Storm reports for March 1, 1997

IndependentNot affiliated with NOAA or the National Weather Service. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports. Data through November 6, 2026. Methodology

← Feb 28, 1997 All 1997 storm days · March 1997 Mar 2, 1997 →

Other storms on March 1 →

On March 1, 1997, 44 hail, 58 damaging-wind and 47 tornado reports were logged across 8 states. The largest hail reported was 1.75″ (golf ball size) in Choctaw County, OK. Tornadoes killed 26.

Storm day runs 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. Eastern (12:00–12:00 UTC), the convention the Storm Prediction Center uses. Radar hail estimates start October 2019.

Storm reports by state

Cities with hail reported within 5 miles

Hail reports (44)

Damage, injuries and deaths

National Weather Service offices recorded about $275 million in property damage, $1.1 million in crop damage, 442 injuries and 26 deaths from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (158 events in 8 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Saline County, AR (near Benton) · Tornado F4 · $25 million · 10 deaths · 40 injuries
  “The thunderstorm that produced the tornado across Clark and Hot Spring County earlier spawned another tornado in Saline County. The tornado touched down 5 miles southeast of Benton and traveled northeastward, damaging a number of homes and downing numerous trees and power lines.”
• Williamson County, TN (near Franklin) · Thunderstorm wind · $10,000
  “Local law enforcement reported a home damaged and a tree blown down.”
• Menifee County, KY (near Frenchburg) · Tornado F0 · $3,000
  “Most of the damage in the area was caused by straight line winds. However, a small tornado also briefly touched down.”
• Sebastian County, AR (near Jenny Lind) · Hail 0.75″
  “Isolated severe thunderstorms developed in northwest Arkansas during the late morning and early afternoon of March 1st. The storms produced dime size hail 8 miles west of Huntsville, 5 miles south of Greenwood, at Midland, and 1 mile west of Jenny Lind.”
• Le Flore County, OK (near Pocola) · Hail 0.75″
  “Isolated severe thunderstorms developed in Le Flore County of southeast Oklahoma during the early afternoon of March 1st. The storms produced nickel size hail 1 mile southwest of Heavener and 4 miles southwest of Heavener and dime size hail 3 miles west of Pocola.”

Event narratives from NWS Storm Data, shortened. Up to six per day, chosen by deaths, injuries, damage and size.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Storm Events Database, as entered by National Weather Service offices; data through July 31, 2026. Damage is in dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation.

Guides: What radar-estimated hail (MESH) is and isn't · Storm reports: preliminary vs final