1975 Omaha tornado outbreak

37-tornado outbreak in 1975 May 2025 February 2025 1975 Omaha tornado outbreak 1975-05-06 2125Z.png Satellite imagery of the event unfolding over the U.S. Midwest on the afternoon of May 6 35 hours atl 37 F4 1975 3 ≥149 15000000 ≳ Upper Midwest (Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota), Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas Tornadoes of 1975 During the afternoon of May 6, 1975, at least 12 tornadoes touched down in the Upper Midwest. The costliest of these tornadoes struck parts of western Omaha, Nebraska, causing at least $150 million in damage and killing three people. It was at the time the costliest tornado in U.S. history, damaging over a thousand homes across a nearly 2,000-block area on its roughly 15 mi on long path. The tornado's damage was later rated F4 on the Fujita scale. Another F4 tornado struck Magnet, Nebraska, destroying or damaging nearly every building in the town. The tornadoes were produced by thunderstorms moving across a narrow region of warm and moist air that had advanced northwards into the Upper Midwest as a result of a strong area of low pressure over South Dakota. Additional tornadoes on May 7 and May 8, including several in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, were associated with the same storm system. Meteorological synopsis thumb|Surface weather analysis of the tornado outbreak region, with weather boundaries and weather observations at around 4 p.m. CDT May 6, including the eventual starting points of tornadoes|alt=Weather map of the Midwestern United States The tornado outbreak was associated with an intense area of low pressure that moved from Colorado into South Dakota beneath a strong upper-tropospheric trough. The combination of the low-pressure system and a ridge of high pressure over the Great Lakes moved unstable air in the lower levels of the troposphere towards eastern Nebraska.Ostby Pearson 1975 19 At 7 a.m. CDT on May 6,All times are in Central Daylight Time unless otherwise noted. cdt the area of low pressure was centered over southwestern South Dakota, with a central air pressure of 991 mbar (hPa; 29.26 inHg). A cold front extended from the low-pressure system southwestward to central Kansas, demarcating the boundary between a moist and warmer airmass to the east and a dry and cooler airmass to the west. Ahead of the cold front over eastern Kansas and Nebraska, dew points were near 65 F while they were below 20 F behind the cold front over western Kansas.Moore Elkins 1985 41 An ongoing scientific field campaign run by NASAAtmospheric Variability Experimentssampled environmental conditions throughout the southwestern and southern United States during the eventual severe weather event.Hill Turner 1977 171Fuelberg 1979 18 A weather balloon launched from Omaha, Nebraska, at 7 a.m. sampled atmospheric conditions moderately conducive to severe weather.Peslen 1979 8 During the morning hours, the broader wind pattern brought increasingly moist air in the lower troposphere into a narrow region encompassing eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, and northern Missouri.Moore Elkins 1985 43 This corridor of moist air was bounded to the west by the cold front and to the east by a warm front, each slowly moving.Moore Elkins 1985 43–44 Warmer and drier air persisted in the mid-levels of the troposphere above this moist air, resulting in conditions potentially favorable for the development of storms.Moore Elkins 1985 44 Daytime heating and the increase in moisture with time within this narrow region, as well as a simultaneous divergence of air in the upper-troposphere, further increased atmospheric instability, producing increasingly favorable conditions for storm formation.Moore Elkins 1985 45 Ahead of the warm front, thunderstorms and cloud cover over southern Iowa and northern and central Missouri caused cooler conditions ahead of the warm front, reinforcing a strong temperature gradient across the front.Maddox Hoxit Chappell 1979 26 This further enhanced the favorability of atmospheric conditions for storm development.Miller 1979 85–86 The National Severe Storms Forecast Center (NSSFC) issued a tornado watch for much of the area in advance of the event at 12:37 p.m. May 6.Ostby Pearson 1975 19NWS Central Region 1975 1 The watch area was in effect from 2–8 p.m. and encompassed parts of eastern Nebraska, northeastern Kansas, northwestern Missouri, western Iowa, southeastern South Dakota, and southwestern Minnesota;NWS Central Region 1975 1NWS Central Region 