5613698, 5613701, 5613700, 5613699.