Tornadoes of 1997

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1997, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.

Tornadoes of 1997
Jarrell, Texas F5 tornado damage
TimespanJanuary - December 1997
Maximum rated tornadoF5 tornado
Tornadoes in U.S.1,148[1]
Damage (U.S.)$731 million
Fatalities (U.S.)68[2]
Fatalities (worldwide)>68

Synopsis

The 1997 tornado season was largely defined by two tornado events. The first was a major outbreak on March 1 that resulted in 27 fatalities, 25 of which were in Arkansas. The second was a brutal, slow-moving F5 twister that struck the small town of Jarrell, Texas on May 27 killing 27 people and leaving behind some of the most extreme tornado damage ever seen.

Events

Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1997 in the United States.

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 743 281 85 29 9 1 1148

January

There were 70 tornadoes confirmed in the US in January.

January 24–25
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 2 4 9 0 1 0

A tornado outbreak in January produced 16 tornadoes in the Deep South. Damage from the tornadoes totaled around $16.771 million and 43 people were injured.[3] An F2 tornado struck Tuscaloosa, Alabama on January 24, resulting in the first tornado fatality of the year. The tornado also injured 10 others and damaged up to 100 structures.[4]

February

There were 23 tornadoes confirmed in the US in February.

February 28-March 1
Main article: March 1997 tornado outbreak
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 12 11 8 5 3 0

A major tornado outbreak struck portions of the central and southern United States on March 1, with the initial activity beginning on February 28. Affecting areas mostly from Arkansas to Kentucky, the two-day outbreak produced 39 tornadoes and killed at least 27 people including 25 in Arkansas alone with one death in each Mississippi and Tennessee. This was Arkansas' deadliest tornado outbreak since May 15, 1968, where 34 were killed in Jonesboro. Over 400 others were injured during this event, which was about 45% of the yearly average of tornado-related injuries in the United States.

March

There were 102 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March.

April

There were 114 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April.

May

There were 225 tornadoes confirmed in the US in May.

May 25–26

A two-day tornado outbreak struck Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. F2 tornadoes struck Perth, Kansas, and Duncan, Oklahoma. A stovepipe tornado touched down near the Red River. On May 26, several intense tornadoes struck Oklahoma including a wedge tornado near Preston and another near Beggs.

May 12
Main article: 1997 Miami tornado
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 0 1 0 0 0 0

A highly visible F1 tornado moved directly through Downtown Miami, Florida. The tornado is remembered not so much for its minor damage, but for its haunting pictures, which made headlines around the world.

May 27
Main article: 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 6 6 3 3 1 1

An extremely violent, but unusual tornado outbreak occurred in Central Texas. The F5 tornado that struck the town of Jarrell, Texas killed 27 of the 1,319 residents. The tornado was 3/4 of a mile (1.2 km) wide and tracked 7.6 miles (12.2 km). Double Creek Estates, a subdivision of Jarrell, was literally wiped off the map with all 38 homes and several mobile homes destroyed.

June

There were 193 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.

June 11
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 12 6 0 1 0 0

A tornado outbreak struck the Texas Panhandle. While most of the tornadoes were weak, rated F0 and F1, a large F3 tornado injured 13 people as it passed between McLean and Shamrock. Several other weak tornadoes touched down across parts of Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, and South Dakota.[5]

July

There were 188 tornadoes confirmed in the US in July.

July 2
Main article: 1997 Southeast Michigan tornado outbreak
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 13 26 9 4 0 0

A localized, but destructive tornado outbreak occurred in the built-up area of Detroit, Michigan. There were 13 tornadoes in total, three of which hit neighborhoods and downtown, striking northern Detroit between I-96 and Eight Mile Road, Hamtramck and Highland Park. The storms killed seven, caused local flooding, and destroyed houses. Five of the fatalities were recorded in Groose Pointe Farms due to straight-line winds of up to 100 mph that blew a gazebo full of people into Lake St. Clair. One tornado formed east of the Detroit River, causing damage in Essex County, Ontario near Windsor. Four tornadoes were rated F3.

August

There were 84 tornadoes confirmed in the US in August.

September

There were 32 tornadoes confirmed in the US in September.

October

There were 100 tornadoes confirmed in the US in October.

November

There were 25 tornadoes confirmed in the US in November.

December

There were 12 tornadoes confirmed in the US in December.

See also

References
  1. "U.S. Annual Tornado Maps (1952 - 2011): 1997 Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  2. "Annual U.S. Killer Tornado Statistics". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  3. "Storm Events Database Search Results for all U.S. States and Areas". National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  4. "Tuscaloosa Tornado 1/24/1997". National Weather Service. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  5. Lietz, Joshua. "Tornadoes on June 11, 1997". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
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