Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for May 17, in any year, each linked to its full record.
Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Washington, Marshall, Nemaha counties, Kansas and tracked 99.6 miles, 1,000 yards wide at its widest, killing 25 and injuring 200. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Seneca/Reserve, KS to S Falls City, NE.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Williams County, Ohio and tracked 9 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: W Kunkle, OH.
Volcanoes
Galunggung, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 4. It killed 68 people and did $15 million in damage.
Billion-dollar disasters
A flooding disaster that cost $1.6 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 5, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from May 17, 2021 to May 18, 2021.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Dickens County, Texas and tracked 9.4 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 9. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: W Spur, TX.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Seminole, Okfuskee, Okmulgee counties, Oklahoma and tracked 33.6 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
Tornadoes
A cold front moved in and stalled while multiple upper level disturbances moved through. High moisture levels and ample lift provided a few days of flooding and severe thunderstorms.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Williamson County, Texas and tracked 3 miles, 1,700 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 28.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Franklin, Hamilton, White counties, Illinois and tracked 26.9 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NE West End to Norris City, IL.
Tornadoes
An EF3 tornado touched down in Acadia Parish, Louisiana and tracked 3.93 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 9.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Edmunds, Brown counties, South Dakota and tracked 25.2 miles, killing 1 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Mina to S Westport, SD.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Shimen, Yunnan Province, China. It killed 2 people and did $60 million in damage.
99 on May 17, oldest first.
An F2 tornado touched down in Montague County, Texas, killing 2 and injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Forestburg, TX.
An F4 tornado touched down in Williams County, Ohio and tracked 9 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: W Kunkle, OH.
An F5 tornado touched down in Washington, Marshall, Nemaha counties, Kansas and tracked 99.6 miles, 1,000 yards wide at its widest, killing 25 and injuring 200. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Seneca/Reserve, KS to S Falls City, NE.
An F2 tornado touched down in Graves, Marshall counties, Kentucky and tracked 7.8 miles, 70 yards wide at its widest, killing 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NE Graves County/S Elva, KY.
An F3 tornado touched down in Clay, Riley, Pottawatomie counties, Kansas and tracked 44.7 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, injuring 60. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NW Clay City to S Frankfort, KS.
An F3 tornado touched down in Pratt, Kingman counties, Kansas and tracked 15.3 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Gove Township to Cuningham, KS.
An F3 tornado touched down in Edmunds, Brown counties, South Dakota and tracked 25.2 miles, killing 1 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Mina to S Westport, SD.
An F3 tornado touched down in Pottawatomie, Marshall counties, Kansas and tracked 8.7 miles, 880 yards wide at its widest, injuring 3. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NE Wheaton to E Lillis, KS.
An F2 tornado touched down in McLennan County, Texas and 50 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 3. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Hewitt, TX.
An F3 tornado touched down in Centre County, Pennsylvania and tracked 8.8 miles, injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: E Boalsburg to SW Penns Cave, PA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Franklin, Hamilton, White counties, Illinois and tracked 26.9 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NE West End to Norris City, IL.
An F4 tornado touched down in Dickens County, Texas and tracked 9.4 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 9. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: W Spur, TX.
An F3 tornado touched down in Adams, Clay counties, Nebraska and tracked 8.9 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SE Hastings to N Inland, NE.
An F3 tornado touched down in Floyd County, Texas and tracked 13.2 miles. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Floydada to Dougherty, TX.
An F3 tornado touched down in Caddo County, Oklahoma and tracked 9 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: E Binger, OK.
An F3 tornado touched down in Richland Parish, West Carroll Parish, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana and tracked 41.6 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 17.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lea County, New Mexico and tracked 0.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F4 tornado touched down in Seminole, Okfuskee, Okmulgee counties, Oklahoma and tracked 33.6 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma and tracked 10.2 miles, 587 yards wide at its widest, injuring 6.
An F3 tornado touched down in Seminole County, Oklahoma and tracked 15.4 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Freeborn, Steele counties, Minnesota and tracked 46 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Williamson County, Texas and tracked 3 miles, 1,700 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 28.
Thunderstorms developed in northeast Oklahoma during the morning of May 17th and resulted in isolated occurrences of large hail and flash flooding. Dime-size hail fell three miles southeast of Ottawa, and street flooding occurred in Vinita.
