Storm reports for May 8, 1997

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

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Other storms on May 8 →

On May 8, 1997, 60 hail, 23 damaging-wind and 8 tornado reports were logged across 6 states. The largest hail reported was 3.00″ (teacup size) in Gaines County, TX.

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 (60)

Damage, injuries and deaths

National Weather Service offices recorded about $3.5 million in property damage and $1.8 million in crop damage from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (105 events in 6 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Gaines County, TX (near Seagraves) · Hail 3.00″ · $2.5 million
  “Baseball size hail and larger smashed the windshield of a Police cruiser and shattered windows in several homes. Power was knocked out around town as well. Autos and roofs of houses were smashed by the large hail and accounted for much of the damage total.”
• Brown County, TX (near Brownwood) · Thunderstorm wind 67 mph · $150,000
  “Downburst winds occurred over an area from Lake Brownwood State Park to the towns of Early and north Brownwood. A wind gust to 67 mph was recorded at the Brownwood airport. Most of the damage was concentrated in Early and northeast Brownwood.”
• Brown County, TX (near Brownwood Arpt) · Tornado F1 · $100,000
  “An off-duty weather observer witnessed a tornado which touched down on their house at Lake Brownwood. The tornado peeled the roof off and caused other damage to their house. Fortunately there were no injuries.”
• Wichita County, TX (near Iowa Park) · Thunderstorm wind 75 mph · $45,000
  “Severe thunderstorm winds caused widespread structural and tree damage in and around Iowa Park. The most extensive damage occurred on the south part of town, where a mobile home was completely destroyed on FM 367, a store lost one-quarter of its roof, and windows were blown out of a car dealership.”
• Wilbarger County, TX (near Harrold) · Thunderstorm wind 70 mph · $25,000
  “Severe thunderstorm winds estimated at over 70 mph caused widespread damage in and around Harrold. The winds blew an empty cattle trailer into the canopy at a truck stop. The canopy and part of the roof of the building were severely damaged.”
• Ector County, TX (near Odessa) · Thunderstorm wind · $20,000
  “Hail up to baseball size and very heavy rains and high winds combined to cause problems in the southwestern parts of Odessa. A mobile home had its roof blown off by high winds, and windows were knocked out in several houses.”

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