Storm reports for August 31, 1997

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

← Aug 30, 1997 All 1997 storm days · August 1997 Sep 1, 1997 →

Other storms on August 31 →

On August 31, 1997, 29 hail, 19 damaging-wind and 6 tornado reports were logged across 11 states. The largest hail reported was 4.50″ (softball size) in Stutsman County, ND.

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 (29)

Damage, injuries and deaths

National Weather Service offices recorded about $10.8 million in property damage, 1 injury and 2 deaths from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (57 events in 11 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Bent County, CO (near Mc Clave) · Thunderstorm wind 115 mph · $80,000 · 1 death · 1 injury
  “A damaging microburst wind, estimated to be at least 115 mph in strength struck a mobile home, rolling it a few hundred yards. The intense damage was 50 to 75 yards across. Twin brothers, Dan and Denton Cochell were in the mobile home.”
• Stutsman County, ND (near Jamestown) · Hail 4.50″ · $10 million
  “hail fell in Jamestown for 70 minutes, with hail ranging in size from marble to softball. Extensive damage done”
• Stutsman County, ND (near Jamestown) · Tornado F1 · $250,000
  “a tornado picked up 33 empty aluminium coal cars and set them on their side about 5 feet from the track. Each car weighed about 22 tons.”
• Kidder County, ND (near Steele) · Hail 4.50″ · $100,000
  “hail ranging in size from 1.75 inches to 4.50 inches fell in a swath from Steele to Lake Isabel. Numerous tree and property damage reported.”
• Barnes County, ND (near Fingal) · Thunderstorm wind · $100,000
  “The strong wind destroyed three grain bins, ripped the doors off a machine shed, and caused roof damage to the farm buildings. A new grain auger was also destroyed.”
• Smith County, MS (near Raleigh) · Thunderstorm wind · $50,000
  “Part of the roof of a school was blown off. Numerous books inside the school were damaged by water. The dugout of the baseball field was blown over. Many trees were blown down..”

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