Lightning, Ferry
- When
- August 6, 5:00 PM PST
- Where
- Ferry County, Republic
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Coordinates
- 48.470, -118.516 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
10 head of cattle were killed by lightning
Tornado and Wildfire in Washington, August 6 to 26, 1997
6 thunderstorm wind, 2 wildfire, 1 lightning, 1 tornado, 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1.3 million
- Crop damage
- $50,000
- Events
- 10
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 Spokane radar (KOTX), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:30 UTC.
Event by event
6 thunderstorm wind, 2 wildfire, 1 lightning, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Okanogan
- When
- August 6, 6:30 PM PST
- Where
- Okanogan County, 4 mi W of Oroville
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 48.930, -119.520
61 mph gust reported at automatic weather station ...elev 1303 ft
Thunderstorm Wind, Pend Oreille
- When
- August 6, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Pend Oreille County, 4 mi N of Ione
- Measured
- 67 kt (77 mph)
- Coordinates
- 48.780, -117.400
67 mph gust from automated fire weather station
Wildfire, Stevens
- When
- August 14, 12:00 PM PST to August 16, 12:00 PM PST
- Where
- Stevens County, Tumtum
- Property damage
- $400,000
- Coordinates
- 48.399, -117.855 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
1300 acre fire exacerbated by dry conditions and wind gusts to 30 mph. There was a Type II team at this fire. Cost includes fire suppression.
Wildfire, Spokane
- When
- August 14, 12:00 PM PST to August 16, 12:00 PM PST
- Where
- Spokane County, Spokane
- Property damage
- $800,000
- Coordinates
- 47.621, -117.404 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
2000 acre fire in sw spokane exacerbated by dry conditions and wind gusts to 30 mph. This was a Type II fire. Cost includes fire suppression...
Thunderstorm Wind, Douglas
- When
- August 26, 3:30 PM PST
- Where
- Douglas County, Waterville
- Measured
- 58 kt (67 mph)
- Coordinates
- 47.650, -120.070
spotter reported 58 mph gust
Thunderstorm Wind, Chelan
- When
- August 26, 4:00 PM PST
- Where
- Chelan County, Manson
- Measured
- 78 kt (90 mph)
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Crop damage
- $50,000
- Coordinates
- 47.880, -120.170
78 mph gust recorded at warehouse...damage to building and apple orchards
Tornado, Okanogan
- When
- August 26, 4:15 PM PST
- Where
- Okanogan County, Omak
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.1 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Coordinates
- 48.420, -119.520
WCM confirms brief tornado touchdown...F0
Thunderstorm Wind, Douglas
- When
- August 26, 4:41 PM PST
- Where
- Douglas County, Douglas
- Measured
- 72 kt (83 mph)
- Coordinates
- 47.620, -120.000
72 mph gust from automated fire weather station
Thunderstorm Wind, Okanogan
- When
- August 26, 5:00 PM PST
- Where
- Okanogan County, Brewster
- Measured
- 66 kt (76 mph)
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 48.100, -119.780
66 mph gust from spotter. Many trees down
What these are
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
- 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.
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
- 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
- Flood in Colorado, August 6, 1997
- Wildfire in California, August 6 to 14, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Florida, August 6, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Mexico, August 6, 1997
- Flash Flood in Colorado, August 6, 1997
- Lightning Strikes in Washington, August 6, 1997
- Flash Flooding in Oklahoma, August 6 to 12, 1997
- High Surf in California, August 6 to 7, 1997
- Hail in Rhode Island, August 6, 1997
- Waterspout in Virginia, August 6, 1997
- Funnel Cloud in California, August 6, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, August 6, 1997
More
Every storm in Washington in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Washington, 1997Warnings in Washington, August 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: 5619427, 5619349, 5619351, 5619429, 5619430, 5619422, 5619428, 5619424, 5619425, 5619426.