The tornado touched ground briefly, but no damage resulted.
The Stonewall County Sheriff's Office reported dime-size hail north of Aspermont. No damage resulted.
Strong winds tore the roof off a building downtown. Yellowstone County Billings,19,1100MST,,,0,0,3,0,Lightning A sulfur storage tank was struck and caught fire.
An F3 tornado touched down in Vernon County, Missouri and tracked 14 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 9.
A brief tornado touched down in the northwest part of the county, about 5 miles east of Merwin. It moved east for about 5 miles along state Route 18 before lifting about 4 miles west of Adrian near the junction with route FF.
Over a million dollars damage was done to crops in Ellis County.
Early morning severe storms uprooted a few trees in northwest Bailey County. One tree fell on a house but only slightly damaged it. The public reported quarter- to golf ball-size hail near Smyer and Shallowater. Winds damaged a shed and barn near Smyer.
Early morning thunderstorms in northern Oklahoma produced winds as high as 62 mph in Mooreland in Woodward County. In Medford in Grant County the roof was blown off of a plane hangar and the walls were blown out of another. Total damage was estimated at $20,000.
An F3 tornado touched down in Big Stone, Roberts counties, South Dakota and tracked 18 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest.
A tornado crossing Big Stone Lake from Roberts County, South Dakota destroyed one cabin at the Meadowbrook Resort, blew the roof off another cabin, and another cabin was demolished when a big tree fell onto it. Several boats on Big Stone Lake were overturned.
Summary of events for May 17 1999:A large bow echo, a radar signature associated with high winds, moved out of eastern Oklahoma and across northwest Arkansas early on the morning of May 17.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lincoln County, Nebraska and tracked 11.5 miles, 1,000 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
32 tornadoes were recorded on May 17, 2000, in Colorado, Nebraska.
A powder keg of severe weather occurred over the northeast plains of Colorado. The environment became strongly sheared in the vicinity of an intense surface low pressure system allowing for the formation of over two dozen tornadoes. In addition to the tornadoes, large hail.
large tree and three power poles blown down.
Low pressure both at the surface and aloft developed remained over the Mid-Atlantic during on the 17th. A southeast flow around this system ushered in plenty of moisture off the Atlantic Ocean. The moisture caused moderate amounts of instability to develop.
The dry line became active during the afternoon of May 17th. Only a few storms fired along the dry line across Young and Stephens Counties. However, several reports of large hail, and two tornadoes occurred with these storms.
A strong upper level low pressure system lifted northeast out of the southwest U.S. during the early morning hours of the 17th. The surface low was over South Dakota as a line of thunderstorms developed ahead of an advancing dry line that was south of the low.
The same weather system that produced flash flooding along the Mississippi Gulf Coast on the evening of the 16th aided the development of isolated thunderstorms north of Lake Pontchartrain early in the morning of the 17th.
An upper level weather disturbance combined with an influx of tropical moisture and added convergence/rotation along the east coast sea breeze produced several severe thunderstorms which evolved into clusters.
Two lines of severe thunderstorms moved across western Wisconsin during the afternoon and evening of May 17th. This was the third day in a row that severe weather impacted the area. The storms primarily produced damaging winds, but also dropped one tornado.
A fast moving complex of severe thunderstorms developed and tracked over much of eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois, and northeast Missouri, as an area of low pressure lifted northeast into northwest Iowa.
A fast moving complex of severe thunderstorms developed and tracked over much of eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois, and northeast Missouri, as an area of low pressure lifted northeast into northwest Iowa.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois late in the evening of May 17th and overnight into the early morning of May 18th.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Frontier County, Nebraska and tracked 2.12 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Meade, Clark, Ford counties, Kansas and tracked 29.62 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest.
A significant tornado outbreak took place on May 17 and 18, 2019 within the Central United States, including the Great Plains. 47 tornadoes touched down as a result.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A long-lived supercell produced 3 weak tornadoes over Dawson county on this Friday evening. Around 2 PM CST, a north-northwest to south-southeast broken line of showers and thunderstorms developed from near Lexington to Alma and into north central Kansas.
Severe thunderstorms developed in the panhandle of Oklahoma and up into southwest Kansas during the early evening along a dryline. Storms struggled to develop all afternoon due to warm air aloft but once they did form explosive growth was realized.
Thunderstorms produce a tornado and 3 inch hail.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Acadia Parish, Louisiana and tracked 3.93 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 9.
