Texas, 1997

Flash Flooding in Texas, June 8, 1997

June 8, 1997 · NWS MAF · 2 events in 1 county or zone

An E-W outflow boundary in the Midland/Odessa area was a low-level focusing mechanism for convection this day, but probably the most obvious lifting feature was the impressive difluence over the area. Two lines of storms developed and moved through the Permian Basin.

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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 MAF wrote it up.

An E-W outflow boundary in the Midland/Odessa area was a low-level focusing mechanism for convection this day, but probably the most obvious lifting feature was the impressive difluence over the area. Two lines of storms developed and moved through the Permian Basin. Precipitable water on the 00Z sounding was 194% of normal at MAF.One interesting note to this overall scene was that there was no sun in the Midland/Odessa area as stratus and statocumulus clouds filled in gaps between storms and between lines of storms. After the first line of storms moved through the central Permian Basin, the usual subsidence and rising cloud bases was not seen--instead, low scud raced to the WNW to the developing line of storms in the western Permian Basin. Late in the afternoon as the upper-level lift began to pass the region, finally the sun shined a couple of hours before sunset. The high temperature this day was only 73 degrees at MAF.

The radar

The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 191 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Terrell

When
June 8, 7:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Terrell County, 24 mi NNE of Sanderson
Coordinates
30.225, -102.076 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Water running across Ranch Road 2886 washed debris onto the road.

Flash Flood, Terrell

When
June 8, 7:45 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Terrell County, 34 mi NNE of Dryden
Coordinates
30.225, -102.076 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Water rushing across State Highway 349 washed out a 60 foot section of pavement one mile north of Independence Creek.

What these are

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

More

Every storm in Texas in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, June 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: 5611805, 5611804.