March 1997 Tornadoes and Flooding
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This event also produced unusually heavy rainfall from northeast Arkansas through western Tennessee and southeast Missouri, and into much of Kentucky, southern Indiana and Ohio, and West Virginia. In many areas, the rains fell on nearly saturated ground left by the snows and rainfall of the past few months. In parts of northern Kentucky, rainfall rates averaged at least one inch per hour for a 12-hour period on March 1. Following is a state-by-state account as of June 11: Arkansas--26 people killed by tornadoes. 18 counties declared federal disaster areas. Approximately 1200 homes damaged or destroyed. Arkadelphia was hardest hit with sections completely destroyed. Following is the preliminary tornado track information for the most deadly of the F4 tornadoes: Tornado path began in the southwest part of Clark County with major damage and loss of life in Arkadelphia. Damage path width of .25 to .60 miles in this area with some F4 damage. Tornado continued through Hot Spring County and much of Saline County, and reached F4 intensity across a .80 mile damage path as it moved through the Shannon Hills area and finally into Pulaski County. Total path length was 80 miles. 16 people killed by this storm. Texas--2 killed by severe thunderstorms and high winds. Mississippi--2 deaths as a result of tornadoes. The Mississippi River was expected to crest 6 feet above flood stage at Vicksburg by March 21, mainly due to incoming water from the Ohio River. Tennessee--6 people killed by tornadoes and flooding. 12 counties declared federal disaster areas. About 900 homes damaged or destroyed. Kentucky--21 people killed by flooding. 101 counties declared federal disaster areas. Over 75,000 homes damaged or destroyed, and $250-500 million in damage. The Ohio River crested on March 7 in Louisville at about 16 feet above flood stage. The town of Falmouth (population 2700) was almost totally destroyed, with water over 8 feet deep in town. The 24-hour rainfall amount of 10.48 inches in Louisville erased the previous state record of 10.40 set in Dunmor on June 28, 1960. Louisville's storm total of 13.04 was also the greatest of any of the reporting stations with data available thus far. Ohio--5 people killed by flooding. 17 counties declared federal disaster areas. Over 5500 homes damaged or destroyed, and over $200 million in damage. Indiana--1 death due to flooding. 13 counties declared federal disaster areas. Missouri--1 death due to flooding. West Virginia--3 people killed in flooding. 16 counties declared federal disaster areas. Over 4000 homes damaged or destroyed. The above damage estimates are rising as flooded areas are evaluated, and several states have yet to provide estimates. A total of 67 deaths have thus far been attributed to this event, and damages are estimated at approximately $1 billion overall. The last significant flooding along the Ohio River occurred in 1964, resulting in 11 deaths and about $50 million damage. Since that time, a great deal of development and increased population on the region's flood plains have increased the vulnerability for some of the people in the area. Prior to 1964, the "great flood of 1937" was even more severe, with some towns erecting flood walls shortly thereafter. These flood walls (including one protecting Louisville) prevented this year's flooding from taking an even greater toll. The rainfall analysis images and data table below are based on preliminary data from the National Weather Service. Final, more complete data will be available from NCDC at a later date. The satellite images provide a quick look at the synoptic situation as it unfolded. Satellite/NEXRAD Images and Precipitation Maps
Click on the following images to view full size versions.