1975 B1 Omaha was also included within the watch area.Weatherwise 1975 184 The first indications of storm development were apparent in South Dakota by 11 a.m.Peslen 1980 1410 A squall line soon developed along much of the cold front, with the strongest thunderstorms occurring near the intersection between the cold and warm fronts ahead of the low-pressure area and along the warm front, including the storm that eventually produced a destructive tornado in Omaha.Moore Elkins 1985 44Maddox Hoxit Chappell 1979 26 Within this area, vorticity and convergence of winds near the surface were higher than surrounding areas.Maddox Hoxit Chappell 1980 329 The squall line was first apparent on weather radar at around 1 p.m., extending from central South Dakota to central Oklahoma.Chang Perkey Kreitzberg 1981 1601 At around 1:15 p.m., the National Weather Service office in Omaha received a report of hail from Creighton, the office's first of the day.NWS Central Region 1975 E1 Between around 2–7 p.m., the squall line produced several damaging tornadoes in northeastern Nebraska.Chang Perkey Kreitzberg 1981 1601 In the Omaha area, the development of thunderstorms was preceded by the movement of a comma-shaped area of cloudiness into the region, an indication of the movement of vorticity in the mid- to upper-troposphere into the region.Peslen 1979 8 Many of the thunderstorms that produced tornadoes showed rapid growth on satellite imagery around the time of tornado development, indicative of the rapid rise of air.Adler Fenn 1979 516 The thunderstorms were supported by the channel of moist air, tracking north before eventually weakening after moving into cooler and drier air downwind.Maddox Hoxit Chappell 1979 26 Twelve tornadoes ultimately occurred over the north-central Great Plains on May 6,Ostby Pearson 1975 19 with large and strong tornadoes affecting eastern Nebraska.Dewey Mogil 2017 18 All but one of the tornadoes had relatively short tracks, with their parent thunderstorms moving across the narrow corridor of moist air and the steep temperature gradient accompanying the warm front; the storm that produced the long-track tornado moved parallel to the temperature gradient.Maddox Hoxit Chappell 1980 327 The same weather system led to at least 19 tornadoes on May 7, including 10 in South Dakota and Iowa.Ostby Pearson 1975 19 Confirmed tornadoes 37 8 8 17 1 2 0 no Note: One tornado is confirmed, but its rating is unknown + Color/symbol key Color / symbol Description † Data from Thomas Grazulis ※ Data from the 1975 Storm Data publication ‡ Data from the NCEI database May 6 event + List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, May 6, 1975"localdate" All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.F#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart Coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax width F2Near Ola to S of ChamberlainBruleSD43.63 -99.08 Chamberlain (May 6, F2)17:00–?※12 mi km on on50 yd m on onNumerous farm buildings were destroyed across four farms, and five cattle were killed. The NCEI lists this tornado at F0 intensity, but it is assessed at F2 strength by Grazulis.Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena with Late Reports and Corrections https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/pub-pdf/storm_1975_05.pdf National Centers for Environmental Information Storm Data 17 5 May 1975 2–27 May 17, 2024Thomas P. Grazulis Significant Tornadoes 1974–2022 22–23 F4E of Pierce to N of MagnetPierce, CedarNE42.20 -97.57 Magnet (May 6, F4)19:05–?19 mi km on on300 yd m on on A violent tornado moved through Magnet on a southeasterly to northwesterly heading at around 2:15 p.m. CDT, damaging or destroying nearly every structure in town.Wolf Maxine Twister Levels Little Magnet Newspapers.com The Lincoln Star Lincoln, Nebraska May 7, 2024 8Tornadoes in 3 other towns Newspapers.com Columbus Telegram Columbus, Nebraska United Press International 108 May 17, 2024 1 The Magnet city hall was destroyed. Some homes were completely leveled. Cattle were killed, cars were thrown over 200 yd m on, and power lines were toppled. One person was injured. Meteorologist Ted Fujita, who later photographed cycloidal scar patterns left by the tornado in cornfields in Cedar and Pierce counties,Fujita T. Theodore Tornadoes and Downbursts in the Context of Generalized Planetary Scales Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences August 1981 38 8 1511–1534 10.1175/1520-0469(1981)038<1511:TADITC>2.0.CO;2 free 1981JAtS...38.1511F Meyer Joseph May 6, 1975 The Omaha Tornado https://www.3newsnow.com/weather/weather-history/may-6-1975-the-omaha-tornado May 17, 2024 KMTV 3 News Now Scripps Local Media May 17, 2024 Omaha, Nebraska estimated that the tornado that struck Magnet was stronger the Omaha tornado.Ostby Pearson 1975 19 F2SW of Pierce, NE to SW of Yankton, SDPierce, Knox, CedarNE42.17 -97.47 Pierce (May 6, F2)19:15–?