Heavy Rain in Texas, February 19 to 21, 1997

Name: Heavy Rain in Texas, February 19 to 21, 1997
Start: 1997-02-19T09:00
End: 1997-02-21T01:30
Location: Texas

February 19 to 21, 1997 · NWS FWD · 48 events in 48 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 48 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: 48

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 FWD wrote it up.

Another heavy rain event began to develop across northern Texas during the early morning hours of the 19th as a strong upper level storm system approached the area from the southwestern United States. This event unfolded in a similar fashion to the heavy rain event of the 12th. Deep moisture returned to the region ahead of the approaching storm and widespread rain and thunderstorms developed over the area early on the 19th. A cold front pushed into North Texas and helped provide further focus for showers, thunderstorms and heavy rainfall as the precipitation moved repeatedly over the same places. By the evening of the 19th, generally one to three inches of rain had fallen across most of northern Texas. Heavier rains of two to five inches had occurred west of a Gainesville, Arlington to Waco line including 4.80 inches in Annetta and 4.25 inches in Saginaw. Another one to two inches of rain fell across most of North Texas on the 20th with a heavier band of two to four inch amounts along a Jacksboro, Stephenville to Goldthwaite line. Soils were nearly saturated from earlier rains during the month and these two days of very heavy rainfall resulted in serious and widespread flash flooding. Numerous rescues had to be performed as motorists attempting to drive through flood waters were either stranded or washed off the road. One fatality resulted when a car was washed into a ditch by a flooded stream. Flood waters washed away portions of roads and resulted in significant damage.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

48 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Milam

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Milam forecast zone
Coordinates: 30.786, -96.977 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Robertson

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Robertson forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.027, -96.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Montague

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Montague forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.676, -97.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Cooke

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Cooke forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.639, -97.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Grayson

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Grayson forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.627, -96.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Fannin

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Fannin forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.594, -96.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Lamar

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Lamar forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.667, -95.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Haskell

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Haskell forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.178, -99.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Throckmorton

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Throckmorton forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.178, -99.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Young

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Young forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.177, -98.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Jack

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Jack forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.234, -98.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Wise

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Wise forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.216, -97.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Denton

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Denton forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.205, -97.117 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Collin

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Collin forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.188, -96.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Hunt

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Hunt forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.124, -96.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Delta

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Delta forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.386, -95.672 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Hopkins

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Hopkins forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.150, -95.564 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Stephens

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Stephens forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.736, -98.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Palo Pinto

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Palo Pinto forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.753, -98.313 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Parker

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Parker forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.778, -97.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Tarrant

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Tarrant forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.772, -97.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Dallas

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.767, -96.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Rockwall

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Rockwall forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.898, -96.408 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Kaufman

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Kaufman forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.599, -96.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Van Zandt

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Van Zandt forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.564, -95.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Rains

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Rains forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.870, -95.793 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Eastland

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Eastland forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.327, -98.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Erath

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Erath forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.236, -98.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Hood

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Hood forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.430, -97.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Somervell

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Somervell forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.222, -97.774 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Johnson

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.379, -97.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Ellis

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Ellis forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.348, -96.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Henderson

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.212, -95.854 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Comanche

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Comanche forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.948, -98.558 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Mills

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Mills forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.495, -98.595 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Hamilton

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.705, -98.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Bosque

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Bosque forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.900, -97.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Hill

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Hill forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.991, -97.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Navarro

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Navarro forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.047, -96.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Freestone

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Freestone forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.705, -96.149 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Anderson

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Anderson forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.813, -95.653 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Lampasas

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Lampasas forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.196, -98.241 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Coryell

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Coryell forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.391, -97.799 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Bell

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Bell forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.038, -97.478 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, McLennan

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: McLennan forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.552, -97.202 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Falls

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Falls forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.253, -96.936 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Limestone

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Limestone forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.546, -96.580 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Leon

When: February 19, 9:00 AM CST to February 21, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Leon forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.297, -95.996 (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, February 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: 5587903, 5587904, 5591374, 5591375, 5591376, 5591377, 5591378, 5591379, 5591380, 5591381, 5591382, 5591383, 5591384, 5591385, 5591386, 5591387, 5591388, 5591389, 5591390, 5591391, 5591392, 5591393, 5591394, 5591395, 5591396, 5591397, 5591398, 5591399, 5591400, 5591401, 5591402, 5591403, 5591404, 5591405, 5591406, 5591407, 5591408, 5591409, 5591410, 5591411, and more.