Precipitation Table, Feb 28 - Mar 03Total Precipitation (inches), February 28-March 3, 1997 Lat. Lon. St Station dg mn dg mn Prec. AL Alabaster 33 15 86 49 3.49 AL Anniston 33 35 85 51 1.67 AL Auburn 32 37 85 26 1.26 AL Birmingham 33 34 86 45 2.18 AL Dothan 31 19 85 27 TRACE AL Gadsden 33 58 86 5 4.72 AL Huntsville/Decatur 34 39 86 46 2.83 AL Montgomery 32 18 86 24 0.55 AL Muscle Shoals 34 45 87 37 3.55 AL Pinson 33 41 86 42 2.57 AL Tuscaloosa 33 13 87 37 1.00 AR El Dorado 33 13 92 48 1.33 AR Jonesboro 35 50 90 39 3.12 AR Little Rock 34 44 92 14 1.13 AR North Little Rock 34 50 92 15 1.35 AR Pine Bluff 34 11 91 56 0.91 GA Alma 31 32 82 30 0.00 GA Athens 33 57 83 19 2.68 GA Atlanta 33 39 84 25 2.99 GA Augusta 33 22 81 58 0.57 GA Brunswick 31 9 81 23 0.00 GA Columbus 32 31 84 56 0.73 GA Gainesville 34 18 83 51 3.15 GA Macon 32 42 83 39 0.01 GA Marietta 33 55 84 31 2.53 GA Peachtree City 33 22 84 34 3.24 GA Rome 34 21 85 10 3.02 GA Savannah 32 8 81 12 TRACE IL Brookport 37 8 88 38 5.27 IL Carbondale 37 43 89 13 1.34 IL Metropolis 37 9 88 43 7.25 IL Peoria 40 40 89 41 0.26 IL Quincy 39 57 91 12 0.24 IL Shawneetown 37 43 88 10 4.87 IL Springfield 39 51 89 40 0.32 IL Whittington 38 5 88 54 1.46 IN Boonville 38 3 87 16 3.68 IN Evansville 38 3 87 32 3.40 IN Fort Wayne 41 0 85 12 0.02 IN Indianapolis 39 44 86 16 0.41 IN New Albany 38 18 85 50 9.07 KY Barkley Lake 37 1 88 13 7.96 KY Bowling Green 36 58 86 25 8.28 KY Cadiz 36 52 87 49 7.41 KY Cannelton Lock 37 53 86 46 10.40 KY Cobb 36 59 87 46 6.03 KY Covington 39 3 84 40 2.65 KY Dawson Springs 37 10 87 41 6.65 KY Dixon 37 31 87 41 6.75 KY Elk Creek 38 6 85 22 8.86 KY Elkton 36 49 87 9 7.40 KY Fort Campbell 36 39 87 28 8.61 KY Fort Knox 37 53 85 58 9.90 KY Frankfort 38 11 84 52 9.28 KY Fredonia 37 13 88 4 9.53 KY Fulton 36 31 88 53 3.37 KY Grayson 2E 38 20 82 54 5.94 KY Grayson 3SW 38 18 82 58 6.56 KY Hickman 36 34 89 11 3.65 KY Jackson 37 36 83 19 3.97 KY Kentucky Lake 37 1 88 16 6.35 KY Lexington 38 2 84 36 8.26 KY Louisville 38 11 85 44 13.04 KY Madisonville 37 20 87 30 6.20 KY Marion 37 20 88 5 8.17 KY Paducah 37 4 88 46 6.76 KY Paradise 37 16 86 59 8.39 KY Princeton 37 6 87 53 9.35 KY Prospect 38 21 85 37 9.53 KY Providence 37 24 87 45 9.23 KY Rough River Lake 37 37 86 30 9.70 KY Sebree 37 36 87 32 7.54 KY Shepherdsville 37 59 85 43 10.53 KY Smithland 37 8 88 24 4.36 LA Alexandria 31 20 92 33 0.44 MO Advance 37 6 89 55 2.11 MO Cape Girardeau 37 14 89 34 3.54 MO Charleston 36 55 89 20 5.66 MO Clearwater Dam 37 7 90 47 2.20 MO Columbia 38 49 92 13 0.30 MO Doniphan 36 37 90 49 1.40 MO Marble Hill 37 18 89 59 1.38 MO New Madrid 36 35 89 33 4.53 MO Sikeston 36 53 89 35 6.10 MO St. Louis 38 45 90 22 0.20 MS Columbus AFB 33 39 88 27 2.41 MS Greenwood 33 30 90 5 3.24 MS Jackson 32 19 90 5 0.49 MS McComb 31 11 90 28 0.54 MS Meridian 32 20 88 45 1.28 MS Natchez 31 37 91 18 3.92 MS Tupelo 34 16 88 46 5.51 NC Asheville 35 26 82 33 2.37 NC Beech Mountain 36 13 81 53 1.87 NC Charlotte 35 13 80 56 1.46 NC Fayetteville 35 8 78 56 0.66 NC Franklin 35 11 83 25 2.73 NC Grandfather Mtn. 36 6 81 49 0.46 NC Greensboro 36 5 79 57 1.81 NC Hendersonville 35 20 82 27 2.61 NC Hickory 35 44 81 23 2.00 NC Lenoir 35 55 81 32 