1975 Omaha tornado outbreak
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | May 6–7, 1975 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 36 |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | ~2½ days |
| Fatalities | 3 fatalities, 137+ injuries |
| Damage | $250-300 million [1975 USD] |
| Areas affected | Midwestern and Southern United States |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
The 1975 Omaha tornado was a violent tornado that hit the Omaha metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It was the costliest and most powerful tornado out of 36 that touched down across the Midwest and South during the two-day outbreak. Besides Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Texas Mississippi, and Louisiana were all affected by multiple tornadoes which resulted in millions of dollars [USD] in damages.
Confirmed tornadoes
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 11 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 36 |
May 6 event
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | ||||||
| F0 | SW of Kimball | Brule | 1705 | 12.4 miles (20.0 km) | Barns and farm structures were destroyed on 4 separate farms. Five cattle were killed. | |
| F1 | SW of Tabor | Bon Homme | 1946 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Two barns were destroyed and a farmhouse was partially unroofed. | |
| F0 | SW of Tripp | Bon Homme | 2010 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| Nebraska | ||||||
| F4 | N of Pierce | Pierce | 1905 | 4.1 miles (6.6 km) | Tornado struck the town of Magnet, damaging or destroying every building in town. Homes were leveled, cattle were killed, and vehicles were thrown over 200 yards and destroyed. Remarkably, only one person was injured. | |
| F3 | E of Pierce to W of Menominee | Pierce, Cedar, Knox | 1915 | 44.8 miles (72.1 km) | Tornado destroyed barns and trailers and killed livestock. Homes and vehicles were damaged on the west side of Pierce. | |
| F0 | SW of Bloomfield | Knox | 1930 | 5.4 miles (8.7 km) | ||
| F3 | N of Stanton | Stanton, Wayne | 1945 | 15.9 miles (25.6 km) | ||
| F0 | SE of Colon | Saunders | 2100 | 3.4 miles (5.5 km) | ||
| F0 | S of Waterbury | Dixon | 2130 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | ||
| F4 | Omaha area | Sarpy, Douglas | 2133 | 8 miles (13 km) | 3 deaths – See section on this tornado | |
| Iowa | ||||||
| F2 | NE of Crescent | Pottawattamie, Harrison | 2200 | 12.8 miles (20.6 km) | ||
| F2 | W of Beebeetown | Pottawattamie, Harrison | 2220 | 10.6 miles (17.1 km) | ||
| Source: Tornado History Project - Storm Data for May 6, 1975, Grazulis (1975) | ||||||
May 7 event
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | ||||||
| F3 | W of New Hope | Lowndes | 1145 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) | Trees down and light house damage. | |
| F0 | Biloxi area | Harrison | 1710 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) | Sign twisted. | |
| F2 | NE of Smyrna | Copiah | 1750 | 9.7 miles (15.6 km) | ||
| F1 | S of Eaton | Forrest, Jones | 1930 | 5.4 miles (8.7 km) | Struck the town of Providence, where two homes were unroofed, and another was badly damaged. Many trees were downed, some of which landed on houses and roads. Two chicken houses were destroyed as well. | |
| South Dakota | ||||||
| F0 | N of Manchester to SE of Caprey | Kingsbury | 1655 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| F1 | E of Wendte | Stanley | 1800 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| F0 | W of Onida | Sully | 1955 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| F0 | SW of Onida | Sully | 2130 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| F0 | N of Mission Ridge | Sully | 2220 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| Texas | ||||||
| F2 | NE of Kingsland | Travis | 2200 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| F1 | N of Leander | Williamson | 2300 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | ||
| F2 | NW of Nolanville | Bell | 2300 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| Iowa | ||||||
| F2 | SE of Manteno | Crawford | 2330 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| F2 | NW of Jacksonville | Shelby | 0000 | 9.9 miles (15.9 km) | ||
| F0 | Creston area | Union | 0015 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| F2 | SW of Van Wert | Decatur | 0100 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | A barn and two hog houses were destroyed. | |
| F2 | Osceola area | Clarke | 0130 | 10 miles (16 km) | Six farms were damaged in the area, where barns and sheds were destroyed. The roof and doors were ripped from one house. | |
| Louisiana | ||||||
| F2 | W of Clare | Sabine | 0400 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| F2 | Welsh area | Jefferson Davis Parish | 0605 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Four trailers and 6 homes were destroyed. One trailer was found deposited in a treetop. Many trees were snapped and uprooted and 3 people were injured. | |
| F1 | Mansfield area | De Soto | 0615 | 0.7 miles (1.1 km) | ||
| F2 | SW of Estherwood | Acadia | 0700 | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | ||
| F1 | S of Duson | Lafayette | 0730 | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | ||
| F2 | Baton Rouge | East Baton Rouge | 0730 | 6.2 miles (10.0 km) | ||
| F2 | NW of Jack | St. Helena | 0800 (05/08) | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | ||
| Source: Tornado History Project - Storm Data for May 7, 1975, Tornado History Project - Storm Data for May 8, 1975, Grazulis (1975), | ||||||
Omaha, Nebraska
| F4 tornado | |
|---|---|
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Fatalities | 3 fatalities, 133 injuries |
| Damage | $250-300 million [USD 1975] or $1.402-1.683 billion [USD 2023] |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
During the early afternoon of Tuesday, May 6, 1975, a tornado watch was issued for much of eastern Nebraska. Initial tornado activity started in northeast Nebraska throughout the first half of the afternoon. At around 4:15 PM, a tornado warning was issued for the Omaha area and an F4 tornado[1] touched down about 15 minutes later in Sarpy County, Nebraska. The storm then moved north-east, cutting into Douglas County crossing Interstate 80 (injuring several motorists) and through west-central sections of the city of Omaha. The tornado chopped a path across 10 miles (16 km) of streets and residences, crossing the city's busiest intersection at 72nd & Dodge. Extensive damage occurred along 72nd Street, with numerous homes and apartments severely damaged, along with Creighton Prep School and the United Methodist Church. The Westgate subdivision was devastated, with many homes leveled, and a few that were swept away. The nearby Westgate Elementary School was destroyed. Bergan Mercy Hospital, Lewis and Clark Junior High School, a motel, and several industrial buildings were severely damaged as well. The tornado later lifted in the Benson Park area at 4:58.[2]
In one remarkable instance, First United Methodist Church minister of music Mel Olson spotted the rolling clouds in the sky outside the windows of the room where he was rehearsing a children's choir. He led them to safety below the church building. The building, located at 70th and Cass Streets, was struck and heavily damaged by the twister. The room where the children had been practicing, with three walls of windows, was hit and the glass exploded.
Three people were killed and 133 others were injured. One of the fatalities was a woman who was thrown by the tornado from her home to a backyard four or five houses away.[3] At least 287 buildings were destroyed, and nearly 4,000 buildings were damaged with debris found, in some cases, several miles away. When adjusted for inflation, this remains one of the costliest tornadoes in United States history.
References
- NWS Storm Summary and Damage Survey - May 1975 Omaha Tornado
- "Damage Photos from the '75 Omaha Tornado". NWS Omaha. NWS Omaha. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
- "Omaha 5/6/75". Archived from the original on 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2008-02-27.