The tornado outbreak of May 25, 1997

53 tornadoesKansas, Oklahoma, Texas and 6 more states

53 tornadoes touched down across 9 states between 12:55 PM and 12:20 AM the next day CDT, none rated F3 or stronger.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · May 25, 1997

How the day unfolded

Every tornado recorded that day, at its logged touchdown time and along its path, with the counties it crossed.

About this replay

Central time—Historical replay — logged touchdown times

Tornadoes—of 53 that day

Strongest so far—

Killed—in tornadoes so far

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 53; 66th of 12,998 tornado days since 1950
F3 or stronger: 0; None rated F4 or F5
Killed: 0; Along all the paths
Injured: 2; Along all the paths
Path miles: 58; All the paths end to end
First and last: 12:55 PM to 12:20 AM the next day; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown.

Tornadoes of May 25, 1997

12:55 PM	F0	Coles County IL	0.1	10	0
4:14 PM	F1	Grady County OK	2.5	73	0
4:15 PM	F0	Scott County KS	2.0	50	0
4:20 PM	F0	Barton County KS	3.0	100	0
4:25 PM	F0	Russell County KS	1.0	100	0
4:29 PM	F0	Finney County KS	0.5	30	0
4:30 PM	F0	Finney County KS	0.5	30	0
4:44 PM	F0	Trego County KS	0.5	50	0
4:52 PM	F0	Arlington County VA	1.0	73	0
5:00 PM	F2	McClain County OK	6.0	1,320	2
5:10 PM	F0	Barton County KS	1.0	100	0
5:16 PM	F0	Barton County KS	1.0	100	0
5:27 PM	F0	Comanche County OK	0.1	23	0
5:27 PM	F0	Caddo County OK	0.1	23	0
5:32 PM	F0	McClain County OK	0.2	20	0
5:35 PM	F0	Ellsworth County KS	0.5	50	0
5:36 PM	F0	Ellsworth County KS	1.0	100	0
6:01 PM	F0	Weld County CO	0.1	50	0
6:20 PM	F1	Cecil County MD	0.5	100	0
6:28 PM	F0	Garvin County OK	0.1	23	0
6:30 PM	F0	Ellsworth County KS	0.5	50	0
6:36 PM	F1	Stephens County OK	0.5	50	0
7:00 PM	F0	Kingman County KS	0.5	50	0
7:01 PM	F0	Harper County KS	1.0	50	0
7:07 PM	F0	Murray County OK	0.1	23	0
7:13 PM	F0	Garvin County OK	0.1	23	0
7:23 PM	F0	Madison County AL	0.2	30	0
7:24 PM	F1	Montague County TX	0.5	30	0
7:35 PM	F0	Harper County KS	0.5	50	0
7:35 PM	F0	Reno County KS	2.0	100	0
7:36 PM	F0	Harvey County KS	1.0	50	0
7:48 PM	F0	Harper County KS	1.0	50	0
7:58 PM	F0	Pontotoc County OK	0.5	30	0
8:20 PM	F0	Johnston County OK	0.1	23	0
8:23 PM	F1	Harvey County KS	1.0	100	0
8:34 PM	F0	Montague County TX	0.1	23	0
8:35 PM	F2	Sumner County KS	8.0	1,700	0
8:36 PM	F2	Cooke County TX	1.0	73	0
8:39 PM	F0	Montague County TX	0.1	23	0
8:43 PM	F0	Marshall County OK	0.1	23	0
8:48 PM	F0	Coal County OK	0.1	23	0
8:50 PM	F0	Wabaunsee County KS	0.1	23	0
9:00 PM	F0	Sumner County KS	9.0	100	0
9:10 PM	F0	Cooke County TX	0.5	30	0
9:22 PM	F0	Butler County KS	0.5	50	0
9:39 PM	F1	Cooke County TX	3.0	50	0
9:40 PM	F0	Butler County KS	1.0	50	0
9:41 PM	F0	Cooke County TX	0.1	23	0
9:58 PM	F0	Butler County KS	0.5	50	0
10:10 PM	F0	Kay County OK	0.1	50	0
10:11 PM	F0	Cooke County TX	2.0	40	0
10:43 PM	F0	Greenwood County KS	0.5	50	0
12:20 AM	F0	St. Clair County MO	0.1	10	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, May 25, 1997

Kansas	25	0	0
Oklahoma	14	0	0
Texas	8	0	0
Alabama	1	0	0
Colorado	1	0	0
Illinois	1	0	0
Maryland	1	0	0
Missouri	1	0	0
Virginia	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 1997 · On this date in other years · The biggest outbreak days

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025. A day is SPC’s calendar date in Central Standard Time; an outbreak day here has 40 or more tornadoes, or 6 or more rated F3/EF3 or stronger.