†43 mi km on on†90 yd m on onA strong tornado caused damage intermittently along its path, especially in western Pierce where homes were damaged, barns were destroyed, cars were tossed, power lines were toppled, and livestock were killed. The NCEI lists this tornado at F3 intensity, but it is assessed at F2 strength by Grazulis. F0W of BloomfieldKnoxNE42.52 -97.77 Bloomfield (May 6, F0)19:30–?5.4 mi km on on‡30 yd m on onFarm buildings, irrigation equipment, and trees were sporadically damaged. F3SE of Stanton to NE of CarrollStanton, WayneNE41.97 -97.20 Stanton (May 6, F3)19:45–?†25 mi km on on†150 yd m on onAn intense tornado caused extensive damage to farms and power lines. Multiple barns were leveled, and one home was reduced to two standing walls. Five hundred chickens were killed. One person was injured. F2SE of Tyndall to NW of Scotland†Bon Homme, Hutchinson†SD42.93 -97.75 Tyndall (May 6, F1)19:46–?20 mi km on on†80 yd m on on†Small farm buildings were damaged. The Storm Data publication and the NCEI consider this event as two separate tornadoes focused in Bon Homme County. However, they are considered one event by Grazulis, and the path was extended into Hutchinson County. Additionally, the NCEI lists this tornado at F1 intensity, but it is assessed at F2 strength by Grazulis. F0W of ScotlandBon HommeSD43.15 -98.07 Scotland (May 6, F0)20:10–?5.4 mi km on on33 yd m on onSmall farm buildings were damaged. F0E of ColonSaundersNE41.28 -96.58 Colon (May 6, F0)21:00–?3.4 mi km on on17 yd m on onA brief tornado caused damage to trees and farm buildings on two farms. F0SW of WaterburyDixonNE42.43 -96.75 Waterbury (May 6, F0)21:30–?3 mi km on on80 yd m on onTrees, power lines, and farm buildings were damaged. F4OmahaSarpy, DouglasNE41.17 -96.07 Omaha (May 6, F4)21:33–21:50※10 mi km on on250 yd m on on3 deaths – See the section on this tornado F2NE of Crescent to E of BeebeetownPottawattamie, HarrisonIA41.40 -95.85 Crescent (May 6, F2)22:00–22:30※11 mi km on on500 yd m on onNumerous farm houses and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. An aluminum silo was lofted 0.75 mi away from a farmstead southwest of Beebeetown, Iowa.Beebeetown Farm Struck Newspapers.com Council Bluffs Nonpareil 127 May 7, 1975 Beebeetown, Iowa Council Bluffs, Iowa 3 This tornado is not listed in Thomas Grazulis' Significant Tornadoes book. F2N of Honey Creek to S of LoganPottawattamie, HarrisonIA41.47 -95.87 Honey Creek (May 6, F2)22:20–22:45※13 mi km on onNumerous farm houses and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed over intermittent stretches of a tornado's path. This tornado is not listed in Thomas Grazulis' Significant Tornadoes book. May 7 event + List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, May 7, 1975"localdate" All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.F#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart Coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax width F2S of PioneerWest CarrollLA32.67 -91.47 Pioneer (May 7, F2)06:05–?5.6 mi km on onA manufactured home was destroyed, and the occupant was severely injured after being tossed across the road. Portions of the home were scattered for 3 mi km on. Another house lost its roof and had its furniture tossed. The occupants were trapped and injured by a fallen tree. F1N of NatchezAdamsMS31.62 -91.40 Natchez (May 7, F1)11:45–?0.25 mi km on on60 yd m on onA farm co-op building had one of its sides knocked down and its roof ripped off and subsequently wrapped around a utility pole. A concession stand was destroyed, a warehouse was damaged, and several tree tops were twisted. F1E of MidlandJonesSD44.07 -100.90 Midland (May 7, F1)16:55–?A brief tornado caused some property damage. F1HattiesburgForrestMS31.32 -89.32 Hattiesburg (May 7, F1)17:10–?0.25 mi km on on18 yd m on onSeveral pavilion shelters in Kemper Park were blown down. Playground equipment was damaged, power lines were toppled, and trees were uprooted. Some tree limbs fell onto a car. F1S of RichtonPerryMS31.32 -89.00 Richton (May 7, F1)17:50–?9.7 mi km on on440 yd m on onTrees were uprooted, some of which fell on a manufactured home and a car, injuring the occupant. F1E of