The 1997 Jarrell tornado struck the U.S. state of Texas. It devastated the area around Jarrell in Williamson County during the Central Texas tornado outbreak on May 27, 1997.
The tornado began as a relatively narrow funnel before rapidly expanding and intensifying as it moved toward Jarrell. It became a violent, slow-moving F5 tornado and tore through the Double Creek Estates subdivision. The storm destroyed homes so completely that several foundations were left nearly bare, producing some of the most extreme damage associated with a tornado in the United States.
Twenty-seven people were killed, all in or near Double Creek Estates, and the tornado injured additional residents. Its track extended for roughly 5 miles, and the tornado lasted about 13 minutes. The event was part of an outbreak that produced 20 confirmed tornadoes across Central Texas.
A common mix-up is identifying Jarrell with Oklahoma or Arkansas because those states also experience major tornadoes in the central Plains and South. Jarrell itself is in Texas, northwest of Austin, and the tornado is often called the Jarrell tornado or the 1997 Central Texas F5 tornado.