1.55 NC Murphy 35 7 84 0 2.48 NC Raleigh/Durham 35 52 78 47 0.56 NC West Jefferson 36 25 81 26 1.75 OH Akron 40 55 81 26 0.46 OH Beverly 39 33 81 38 3.77 OH Carpenter 39 8 82 12 6.58 OH Cincinnati-Lunken 39 6 84 25 2.16 OH Columbus 40 0 82 53 1.26 OH Dayton 39 54 84 12 1.20 OH Jackson 39 3 82 38 6.67 OH Mansfield 40 49 82 31 0.55 OH Marietta 39 25 81 27 4.84 OH McArthur 39 15 82 29 5.55 OH McConnelsville 39 39 81 51 6.83 OH Nelsonville 39 28 82 14 4.48 OH New Lexington 39 43 82 12 2.50 OH Patriot 38 44 82 20 8.20 OH Salem Center 39 3 82 16 6.21 OH South Point 38 25 82 34 6.44 OH Zanesville 39 57 81 54 1.78 PA Pittsburgh 40 30 80 13 0.60 SC Beaufort 32 29 80 43 TRACE SC Charleston-Airport 32 54 80 2 0.02 SC Charleston-City 32 47 79 56 0.01 SC Columbia 33 57 81 7 0.81 SC Greer 34 54 82 13 2.29 TN Bradford 36 4 88 49 6.31 TN Bristol 36 29 82 24 2.46 TN Cades Cove 35 34 83 51 3.51 TN Camden 36 4 88 6 6.05 TN Chattanooga 35 2 85 12 2.45 TN Crossville 35 57 85 5 4.04 TN Dyersburg 36 0 89 24 7.51 TN Humboldt 35 49 88 54 5.25 TN Huntington 36 1 88 25 3.57 TN Jackson 35 36 88 55 5.30 TN Knoxville 35 49 83 59 2.71 TN Medon 35 28 88 52 6.79 TN Memphis 35 3 90 0 5.50 TN Morristown 36 10 83 24 3.71 TN Mt. Leconte 35 39 83 26 4.92 TN Nashville 36 8 86 41 4.51 TN Newfound Gap 35 34 83 25 5.80 TN Rutherford 36 8 89 0 10.52 TN Sugarland Center 35 41 83 32 3.13 VA Blacksburg 37 14 80 26 1.54 VA Bland 37 6 81 6 1.70 VA Burkes Garden 37 5 81 20 2.02 VA Earle Hurst 37 40 80 14 1.80 VA Lynchburg 37 20 79 12 1.73 VA Pulaski 37 7 82 36 1.97 VA Radford 37 7 80 34 1.83 VA Roanoke 37 19 79 58 1.40 VA Staffordsville 37 16 80 43 1.88 WV Alexander 38 47 80 13 4.15 WV Bartow 38 31 79 46 2.79 WV Beckley 37 47 81 7 1.94 WV Bemis 38 49 79 44 2.70 WV Bluefield 37 18 81 12 1.69 WV Bluestone Dam 37 39 80 53 2.32 WV Buckeye 38 10 80 8 2.63 WV Buffalo 38 37 81 59 6.83 WV Cairo 39 12 81 9 4.32 WV Charleston 38 21 81 38 4.89 WV Clarksburg 39 18 80 14 3.41 WV Creston 38 57 81 17 5.12 WV Cross Lanes 38 26 81 46 5.92 WV Elkins 38 53 79 51 3.47 WV Fellowsville 39 20 79 50 3.33 WV Glady 38 48 79 43 3.48 WV Hamlin 38 17 82 6 5.56 WV Huntington 38 22 82 33 5.19 WV Mannington 39 32 80 20 4.00 WV Marlinton 38 13 80 5 2.66 WV Mullens 37 35 81 23 1.75 WV Oak Hill 37 59 81 9 2.73 WV Parkersburg 39 21 81 26 4.49 WV Parsons 39 6 79 14 2.87 WV Philippi 39 9 80 3 3.98 WV Pineville 37 35 81 32 1.71 WV Rock Cave 38 50 80 20 4.18 WV Romney 39 21 78 45 2.47 WV Rosedale 38 44 80 57 2.98 WV Sandyville 38 54 81 40 4.77 WV Spencer 38 48 81 21 6.23 WV Terra Alta 39 27 79 33 3.08 WV Union 37 35 80 33 1.50 WV Valley Head 38 33 80 2 3.07 WV Webster Springs 38 32 80 25 4.70 WV West Union 39 18 80 47 3.79 WV Weston 39 2 80 28 4.38 WV Wheeling 40 11 80 39 2.15 WV White Sulphur Springs 37 48 80 18 2.32 WV Williamson 39 24 81 27 2.82 Additional Resources and Links
A Collection of Photographs from Ohio USA Today News and Information Cincinnati Enquirer News Stories Spring Flood Potential Information NWS Spring Snowmelt/Flooding Outlook NWS Significant Events of '97 (Detailed Maps) FEMA List of State Emergency Management Agencies/Links FEMA Reports and Information
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