Texas, 1997

Tornado and Hail in Texas, May 7, 1997

May 7, 1997 · NWS AMA · 7 events in 2 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms which developed across the northwest Texas Panhandle moved east and southeast across the north central and southeast sections of the Texas Panhandle. These storms produced large hail and high winds along with a few tornadoes.

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

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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 which developed across the northwest Texas Panhandle moved east and southeast across the north central and southeast sections of the Texas Panhandle. These storms produced large hail and high winds along with a few tornadoes. All of the tornadoes remained over open country and their tracks were estimated.

The radar

The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:37 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Donley

When
May 7, 7:40 PM CST
Where
Donley County, 8 mi W of Clarendon
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.930, -101.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Wheeler

When
May 7, 7:50 PM CST
Where
Wheeler County, Wheeler
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates
35.450, -100.270

Hail, Donley

When
May 7, 7:50 PM CST
Where
Donley County, Clarendon
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.930, -100.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Wheeler

When
May 7, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Wheeler County, 2 mi NW of Mobeetie
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
35.530, -100.470

Report of one foot diameter trees down.

Hail, Donley

When
May 7, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Donley County, Clarendon
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.930, -100.900

Tornado, Wheeler

When
May 7, 8:05 PM CST to 8:07 PM CST
Where
Wheeler County, 7 mi W of Shamrock
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
25 yd
Coordinates
35.220, -100.370

Tornado reported in Pakan community.

Hail, Donley

When
May 7, 8:40 PM CST
Where
Donley County, Giles
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.820, -100.530

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
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: 5610321, 5610322, 5610323, 5610325, 5610326, 5610327, 5610328.