Texas, 1997

Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 29 to 30, 1997

May 29 to 30, 1997 · NWS AMA · 7 events in 3 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms moved southeast across the central and southern Texas Panhandle producing large hail and high winds along with a few tornadoes, especially over the south central sections.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
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 AMA wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms moved southeast across the central and southern Texas Panhandle producing large hail and high winds along with a few tornadoes, especially over the south central sections.

The radar

The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 28 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 hail, 3 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Randall

When
May 29, 8:33 PM CST
Where
Randall County, 11 mi SW of Amarillo
Measured
80 kt (92 mph)
Coordinates
35.080, -101.950

Report of a 900 pound object blown into yard. Possible tornado.

Hail, Randall

When
May 29, 8:40 PM CST
Where
Randall County, 1 mi N of Canyon
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.000, -101.920

Report along Hunsley Road on north side of Canyon.

Tornado, Randall

When
May 29, 8:55 PM CST to 8:57 PM CST
Where
Randall County, 7 mi N of Canyon
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
25 yd
Coordinates
35.080, -101.920

Report of a brief tornado touchdown between Amarillo and Canyon. Tornado remained over open country and the track was estimated.

Tornado, Carson

When
May 29, 9:04 PM CST to 9:06 PM CST
Where
Carson County, 15 mi NE of Panhandle
Rating
F0
Path length
0.3 mi
Path width
50 yd
Coordinates
35.500, -101.200

Tornado remained over open country and the track was estimated.

Hail, Randall

When
May 29, 9:10 PM CST
Where
Randall County, 8 mi S of Canyon
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.870, -101.920

Report from along Interstate 27.

Tornado, Randall

When
May 29, 9:12 PM CST to 9:14 PM CST
Where
Randall County, 8 mi S of Canyon
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
25 yd
Coordinates
34.870, -101.920

Tornado remained over open country and the track was estimated.

Hail, Donley

When
May 30, 1:25 AM CST
Where
Donley County, 5 mi E of Clarendon
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
34.930, -100.820

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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 historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 1997Warnings in Texas, 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: 5611185, 5611186, 5611187, 5611188, 5611189, 5611190, 5611191.