Nebraska tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 93 counties with a record
Nebraska has recorded 3,223 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 49 a year since 2000, with 136 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the June 7, 1953 Arcadia tornado (11 deaths in Nebraska). Nebraska ranks 5th of 52 states and territories by count and 11th of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in Nebraska, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 3,2231950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 49average
- Deaths
- 561,236 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 1364% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 2004111 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in Nebraska?
Nebraska averages about 49 tornadoes a year since 2000, 5th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2004 (111). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Nebraska records 420 tornadoes since 1950, 11th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Nebraska have the most tornadoes?
Per square mile, Hall County leads Nebraska: 56 days with a tornado record since 1950, 102.5 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Custer County has the most tornado records (108 since 1950); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in Nebraska?
63% of its tornadoes since 1950 fell in May and June. The busiest month is June (1,070 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 6 · Feb 2 · Mar 67 · Apr 303 · May 959 · Jun 1,070 · Jul 419 · Aug 198 · Sep 64 · Oct 95 · Nov 7 · Dec 33 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in Nebraska?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-06-07 | Arcadia · Sherman, Valley | F4 | 15 mi | 11 | 0 |
| 1954-05-30 | Newman Grove to Hoskins · Platte, Madison, Stanton, Wayne | F4 | 29.9 mi | 6 | 23 |
| 1953-05-09 | Belvidere to Milford · Thayer, Fillmore, Saline, Seward | F3 | 46.9 mi | 5 | 82 |
| 1965-05-08 | Tilden to Wausa · Hall, Greeley, Boone, Antelope | F4 | 125.7 mi | 4 | 53 |
| 1964-05-05 | Bradshaw · Adams, Clay, Hamilton, York | F5 | 79.7 mi | 4 | 50 |
| 1975-05-06 | Omaha · Sarpy, Douglas | F4 | 8 mi | 3 | 133 |
| 1980-06-03 | Grand Island · Hall | F4 | 1.1 mi | 3 | 110 |
| 1955-06-27 | Scottsbluff · Scotts Bluff, Morrill | F4 | 26 mi | 2 | 29 |
| 1988-05-07 | Omaha · Saunders, Sarpy, Douglas | F2 | 16.2 mi | 2 | 1 |
| 1980-06-03 | Grand Island · Hall | F3 | 2.3 mi | 1 | 40 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside Nebraska), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in Nebraska?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in Nebraska
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-05-05 | Bradshaw · Adams, Clay, Hamilton, York | F5 | 79.7 mi | 880 yd | 4 |
| 1953-06-07 | Arcadia · Sherman, Valley | F4 | 15 mi | 440 yd | 11 |
| 1954-05-30 | Newman Grove to Hoskins · Platte, Madison, Stanton, Wayne | F4 | 29.9 mi | 400 yd | 6 |
| 1965-05-08 | Tilden to Wausa · Hall, Greeley, Boone, Antelope | F4 | 125.7 mi | 10 yd | 4 |
| 1975-05-06 | Omaha · Sarpy, Douglas | F4 | 8 mi | 267 yd | 3 |
| 1980-06-03 | Grand Island · Hall | F4 | 1.1 mi | 1,700 yd | 3 |
| 1955-06-27 | Scottsbluff · Scotts Bluff, Morrill | F4 | 26 mi | 10 yd | 2 |
| 1957-04-25 | Omaha · Fillmore, Saline, Seward, Lancaster | F4 | 89.8 mi | 333 yd | 1 |
| 2004-05-22 | Wilber to Hickman · Jefferson, Saline, Gage, Lancaster | F4 | 54 mi | 4,400 yd | 1 |
| 2014-06-16 | Pilger · Stanton, Cuming, Wayne | EF4 | 23.94 mi | 500 yd | 1 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in Nebraska
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-05-24 | Buffalo | F1 | 176.4 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1956-10-29 | North Platte · Lincoln, Logan, Thomas, Blaine | F4 | 147.7 mi | 440 yd | 0 |
| 1990-03-13 | York · Webster, Nuckolls, Clay, Fillmore | F4 | 131 mi | 440 yd | 0 |
| 1965-05-08 | Tilden to Wausa · Hall, Greeley, Boone, Antelope | F4 | 125.7 mi | 10 yd | 4 |
| 1956-10-29 | Custer, Valley, Garfield, Wheeler | F1 | 99.8 mi | 50 yd | 0 |
| 1957-04-25 | Omaha · Fillmore, Saline, Seward, Lancaster | F4 | 89.8 mi | 333 yd | 1 |
| 1965-05-08 | Logan, Thomas, Cherry | F1 | 89.8 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1967-06-13 | Newman Grove to Duncan · Madison, Stanton | F2 | 88.3 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1967-06-15 | Seward, Washington, Burt | F0 | 80.9 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1953-06-02 | Crookston · Sheridan, Cherry | F2 | 80 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every Nebraska county
All 93 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
Is Nebraska in Tornado Alley?
