Storm reports for August 15, 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 August 15 →

On August 15, 1997, 13 hail, 33 damaging-wind and 2 tornado reports were logged across 12 states. The largest hail reported was 1.75″ (golf ball size) in Scott County, MN.

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 (13)

Damage, injuries and deaths

National Weather Service offices recorded about $1.1 million in property damage, $10,000 in crop damage and 2 injuries from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (56 events in 13 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Westmoreland County, PA (near Derry) · Tornado F2 · $800,000 · 2 injuries
  “A severe thunderstorm produced a tornado that produced substantial damage in a residential area east-northeast of Latrobe along the foothills of the Chestnut Ridge. The tornado first touched down 1 mile west of Derry.”
• Roane County, WV (near Harmony) · Thunderstorm wind · $100,000
  “A cinderblock garage in Gandeeville was destroyed. The owner was leaving the garage when the storm began. He was hit in the back by a falling block, then pelted with hail as he ran to his nearby home. He was not injured. Windows and part of the roof were damaged at his house.”
• Branch County, MI (near East Long Lake) · Thunderstorm wind · $25,000
  “Thunderstorm winds stripped the tops off 3-4 mature maple trees and 5 cottages along East Long Lake received minor damage.”
• Beaver County, PA (near New Galilee) · Thunderstorm wind · $10,000
  “Thunderstorm winds fell a tree onto a car. Also, a mobile home was moved and its skirting was torn from its base.”
• Kanawha County, WV (near St Albans) · Thunderstorm wind · $5,000
  “Ten to 12 trees and many large branches were knocked down within the city limits.”
• Columbiana County, OH (near Salem) · Thunderstorm wind · $5,000
  “Large trees were downed by thunderstorm winds.”

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