WendteStanleySD44.25 -100.60 Wendte (May 7, F1)18:00–?A brief tornado caused some property damage. F2WSW of Eastabuchie to ProvidenceForrest, JonesMS31.40 -89.38 Eastabuchie (May 7, F1)19:30–?5.4 mi km on on150 yd m on onTwo houses lost their roofs while a third was heavily damaged. Two chicken houses were destroyed and trees were uprooted, some of which fell on homes or blocked roads. F0N of PierreSullySD44.70 -100.40 Pierre (May 7, F0)19:55–?A brief tornado was reported to the sheriff's office. F0NE of PierreSullySD44.63 -100.13 Pierre (May 7, F0)21:30–?A brief tornado was reported to the sheriff's office. F1LeanderWilliamsonTX30.58 -97.85 Leander (May 7, F1)22:00–?An F1 tornado caused damage in Leander.Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena with Late Reports and Corrections https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/pub-pdf/storm_1975_06.pdf National Centers for Environmental Information Storm Data 17 6 June 1975 2–41 May 17, 2024 F2NolanvilleBellTX31.08 -97.62 Nolanville (May 7, F2)22:00–23:00Four manufactured homes were demolished, one was overturned, and eleven others were damaged. Two people were injured. This tornado is not listed in Thomas Grazulis' Significant Tornadoes book. F0NW of PierreSullySD44.75 -100.80 Pierre (May 7, F0)22:20–?A brief tornado was reported to the sheriff's office. F?BurnetBurnetTX22:30–?Small buildings and sheds were blown down, and trees were uprooted. This tornado is listed in the Storm Data publication but not by the NCEI. F2S of Dow CityCrawfordIA41.82 -95.50 Dow City (May 7, F2)23:30–?Grain bins, a brick silo, and a machine shed were destroyed. The roof was ripped off a feeding shed. A garage was overturned. A home lost shingles and windows. This tornado is not listed in Thomas Grazulis' Significant Tornadoes book. F2E of Harlan to IrwinShelbyIA41.65 -95.22 Harlan (May 7, F2)00:00–?12 mi km on on※Some farm buildings, a barn, and a corn crib were destroyed. The roof of a home was damaged. This tornado is not listed in Thomas Grazulis' Significant Tornadoes book. F0CrestonUnionIA41.07 -94.37 Creston (May 7, F0)00:15–?A tornado touched down in an open field. F2E of Grand RiverDecaturIA40.82 -93.83 Grand River (May 7, F2)01:00–?※Two hog houses and a barn were destroyed. Two hogs were killed. Trees were uprooted as well. F2OsceolaClarkeIA41.03 -93.78 Osceola (May 7, F2)01:30–?※10 mi km on onA strong tornado caused damage at six farms. A barn and a shed were destroyed. The roof and doors were ripped off a house, windows were blown out of a car, and two cows were killed. May 8 event + List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, May 8, 1975"localdate" All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.F#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart Coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax width F2S of FlorienSabineLA31.33 -93.67 Florien (May 8, F2)04:00–?A tornado destroyed a home and then moved through forested areas. This tornado is not listed in Thomas Grazulis' Significant Tornadoes book. F2Northeastern WelshJefferson DavisLA30.23 -92.82 Welsh (May 8, F2)06:05–?1 mi km on on100 yd m on onSix homes and four trailers were destroyed, including one trailer lofted to the tops of trees. Numerous trees were uprooted. Three people were injured. F1MansfieldDeSotoLA32.03 -93.72 Mansfield (May 8, F1)06:15–?0.75 mi km on onA brief tornado uprooted trees, one of which fell onto a home, injuring the occupant. F2S of EstherwoodAcadiaLA30.17 -92.48 Estherwood (May 8, F2)07:00–?0.25 mi km on on50 yd m on onA manufactured home was destroyed. A number of aircraft at a hangar were damaged at the Le Gros Airport. This tornado is not listed in Thomas Grazulis' Significant Tornadoes book. F1DusonLafayetteLA30.23 -92.18 Duson (May 8, F1)07:30–?0.5 mi km on on50 yd m on onAn auto repair shop and several manufactured homes were damaged. Two people were injured. F2Baton RougeEast Baton RougeLA30.42 -91.18 Baton Rouge (May 8, F2)07:30–?6.2 mi km on on50 yd m on onA tornado impacted the Louisiana State University campus, ripping the tops of elevator shafts and the top half of a nearby water tower. Numerous trees were snapped or twisted. This tornado is not listed in Thomas Grazulis' Significant Tornadoes book. F2SW of GreensburgSt. HelenaLA30.75 -90.75 Greensburg (May 8, F2)08:00–?Six electrical transmission towers were destroyed. This tornado is not listed in Thomas Grazulis' Significant Tornadoes book. Omaha, Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska 1975 Omaha F4.jpg The Tornado as