A slow moving upper level low moved out of Texas and across Louisiana. Multiple tornadoes occurred when the disturbance passed.
A cold front moved in and stalled while multiple upper level disturbances moved through. High moisture levels and ample lift provided a few days of flooding and severe thunderstorms.
In the overnight hours on May 17th into the early morning on May 18th, a cluster of slow moving severe thunderstorms associated with a weak mid-level disturbance drifted east across southeastern Louisiana.
An upper level low moved slowly across the southwestern US and generated several rounds of thunderstorms over South Central Texas. Storms during this period produced two tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail, and heavy rain that led to flash flooding.
Cold front leads to strong to severe thunderstorms for portions of south central Nebraska during the evening of May 17th. The first thunderstorms of this event developed over southwest Furnas County between 4PM and 5PM CDT.
This day, May 17th, will be remembered as one of the more unusual tornado days in southwest Pennsylvania.
The first of a multi-day series of severe thunderstorm events occurred across central and eastern Oklahoma from the afternoon of the 17th into the early morning hours of the 18th.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Howard County, Nebraska and tracked 6.09 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest.
48 tornadoes were recorded on May 17, 2026, in Florida, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa.
3 on May 17, oldest first.
Hurricane Irma reached its peak of 120 kt (140 mph) with a central pressure of 972 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Tauktae reached its peak of 120 kt (140 mph) with a central pressure of 931 mb, a category 4 storm.
Subtropical Storm Yakecan was a subtropical cyclone that during its path, passed through the southern region of Brazil, specifically in Rio Grande do Sul and Uruguay. The cyclone came from the sea towards the Rio Grande territory and arrived with less strength in the state of Santa Catarina, where it returned to the sea.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
18 on May 17, oldest first.
Thunderstorms that formed on May 16, 1991, persisted into the 17th, producing flash flooding over the western and central parts of Oklahoma. Nearly nine inches of rainfall flooded many low-lying areas and houses in the Weatherford area. In Kingfisher, flood waters covered 64 square blocks of town, and forced the evacuation of 600 people. The National Guard was called in to help in the evacuation as the flood waters reached six to eight feet deep in a few places. The floods washed out 11 major bridges in Lincoln County.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
Five to eight inches of rain fell across Northern DeKalb Countyproducing flooding of many roads with many roads impassable.
Up to ten inches of rain fell across Williams County in a 6 hour period producing serious flooding in many communities in Williams County. The hardest hit communities were Bryan, Ohio and Antwerp, Ohio. Flooding in the county was described as the worst in 70 years.
Heavy rainfall from late on the 16th caused flooding along the Maumee river. Twenty eight residential structures and approximately 15 businesses were affected by the flooding and storm sewer backup. The village hall basement was flooded and some road bases were eroded.
Serious flooding took place along the Turkey and Volga River, causing considerable damage to homes, businesses and crops. In fact, Clayton and Fayette County were both declared federal disaster areas.
The second round of adverse weather on the 17th started off as a large hail and damaging wind event in Sauk County, but quickly changed to a heavy rain and flash flooding event as individual cells became more numerous and clusters moved east/southeast.
Isolated severe thunderstorms developed first across north central Oklahoma on the afternoon of the 17th, then by evening thunderstorms moved out of the Texas panhandle and formed into a severe line of thunderstorms and moved east overnight.
Rains of 3 to 4 inches fell in 24 hours, with 2 inches falling in a few hours around 0000E. Streams in the western portion of the county, such as Tommy Creek, Devils Fork, Marsh Fork, and Horse Creek, flooded.
Washington, Decatur, Symmes, and Mason Townships had 1 to 2.5 inches of rain over saturated soils.
Unseasonably warm temperatures led to significant mountain snow melt. This led to a section of a road washing out along Highway 206 in Mount Spokane State Park. This resulted from a creek which overwhelmed a culvert pipe, undercutting a large section of asphalt.
A line of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall produced flash flooding across South Central Texas during the overnight hours and into the early afternoon.
Extreme rainfall and severe weather occurred along a stationary frontal boundary extending across the region. Thunderstorms training over the same area brought rainfall amounts from 3 to over 13 inches causing extensive flash flooding.
Excessive runoff into the Ottawa River Basin in Canada restricted the outlet of Lake Ontario.
