Texas, 1997

Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, May 8 to 9, 1997

May 8 to 9, 1997 · NWS FWD · 6 events in 1 county or zone

3 flash flood, 1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
$2,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:36 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Tornado, Wise

When
May 8, 8:35 PM CST to 8:36 PM CST
Where
Wise County, 5 mi W of Chico
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
25 yd
Coordinates
33.300, -97.900

A brief tornado touchdown was reported by a DPS officer.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wise

When
May 8, 8:50 PM CST
Where
Wise County, Bridgeport
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
33.220, -97.770

Strong winds blew down power lines.

Hail, Wise

When
May 8, 9:29 PM CST
Where
Wise County, 2 mi S of Boonsville
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
33.030, -97.870

Flash Flood, Wise

When
May 8, 10:48 PM CST to May 9, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Wise County, Cottondale
Coordinates
33.216, -97.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Streets were closed due to high water in town.

Flash Flood, Wise

When
May 8, 10:48 PM CST to May 9, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Wise County, Boonsville
Coordinates
33.216, -97.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Streets were closed due to high water in town.

Flash Flood, Wise

When
May 8, 11:30 PM CST to May 9, 1:30 AM CST
Where
Wise County, 2 mi SW of Lake Bridgeport
Coordinates
33.216, -97.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Over 3.90 inches of rain fell at Runaway Bay, resulting in street flooding.

What these are

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.
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.
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 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: 5598706, 5598707, 5598708, 5598709, 5598710, 5598711.