Heavy Rain in Texas, December 20 to 21, 1997

Name: Heavy Rain in Texas, December 20 to 21, 1997
Start: 1997-12-20T12:00
End: 1997-12-21T05:00
Location: Texas

December 20 to 21, 1997 · NWS FWD · 35 events in 35 counties and zones

35 heavy rain, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 35 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 35

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.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

35 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Montague

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Montague forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.676, -97.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A strong upper level storm system and associated slow moving cold front moved into the southern plains on the 20th. Rich moisture spread across the area ahead of the low pressure system. Widespread rain and thunderstorms formed and moved repeatedly over the same locations. Rainfall amounts of two to four inches were common across the eastern two thirds of the area with isolated amounts in excess of six inches falling along a Temple-Midlothian-Bonham line. The excessive rain caused widespread flooding. Numerous cars were stranded and many homes were damaged by flood waters. Two people drown in flood waters when their automobile was washed off the road.This heavy rain event contributed to an unusually wet month over much of the central and eastern portions of North Texas. The Dallas/Fort Worth area experienced its third wettest December on record in 1997 and the Waco area experienced its second wettest on record. The strong El Nino that has been ongoing for months likely contributed to the unusually high precipitation.

Heavy Rain, Anderson

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Anderson forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.813, -95.653 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Bell

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Bell forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.038, -97.478 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Bosque

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Bosque forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.900, -97.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Collin

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Collin forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.188, -96.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Cooke

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Cooke forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.639, -97.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Coryell

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Coryell forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.391, -97.799 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Dallas

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.767, -96.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Delta

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Delta forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.386, -95.672 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Denton

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Denton forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.205, -97.117 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Ellis

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Ellis forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.348, -96.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Falls

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Falls forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.253, -96.936 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Fannin

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Fannin forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.594, -96.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Freestone

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Freestone forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.705, -96.149 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Grayson

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Grayson forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.627, -96.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Henderson

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.212, -95.854 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Hill

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Hill forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.991, -97.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Hood

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Hood forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.430, -97.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Hopkins

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Hopkins forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.150, -95.564 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Hunt

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Hunt forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.124, -96.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Johnson

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.379, -97.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Kaufman

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Kaufman forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.599, -96.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Lamar

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Lamar forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.667, -95.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Leon

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Leon forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.297, -95.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Limestone

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Limestone forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.546, -96.580 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, McLennan

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: McLennan forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.552, -97.202 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Milam

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Milam forecast zone
Coordinates: 30.786, -96.977 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Navarro

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Navarro forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.047, -96.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Parker

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Parker forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.778, -97.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Rains

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Rains forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.870, -95.793 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Robertson

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Robertson forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.027, -96.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Rockwall

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Rockwall forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.898, -96.408 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Somervell

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Somervell forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.222, -97.774 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Tarrant

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Tarrant forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.772, -97.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Van Zandt

When: December 20, 12:00 PM CST to December 21, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Van Zandt forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.564, -95.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, December 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: 5626746, 5626747, 5626748, 5626749, 5626750, 5626751, 5626752, 5626753, 5626754, 5626755, 5626756, 5626757, 5626758, 5626759, 5626760, 5626761, 5626762, 5626763, 5626764, 5626765, 5626865, 5626866, 5626867, 5626868, 5626869, 5626870, 5626871, 5626872, 5626873, 5626874, 5626875, 5626876, 5626877, 5626878, 5626879.