A slow moving low pressure area brought a 18-24 hour period of moderate to sometimes heavy rainfall. 3 to 6 inches of rain fell over far eastern WI, which resulted in river, creek, and lowland flooding. Numerous roads were flooded and closed.
A weak cold front moved into the area and stalled. Areas of heavy rain occurred in Southeast Texas resulting in flooding.
Abundant gulf moisture streamed northward across the central US in between high pressure over the mid Atlantic and low pressure over the southwest US. Heavy rainfall occurred over central and southwest Missouri from the evening of the 17th to the morning of the 18th.
A weak area of low pressure and associated front moved across northern NY and Vermont during the afternoon and evening hours of May 17th. This system moved across a relatively unstable airmass across the region that resulted in numerous showers and thunderstorms.
Severe storms produced damaging winds and hail across north central Mississippi.
24 on May 17, oldest first.
About ten damage claims were filed with insurance companies as a result of the hailstorm. Enough hail fell to clog storm drains and turn the ground white. Undetermined damage was done to apple orchards.
As the storms moved through the Charles City area, they became very serious. Hail the size of soft balls pelted the city. One woman was injured as the was closing the window of her house. The hail stones broke the window cutting her. Her wounds required two stitches.
Microburst with wind gusts over 75 mph downed dozens of trees and damaged buildings at Cornell and Gladstone. At Cornell, strong winds destroyed a barn. In Gladstone, trees up 30 inches in diameter were blown down.
Numerous severe thunderstorms marched across central Indiana during the afternoon and evening. Hail was the main culprit during the afternoon hours, while damaging winds became more common during the evening as a squall line and embedded bow echo moved across.
A large severe weather outbreak occurred across southern lower Michigan, featuring numerous reports of wind gusts of 60 to 70 miles per hour that downed numerous trees and power lines.
Brief but widespread downbursts of severe winds blew down trees and knocked over power lines across all of the above listed counties. In DeWitt County, severe winds took roofs off homes in the Smiley area as well as between Cuero and Thomaston.
A stationary front extended from the plains across Southern Iowa into Central Illinois. The boundary separated cool air to the north from warm air to the south.
Large hail caused extenseive broken windows to both buildings and vehicles, dented many vehicles, and damaged roofs and sidings of homes. Crop damage was also reported, but the amount of the damage could not be determined.
More than 100 vehicles at a dealership sustained damage.
An off-duty NWS meteorologist reported nickel size hail on the southwest side of town.
An extremely strong cold front moved rapidly south across the southeast plains during the evening of the 20th. Temperatures were in the 70s to lower 80s before the front moved through and quickly dropped into the 40s and 50s.
Thunderstorm winds downed three trees.
The Atlanta-Journal/Constitution reported that a 37-year old male was struck and killed by lightning while outside working at the Metromont Materials Concrete Plant.
A cold front moved southeast slowly southeast across Iowa during the day on the 17th. The surface front moved about half way through the state, while the front at 850 mb remained over the northwest part of the state. The airmass was unstable, but not extremely unstable.
1 fatality, 1 injury. High winds knocked tree down on car near the intersection of Eisenhower Drive and Waters Avenue.
A thunderstorm intensified over Lawrence County during the late evening and moved east through Meade County. The storm produced golf ball size hail in Deadwood, which damaged many vehicles in town.
After a cold front stalled out across northwest Iowa the previous night, much of Iowa was firmly within the warm sector of an approaching surface low. As a result, winds were strong out of the south, helping keep dew points in the mid to upper 60s.
Strong southerly winds gusting to between 35 and 45mph lifted dust from recently dried fields to create significant reductions in visibility across central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of May 17th.
Strong south to southwest winds occurred between a surface low pressure center over the central Plains and high pressure along the Southeast U.S. coast. Peak wind gusts were measured around 40 mph.
A low pressure area and warm front resulted in rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms. Damaging winds caused tree damage and some structural damage. Large hail was also observed.
Thunderstorms that developed across the Brush Country and along the Rio Grande during the late evening hours of May 17th and quickly grew into a large thunderstorm line as they moved east across Duval and McMullen counties.
Strong to severe thunderstorms developed across portions of eastern Oklahoma during the late evening of the 17th and early morning hours of the 18th, as strong atmospheric lift increased along and near a warm frontal boundary with the approach of an upper level disturbance.
