Storm reports for May 31, 1997

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

← May 30, 1997 All 1997 storm days · May 1997 Jun 1, 1997 →

Other storms on May 31 →

On May 31, 1997, 32 hail, 38 damaging-wind and 10 tornado reports were logged across 10 states. The largest hail reported was 2.00″ (hen egg size) in Garfield County, WA.

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 (32)

Damage, injuries and deaths

National Weather Service offices recorded about $1.3 million in property damage and $200,000 in crop damage from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (90 events in 10 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Spokane County, WA (near Deer Park) · Tornado F1 · $350,000
  “nws survey team concluded f1 tornado touched down and pulled up numerous times as it traveled from Pruffer and Wallbridge in se stevens county to near riverside in spokane county”
• Lincoln County, WA (near Wilbur) · Tornado F1 · $300,000
  “top of barn blown off and several outbuildings destroyed in wilbur. tree and irrigation system damage and major damage to large horse barn in creston”
• Pierce County, WA (near Tacoma) · Tornado F1 · $150,000
  “A weak tornado touched down in a south Tacoma neighborhood just east of I-5. A church suffered roof and beam damage and several trees were pushed over or snapped off. There were also some downed fences.”
• Bonner County, ID (near Sandpoint) · Thunderstorm wind 69 mph · $90,000
  “numerous reports of damage from high winds”
• Kootenai County, ID (near Athol) · Tornado F2 · $50,000
  “nws survey team concluded f2 tornado touched down and caused damage to old growth trees”
• Marion County, OR (near Keizer) · Tornado F0 · $15,000
  “A tornado touched down near Chemawa Road and Highway 99 near Keizer at 1010 AM. Several people reported seeing the tornado on the ground for about 2 minutes. Three 30-40 foot tall trees were uprooted and a barn was damaged.”

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