Tornado Alley has no official boundary; the Storm Prediction Center calls it a media nickname for the central U.S. area of relatively high tornado occurrence. By the record, Nebraska ranks 19th of 50 states for tornadoes rated 1 or higher per square mile since 1950 (188 per 10,000 square miles), and it is one of the Plains states at the core of the area the name usually means.
Tornado Alley, measured: the states by density and maps of where tornadoes began in two eras.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database and Online Tornado FAQ. SPC's tornado FAQ.
The costliest tornadoes in Nebraska
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05-22 | TornadoHallam, Lancaster County See description below. | F4 19.5 mi x 4,400 yd | 1 | 30 | $156M |
| 1993-05-07 | TornadoBlue Hill To, Polk County Tornado touched down four miles south of Blue Hill in northern Webster county. Two farm homes, and outbuildings were damaged. Two 12,00 bushel grain bins were destroyed. The tornado moved north into southeast Adams county, where it damaged 75 to 100 homes in Ayr and Pauline. It then moved into southwest Clay county ... | F3 60 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $102M |
| 2004-05-22 | TornadoWestern, Saline County See description below | F2 20 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 8 | $31M |
| 1996-05-08 | TornadoBeatrice, Gage County The beginning of the tornado started 4 1/2 miles west northwest of downtown Beatrice, just north of the Homestead National Monument. The storm damaged trees just north of state highway 4 when it struck several homes, primarily lifting the roofs off of them. The tornado was rated F1 at that point. Around 1/2 mile to ... | F2 9.5 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 15 | $23M |
| 2003-06-22 | TornadoDeshler, Thayer County A strong tornado set down on the southeast side of Deshler near the fairgrounds and moved west through the south side of Deshler. The slow moving tornado lifted a couple of miles west of town. | F2 3 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 7 | $18M |
| 2008-05-29 | TornadoKearney, Buffalo County This tornado was the most organized tornado that hit the city of Kearney this night and was the most persistent. It appeared to stay on the ground for the majority of its 22 mile path in Buffalo County. The tornado did exit Buffalo County and entered Hall County. The tornado started in the northwest part of the city ... | EF2 21.75 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $16M |
| 2014-05-11 | TornadoFairfield, Clay County This tornado was reported initially as a multi-vortex tornado for several miles before taking on a more traditional look south of Saronville, where it was described as a wedge tornado. Based upon reports and video, it appears the entire mesocyclone of the storm was near ground level southwest of Sutton. It was one of ... | EF3 18.6 mi x 1,300 yd | 0 | 0 | $16M |
| 2014-06-16 | TornadoStanton County This tornado developed about 5.5 miles southwest of the town of Pilger and moved directly northeast directly striking the town. The tornado did violent damage within the town of Pilger. Nearly 75 percent of the structures in the town received some damage, while structures near the center of the tornado were completely ... | EF4 8.05 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 20 | $15M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 6, 1975 (tornado, Douglas County, 3 killed); June 3, 1980 (tornado, Hall County, 3 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in Nebraska?
Nebraska's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Nebraska | United States | Nebraska's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 300 | 4,837 | 6.2% |
| 1960s | 290 | 6,863 | 4.2% |
| 1970s | 381 | 8,633 | 4.4% |
| 1980s | 349 | 8,250 | 4.2% |
| 1990s | 636 | 12,205 | 5.2% |
| 2000s | 549 | 12,892 | 4.3% |
| 2010s | 419 | 12,232 | 3.4% |
| 2020-25 | 299 | 8,234 | 3.6% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in Nebraska
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | TornadoStanton County | EF0 1.06 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | TornadoUnion, Cass County | EF1 2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | TornadoWeeping Water Airport, Cass County | EF0 0.34 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | TornadoWeeping Water, Cass County | EF1 1.97 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | TornadoBushnell, Kimball County | EFU 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-30 | TornadoWellfleet, Lincoln County | EFU 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-30 | TornadoOliver, Kimball County | EFU 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-30 | TornadoBushnell, Kimball County | EFU 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-22 | TornadoMurray, Cass County | EF0 0.12 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-21 | TornadoKimball County | EFU 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-21 | TornadoOliver, Kimball County | EFU 3.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | TornadoSalem, Richardson County | EF1 6.46 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for tornadoes in Nebraska
FEMA has declared 29 disasters in Nebraska for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 29 were major disasters, the latest on August 3, 2026.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-03 | DR-4928 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 8 |
| 2024-10-21 | DR-4838 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 5 |
| 2024-09-24 | DR-4822 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 17 |
| 2024-08-20 | DR-4808 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 19 |
| 2024-05-03 | DR-4778 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes | 6 |
| 2022-02-23 | DR-4641 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes | 25 |
| 2018-08-27 | DR-4387 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 11 |
| 2017-08-01 | DR-4325 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | 19 |
| 2015-06-25 | DR-4225 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 28 |
| 2014-07-28 | DR-4185 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 12 |
| 2014-07-24 | DR-4183 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 12 |
| 2014-06-17 | DR-4179 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 6 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Hall County: the county's whole recordThe Nebraska county with the most tornadoes per square mile
- Tornadoes across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in NebraskaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
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