Well this El Nino just started and is a weak one. By this time in 1997, El nino was likely already a bit stronger. 

But 1) no two El Ninos are the same and 2) El Ninos peak in strength in winter so comparing their strengths now is not that illustrative. The most recent ENSO outlook has a 56% chance of this El Nino becoming a strong event. And we will have to continue to monitor it as it develops to see if that comes to fruition.