1 on May 17, oldest first.
Four skiers were climbing the Sickle Couloir on Mount Moran in Grand Teton National Park on Sunday morning, May 17, when a shallow, wet avalanche broke from above. Three of the four skiers were swept 500 feet downhill over rock and ice.
4 on May 17, oldest first.
A spring heat wave hig eastern Missouri, with record temperatures set on 3 consecutive days. Record highs of 94 degrees were set on May 17, 18, and 19. Record high minimums, 75 and 74 degrees were also set on the 18 and 19.
Western Washington had its first hot spell of the year that followed below normal spring temperatures. So the heat was quite a sharp contrast. In addition, the heat helped push mountain snow melt streams higher (below flood levels) with swift running and cold water temperatures.
High pressure aloft centered over Reno, NV along with weak offshore flow at the surface caused temperatures to rise to near 100 degrees in the inland valleys of north-central California.
Severe weather dominated the headlines in May, but here were a few days with high temperatures. One child died after being left in a car in Dallas.
1 on May 17, oldest first.
Mauna Kea Observatory (Hawaii) recorded 12°F, Hawaii’s all-time minimum temperature, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
39 on May 17, oldest first.
The Ingraham Fire started on May 17, 1989, in Florida, and burned 85,371 acres.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on May 17, 1994, in North Carolina, and burned 1,300 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Corral Cyn Fire was discovered on May 17, 1997, in Washington, and burned 920 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Sandburn Fire was discovered on May 17, 1998, in Montana, and burned 5,680 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Camp Faunce Fire was discovered on May 17, 1998, in Michigan, and burned 1,832 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Hay Meadow Fire was discovered on May 17, 2000, in Otero County, New Mexico, and burned 19,000 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Vineyard Fire was discovered on May 17, 2000, in Chaves County, New Mexico, and burned 2,324 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The South Marsh 1 Fire was discovered on May 17, 2003, in Florida, and burned 2,965 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Kp Fire was discovered on May 17, 2004, in Greenlee County, Arizona, and burned 16,625 acres; the cause was recorded as recreation and ceremony.
The RL332 Fire was discovered on May 17, 2004, in Minnesota, and burned 1,716 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Rose Fire was discovered on May 17, 2004, in Greenlee County, Arizona, and burned 1,200 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Pigeon Fire was discovered on May 17, 2004, in Greenlee County, Arizona, and burned 800 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Centennial Fire was discovered on May 17, 2006, in Otero County, New Mexico, and burned 4,500 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on May 17, 2008, in Winkler County, Texas, and burned 1,800 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Colin Conley Fire was discovered on May 17, 2008, in Barnes County, North Dakota, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Turquoise Lake Fire was discovered on May 17, 2010, in Alaska, and burned 91,885 acres; the cause was recorded as recreation and ceremony.
The Fraguita Fire was discovered on May 17, 2010, in Pima County, Arizona, and burned 1,914 acres; the cause was recorded as recreation and ceremony.
The Unnamed Fire started on May 17, 2011, in Missouri, and burned 9,638 acres.
The Price Fire was discovered on May 17, 2011, in Sterling County, Texas, and burned 3,392 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Field Fire was discovered on May 17, 2011, in Curry County, New Mexico, and burned 2,000 acres; the cause was recorded as smoking.
The Unnamed Fire started on May 17, 2011, in Missouri, and burned 1,467 acres.
The Border 6 Fire was discovered on May 17, 2012, in California, and burned 3,910 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on May 17, 2012, in Tooele County, Utah, and burned 1,390 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Fargo Fire was discovered on May 17, 2012, in Wilbarger County, Texas, and burned 1,100 acres; the cause was recorded as power generation/transmission/distribution.
The Soldier Basin Fire was discovered on May 17, 2013, in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, and burned 10,775 acres; the cause was recorded as recreation and ceremony.
The Basilone Complex was reported on May 17, 2014, in San Diego County, California, and burned 21,240 acres.
The Barlow Fire was reported on May 17, 2014, in Graham County, Arizona, and burned 1,482 acres.
The Cowboy Fire was reported on May 17, 2016, in Coconino County, Arizona, and burned 2,170 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Echo Springs Fire was reported on May 17, 2017, in Highlands County, Florida, and burned 8,800 acres.
The Patterson Fire was reported on May 17, 2018, in Riverside County, California, and burned 1,261 acres.
