Killer Tornadoes of 1997

April 10, 1997 Small tornadoes touched down and numerous funnel clouds were sighted in Lubbock, Crosby, Hale, Swisher, Lynn, Dawson, Lamb, Garza and Dickens Counties in the Texas Panhandle. Some homes and communities suffered wind damage, and damage from the baseball-sized hail. A Crosby County man was killed when his double-wide mobile home was "twisted" and torn apart, with him inside. His wife was injured.

March 28, 1997 One man was killed and five other people were injured in Hammonville, Kentucky by one of at least three confirmed tornadoes that struck in Hart, Metcalfe, and Greene counties. Twenty two 20 homes were damaged or destroyed in Hammonville, and 11 homes were damaged in Bonnieville.



The March 1st tornado outbreak in Arkansas has
caused many deaths and much misery.


March 1, 1997 7:20 PM F4 A 13-year-old girl was killed as she sought cover in one of 25 homes that were destroyed in the the Lake Luanna community between Dyersburg and Newbern, Tennessee. About 20 people were injured.

March 1, 1997 5:05 PM F4 A tornado tore "a near perfect line, 100 yards wide and a mile long" from southwest to northeast across Marmaduke, Arkansas. Eleven homes were destroyed, and 57 others were damaged. A 47 year old man was killed.

March 1, 1997 3:25 PM F4 This tornado touched down 3 miles southeast of Benton in Saline County, fifteen minutes after the previous tornado lifted. The funnel moved northeast, devastating the towns of Sardis and Shannon Hills. A total of 10 people died in Saline County and 200 were injured. About 200 residences were damaged or destroyed. The tornado was nearly a mile wide and F4 intensity as it passed across Shannon Hills. It entered Pulaski County and continued northeast, where it did F3 damage at College Station, just 3 miles southeast of downtown Little Rock. Six people died in this area. Across Pulaski County, 180 people were injured, 90 homes destroyed, and 175 homes damaged.

March 1, 1997 3:15 PM F2 This tornado touched down 10 miles northeast of Searcy in White County, and moved northeast, passing 3 miles south of Denmark and 3 miles west of Newport. The funnel crossed the White River and passed through Jacksonport, where it was a half-mile wide and did F2 damage. It lifted 5 miles east of Tuckerman. South of Denmark, in Jackson County, it killed two men at Velvet Ridge. They fled their mobile home and crawled into a narrow, muddy ditch for shelter. They were crushed to death when the tornado blew a 100-year-old oak tree into the ditch. Other people also fled their mobile homes to hide in ditches, and survived. Another person died in a mobile home near Jacksonport. About 60 people were injured in Jackson County.

March 1, 1997 2:46 PM F4 This tornado touched down about two miles northeast of Hope in Hempstead County, at 1:50 PM. About 50 minutes later it ripped apart 60 city blocks of Arkadelphia, killing 6 people and injuring 100. Fifty-six out of 57 mobile homes were destroyed in one trailer park. About 250 homes, 90 mobile homes, and 45 businesses were damaged or destroyed. The funnel lifted 4 miles northeast of Malvern. The total path length was 67 miles.

March 1, 1997 1:03 AM F1 A 50-year-old man was killed when a tornado destroyed his mobile home at Randolph, Pontotoc County, Mississippi. He was thrown 75 feet from his home.

February 20, 1997 8:05 PM F1 Booneville, Arkansas One person was killed in a mobile home.

January 24, 1997 5:00 PM F2 Tuscaloosa, Alabama A 71-year-old retired physician was killed when a tree limb was propelled into the windshield of his pick-up truck. Fifteen homes were destroyed and 100 more damaged in town. At least 10 people were injured.












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