seen from an office building. The Tornado as seen from an office building. May 6, 1975 4:33 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) 17–29 minutesStorm Data lists the tornado as having occurred between 4:33–4:50 p.m. However, reports from storm spotters and the National Weather Service Disaster Survey Report on the tornado indicate that the tornado lasted from about 4:29 p.m. to 4:58 p.m.NWS Central Region 1975 1 c. May 6, 1975 4:50 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) F4 1975 3 141 $150–200 million (1975 USD)$US 0.15 1975 1–US 0.20 1975 1 billion (US USD) 287 NWS Central Region 1975 1 This large and destructive tornadoat the time the costliest in U.S. historyimpacted residential areas of west-central Omaha on the afternoon of May 6, tracking primarily south to north along 72nd Street.NWS Central Region 1975 1 During the afternoon and evening, a tornado watch was in effect for parts of eastern Nebraska. Tornadoes were reported near several Nebraska communities during the early afternoon.NWS Central Region 1975 E1 The National Weather Service forecast office in Omaha issued two severe thunderstorm warnings for Douglas County, Nebraska, including the Omaha area, during the afternoon of May 6.NWS Central Region 1975 1 Teams of storm spotters associated with the National Weather Service and Offutt Air Force Base were deployed following the watch and warning issuances between around 1–2 p.m. At 4:09 p.m., a volunteer storm spotter reported an emerging funnel cloud northwest of Springfield, Nebraska. Tornado sirens were activated for Sarpy County, Nebraska, following the report.Gaarder Nancy Tracking a beast https://dataomaha.com/bigstory/weather/tracking-a-beast dead https://web.archive.org/web/20201109000256/https://dataomaha.com/bigstory/weather/tracking-a-beast November 9, 2020 May 18, 2024 Omaha World-Herald May 2, 2015 Omaha, Nebraska Additional reports of funnel clouds and the appearance of a hook echo on weather radar prompted the Omaha office to issue a pre-prepared tornado warning for Sarpy and eastern Douglas counties in Nebraska and western Pottawattamie County in Iowa at 4:14 p.m.NWS Central Region 1975 1, C1May 1975 Omaha Tornado https://www.weather.gov/oax/may675 National Weather Service Omaha/Valley, Nebraska May 19, 2024 Valley, Nebraska The first confirmations of a tornado touching down were reported at around 4:29 p.m., leading to the activation of tornado sirens in Omaha.NWS Central Region 1975 1 The Storm Data publication for May 1975 indicates that the tornado touched down slightly later at around 4:33 p.m. This gave a nearly four hour leadtime between issuance of the tornado watch and tornado occurrence, and over an hour leadtime for the tornado warning.NWS Central Region 1975 1 The tornado's path began in a largely rural area near the intersection of Nebraska Highway 370 and 132nd Street in northern Sarpy County.'Just gone, just everything leveled': 1975 TV coverage depicts horror of the Omaha tornado https://www.ketv.com/article/just-gone-just-everything-leveled-1975-tv-coverage-depicts-horror-of-the-omaha-tornado/36351600 May 18, 2024 KETV 7 Omaha Hearst Television May 6, 2021 Omaha, Nebraska The first homes destroyed by the tornado were hit at around 4:35 p.m.NWS Central Region 1975 1 Following initial reports of damage near the intersection of 96th and Q streets, Nebraska governor J. James Exon activated the Nebraska Army National Guard. Moving northeast, the tornado struck parts of northwestern Ralston, damaging neighborhoods and businesses near 84th and L streets. Large airborne debris was observed near 72nd and L streets.NWS Central Region 1975 E2 2×4s were reported falling from the sky over Omaha ahead of the tornado.Forbes Gregory S. Bluestein Howard B. Tornadoes, Tornadic Thunderstorms, and Photogrammetry: A Review of the Contributions by T. T. Fujita Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society January 2001 82 1 73–96 10.1175/1520-0477(2001)082<0073:TTTAPA>2.3.CO;2 free 2001BAMS...82...73F The Wentworth Apartments, the largest apartment complex in the Omaha area at the time, sustained severe damage with 70 percent of the complex's buildings destroyed. Parts of the roof of Ralston High School were peeled away by the twister. The twister's path then curved north towards and over west-central sections of the city of Omaha, crossing Interstate 80 near 84th Street, inflicting injuries on the highway and prompting the highway's closure. Beginning to track along and near 72nd Street, the tornado cut across the Westgate