1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak
F # Location County Start Coord Time ( UTC ) Path length Max width Damage Summary
F2 W of Lorena McLennan 31°23′N 97°19′W / 31.38°N 97.32°W / 31.38 ; -97.32 ( Lorena ( May 27 , F2 ) ) 1821 - 1833 2 mi ( 3.2 km ) 75 yd ( 69 m ) $ 75,000 Several large trees were uprooted and a mobile home was destroyed
F0 Eddy area McLennan 31°18′N 97°15′W / 31.30°N 97.25°W / 31.30 ; -97.25 ( Eddy ( May 27 , F0 ) ) 1844 - 1847 0.2 mi ( 0.32 km ) 40 yd ( 37 m ) N/A Tornado reported by sheriff deputy caused no damage
F3 E of Moody McLennan , Bell 31°16′N 97°21′W / 31.27°N 97.35°W / 31.27 ; -97.35 ( Moody ( May 27 , F3 ) ) 1846 - 1859 3.7 mi ( 6.0 km ) 150 yd ( 140 m ) $ 150,000 A home and a barn were destroyed after the tornado initially touched down in open terrain . Two vehicles were also displaced by several hundred feet , and numerous trees were uprooted
F0 WNW of Belton Bell 31°05′N 97°32′W / 31.08°N 97.53°W / 31.08 ; -97.53 ( Belton ( May 27 , F0 ) ) 1916 - 1927 0.2 mi ( 0.32 km ) 50 yd ( 46 m ) N/A Weak tornado remained stationary for much of its existence before dissipating
F3 N of Belton Bell 31°10′N 97°28′W / 31.17°N 97.47°W / 31.17 ; -97.47 ( Belton ( May 27 , F3 ) ) 1927 - 1945 1.4 mi ( 2.3 km ) 275 yd ( 251 m ) $ 900,000 A marina was destroyed on the northern shores of Lake Belton , with over 100 boats capsizing . Ten homes along the same shore sustained severe damage , and a number of trees were destroyed
F1 SW of Belton Bell 31°01′N 97°32′W / 31.02°N 97.53°W / 31.02 ; -97.53 ( Belton ( May 27 , F1 ) ) 1950 - 1958 0.2 mi ( 0.32 km ) 40 yd ( 37 m ) N/A Brief tornado with unknown damage
F1 Blooming Grove area Navarro 32°06′N 96°43′W / 32.10°N 96.72°W / 32.10 ; -96.72 ( Blooming Grove ( May 27 , F1 ) ) 2005 - 2010 0.5 mi ( 0.80 km ) 50 yd ( 46 m ) N/A Brief tornado uprooted several large trees
F1 NW of Prairie Dell Bell 30°54′N 97°35′W / 30.90°N 97.58°W / 30.90 ; -97.58 ( Prairie Dell ( May 27 , F1 ) ) 2007 - 2025 2.4 mi ( 3.9 km ) 100 yd ( 91 m ) $ 20,000 Initially stationary tornado that began to quickly track towards the south-southwest , destroying trees and damage several structures
F2 N of Jarrell Williamson 30°53′05″N 97°35′38″W / 30.8848°N 97.594°W / 30.8848 ; -97.594 ( Jarrell ( May 27 , F2 ) ) 2025 - 2033 2 mi ( 3.2 km ) 200 yd ( 180 m ) N/A First of two tornadoes that preceded the Jarrell F5 tornado
F2 NW of Jarrell Williamson 30°52′05″N 97°36′11″W / 30.868°N 97.603°W / 30.868 ; -97.603 ( Jarrell ( May 27 , F2 ) ) 2035 - 2039 0.5 mi ( 0.80 km ) 150 yd ( 140 m ) N/A Second of two tornadoes that preceded the Jarrell F5 tornado ; classified as a multi-vortex tornado
F1 S of Dawson Navarro 31°52′N 96°43′W / 31.87°N 96.72°W / 31.87 ; -96.72 ( Dawson ( May 27 , F1 ) ) 2036 - 2040 0.5 mi ( 0.80 km ) 50 yd ( 46 m ) N/A Brief tornado uprooted large trees
F5 W of Jarrell Williamson 30°50′24″N 97°37′05″W / 30.84°N 97.618°W / 30.84 ; -97.618 ( Jarrell ( May 27 , F5 ) ) 2040 - 2053 5.1 mi ( 8.2 km ) 1,320 yd ( 1,210 m ) $ 40.1 million 27 deaths - See section on this tornado - 12 others were injured
F0 SW of Hubbard Hill 31°49′N 96°50′W / 31.82°N 96.83°W / 31.82 ; -96.83 ( Hubbard ( May 27 , F0 ) ) 2050 - 2053 0.2 mi ( 0.32 km ) 40 yd ( 37 m ) N/A Brief tornado caused no damage