The East Desert Fire was reported on May 17, 2020, in Maricopa County, Arizona, and burned 1,492 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Cherrywood Fire was reported on May 17, 2021, in Nye County, Nevada, and burned 26,431 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Coconut Fire was reported on May 17, 2022, in Wilbarger County, Texas, and burned 28,448 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Mesquite Heat Fire was reported on May 17, 2022, in Taylor County, Texas, and burned 10,960 acres.
The East Fire was reported on May 17, 2022, in Thomas County, Nebraska, and burned 4,192 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The 82 Fire was reported on May 17, 2023, in Eddy County, New Mexico, and burned 1,252 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Roberts Fire was reported on May 17, 2024, in Monterey County, California, and burned 7,030 acres.
The Sharpe Fire was reported on May 17, 2026, in Baca County, Colorado, and burned 16,240 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Stinky Fire was reported on May 17, 2026, in Potter County, Texas, and burned 2,335 acres.
16 on May 17, oldest first.
An earthquake struck Ragusa, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Balkans NW. It killed some people (about 51 to 100) and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Santa Barbara, Fregues, Azores.
An earthquake struck Qeshm Island (Qishm Island), Iran. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 8.4 earthquake struck Off Kamchatka, Russia. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck Padangsidimpuan, Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Off Coast North Island, New Zealand. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Little Nicobar Island, India. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Gazli, Bukhara, Uzbekistan. It did $85 million in damage.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Andreanof Islands, Alaska, United States. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Mindanao, Tandag, Bislig, Philippines. With the tsunami it caused, it destroyed 12 houses.
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Tai-Chung County, Taiwan. It killed 3 people and injured 13.
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Western, Saudi Arabia.
A magnitude 3.6 earthquake struck Hesse, Germany. It did $1.4 million in damage.
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Shimen, Yunnan Province, China. It killed 2 people and did $60 million in damage.
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Songyuan, Jilin Province, China.
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Guangxi Province, China. It killed 2 people and left 1 missing.
1 on May 17, oldest first.
Galunggung, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 4. It killed 68 people and did $15 million in damage.
8 on May 17, oldest first.
A tsunami with a source recorded as volcano struck Campania, Italy.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.4 earthquake struck Kamchatka, Russia, with a maximum water height of 15 meters.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Northeast Sumatra, Indonesia.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Off Coast of North Island, New Zealand, with a maximum water height of 6 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Little Nicobar Island, India.
A tsunami struck West England, United Kingdom, with a maximum water height of 9 meters. It killed 2 people.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Andreanof Islands, AK, United States.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Philippines, with a maximum water height of 6 meters. It destroyed 12 houses.
3 on May 17, oldest first.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began May 17, 1971, reached Kp 7- and lasted 30 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 73; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 52 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began May 17, 1981, reached Kp 7 and lasted 15 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 57; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began May 17, 1983, reached Kp 7+ and lasted 12 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 64; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 48 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
1 on May 17, oldest first.
A flooding disaster that cost $1.6 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 5, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from May 17, 2021 to May 18, 2021.
7 on May 17, oldest first.
Fort Matanzas
This high surf/heavy surf event which lasted for over a week created many problems not only for the swimmers and fishermen but for the general public as well, especially on the 19th during theflash flood event on the 19th.
A man was struck by lightning while playing golf. The lightning strike entered in his stomach and exited out his foot. It was not raining at the golf course when the lightning strike occurred, however dark clouds were nearby.
Moderate onshore winds led to rip currents at the Atlantic beaches of South Florida.
A weak developing thunderstorm over the nearshore waters off Martin County moved westward over Jensen Beach during the late afternoon. A construction worker was stuck by lightning, transported to the hospital and later died from the injuries.
The Panama City Beach Safety team responded to a swimmer in distress before 4 pm near the Tropic Winds condos on Front Beach Road. The 65 year old male was swimming in unguarded waters when he was caught in a rip current. The victim was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Gathered from this site’s archives: the tornado record (NOAA SPC, and Grazulis before 1950), IBTrACS and the National Hurricane Center, NOAA NCEI’s Storm Events Database, Regional Snowfall Index, billion-dollar disasters list, State Climate Extremes Committee and hazard databases, USGS, NIFC, GFZ Potsdam’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0), the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wikidata (CC0), with article leads from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, each credited where it appears. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.