F3 Cedar Park Williamson , Travis 30°33′N 97°49′W / 30.55°N 97.82°W / 30.55 ; -97.82 ( Cedar Park ( May 27 , F3 ) ) 2105 - 2115 9.2 mi ( 14.8 km ) 200 yd ( 180 m ) $ 70.11 million This tornado moved south through Cedar Park before crossing into Travis County and lifting just northeast of Mansfield Dam . A historic train was struck , with a 65,000-pound ( 29,000 kg ) coal tender converted to hold diesel fuel being flipped over and thrown a short distance . The north wall of an Albertsons grocery store was pushed inward slightly , along with large metal doors . Another grocery store had much of its roof torn off , and several other businesses sustained varying degrees of roof and structural damage . Over 100 homes were either damaged or destroyed , with some sustaining significant roof loss and severe structural damage . A pickup truck was tossed into the front wall of one house . Many trees were downed along the path , especially in Travis County . Fifteen people were injured in Cedar Park
F1 NW of Four Points Travis 30°24′N 97°51′W / 30.40°N 97.85°W / 30.40 ; -97.85 ( Four Points ( May 27 , F0 ) ) 2115 - 2115 0.2 mi ( 0.32 km ) 20 yd ( 18 m ) $ 5,000 Brief tornado with minimal damage
F4 W of Lakeway Travis 30°22′N 98°01′W / 30.37°N 98.02°W / 30.37 ; -98.02 ( Lakeway ( May 27 , F4 ) ) 2150 - ? 5.6 mi ( 9.0 km ) 440 yd ( 400 m ) $ 15 million 1 death - The tornado touched down near the shore of Lake Travis , destroying a marina and most of the watercraft at the docks . Numerous structures sustained varying degrees of damage as the tornado moved westward and later southwestward , including a Southwest Bell telephone building that was destroyed and a home across the road which had several collapsed walls . The telephone building was well constructed , which warranted an F4 rating . Further southwest , a steel tower carrying high transmission power lines was destroyed . More site-built homes , mobile homes , and other buildings were either heavily damaged or completely destroyed , leaving many uninhabitable . Many trees were downed along the path . Five people were injured
F1 N of Kyle Hays 30°01′N 97°52′W / 30.02°N 97.87°W / 30.02 ; -97.87 ( Kyle ( May 27 , F1 ) ) 2238 - 2245 3.5 mi ( 5.6 km ) 60 yd ( 55 m ) $ 5,000 Trees and power lines were knocked over
F0 S of Utopia Uvalde 29°31′N 99°32′W / 29.52°N 99.53°W / 29.52 ; -99.53 ( Utopia ( May 27 , F0 ) ) 0000 - 0003 0.2 mi ( 0.32 km ) 20 yd ( 18 m ) N/A Tornado remained over open country
F0 NW of Sisterdale Kendall 29°59′N 98°45′W / 29.98°N 98.75°W / 29.98 ; -98.75 ( Sisterdale ( May 27 , F0 ) ) 0030 - 0032 0.7 mi ( 1.1 km ) 30 yd ( 27 m ) N/A Tornado remained over open country
F0 NE of Moore Frio 29°04′N 99°00′W / 29.07°N 99.00°W / 29.07 ; -99.00 ( Moore ( May 27 , F0 ) ) 0120 - 0123 1 mi ( 1.6 km ) 40 yd ( 37 m ) N/A Tornado remained over open country
Confirmed tornadoes
Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total 0 6 6 3 3 1 1 20
The 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak in Central Texas that occurred on May 27, 1997. The storm produced 20 total tornadoes, including multiple in the vicinity of Austin, Texas. The outbreak was particularly noteworthy for spawning the Jarrell tornado-one of the fiercest and most destructive F5 tornadoes ever recorded, which caused 27 deaths. At its peak, the Jarrell tornado was 3/4 of a mile wide and tracked across the ground for 7.6 miles (12.2 km), inflicting beyond catastrophic damage in parts of Jarrell, Texas while killing 27 people. All 27 deaths caused by the tornado occurred within one subdivision of Jarrell - a neighborhood of 38 well-built houses called Double Creek Estates. Each residence was completely dismantled, swept away, and reduced to a concrete slab, while trees in the area were completely shredded and debarked, and grassy fields were scoured to a depth of 18 inches. Many tornado researchers, after reviewing aerial damage photographs of Double Creek Estates, considered the Jarrell storm to be the most violent tornado they had ever seen in terms of damage intensity. In addition to the Jarrell tornado, the May 27 outbreak produced one additional F4 tornado, three additional F3 tornadoes, and 15 tornadoes of F2 magnitude or weaker.