subdivision, causing extensive damage and destroying Westgate Elementary School. Well-constructed homes were destroyed in the neighborhood. At 4:40 p.m., the tornado struck Bergan Mercy Hospital, blowing out windows and disheveling furniture; all 825 employees and patients of the hospital survived. Vehicles in the hospital parking lot were tossed and destroyed.McDonald James R. Rationale for Wind-Borne Missile Criteria for DOE Facilities https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0127/ML012760038.pdf Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory May 19, 2024 September 1999 Damage at the hospital amounted to around $5 million. The tornado narrowly avoided the Ak-Sar-Ben racetrack, forcing most of the 8,700 attendees at the racetrack that day into shelter. One person was killed while taking shelter at a restaurant at 78th and Pacific streets. Numerous buildings sustained significant damage near the intersection of 72nd and Dodge streets, including the Nebraska Furniture Mart. Most of the mail carrier fleet at a nearby U.S. post office was lost, with 80 of the office's 90 cars destroyed. Some of the most severe damage associated with the tornado occurred after it crossed Dodge Street at around 4:45 p.m., with buildings reduced to rubble. The Omaha Community Playhouse lost most of its roof and the Downtowner Motor Inn suffered major damage. Extensive damage occurred along 72nd Street, with numerous homes and apartments severely damaged, along with Creighton Prep School, Lewis and Clark Junior High school, the First United Methodist Church, and the Temple Israel Jewish Synagogue. Two people were killed near the intersection of 69th and Maple streets. A police officer who had been tasked with following the tornado and communicating live updates reported that the tornado lifted near Benson Park at around 4:58 p.m. Storm Data listed the tornado as dissipating after around 4:50 p.m. Approximately 30,000 people may have been in the path of the tornado.Jones Sheritha Back in the day, May 6, 1975: Tornado slashes nine-mile scar into the heart of Omaha https://omaha.com/news/local/history/back-in-the-day-may-6-1975-tornado-slashes-nine-mile-scar-into-the-heart/article_053a1976-bcfe-11ec-9bd7-d33d1993f24b.html subscription May 19, 2024 Omaha World-Herald May 6, 2022 Omaha, Nebraska Three people were killed by the tornado and another 141 people were injured; of the injuries, 25 were considered serious injuries.NWS Central Region 1975 1 The tornado's path was approximately 15 mi long, with about 6 mi in Sarpy County and 9 mi in Douglas County. A contiguous stretch of property damage occurred along a 8 mi stretch.NWS Central Region 1975 1 The swath of damage ranged from about 0.25 – 0.5 mi wide, spanning two to six city blocks at a time.NWS Central Region 1975 1 Across the roughly 2,000-block area impacted by the tornado, 287 homes were destroyed, 650 were heavily damaged, and 787 were moderately damaged; another 53 apartment buildings sustained damage. The damage rendered thousands of people homeless.Omaha Tornadoes Kill 3; Damage Is Put in Millions https://www.nytimes.com/1975/05/07/archives/omaha-tornadoes-kill-3-damage-is-put-in-millions.html May 19, 2024 The New York Times Associated Press May 7, 1974 Omaha, Nebraska New York 24 The Nebraska governor's office estimated a damage toll of $150–200 million (1975 USD; equivalent to $US 0.15 1975 1–US 0.20 1975 1 billion in US), making the tornado the costliest tornado in U.S. history and the costliest natural disaster in Nebraska history at the time.NWS Central Region 1975 1 Damage estimates ranged as high as $500 million (equivalent to $US 0.5 1975 1 billion in US). Researcher Thomas P. Grazulis estimated that the tornado caused F4-rated damage on the Fujita scale. See also List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks Tornado outbreak of April 26–28, 2024 – produced several significant tornadoes in the Omaha area Tornado outbreak sequence of March 1913 – included a damaging and deadly tornado in Omaha Notes References Sources Adler Robert F. Fenn Douglas D. Thunderstorm Intensity as Determined from Satellite Data Journal of Applied Meteorology April 1979 18 4 502–517 10.1175/1520-0450(1979)018<0502:TIADFS>2.0.CO;2 free 1979JApMe..18..502A Adler Fenn 1979 Chang C. B. Perkey D. J. Kreitzberg C. W. A Numerical Case Study of the Squall Line of 6 May 1975 Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences August 1981 38 8 1601–1615 10.1175/1520-0469(1981)038<1601:ANCSOT>2.0.CO;2 free 1981JAtS...38.1601C Chang Perkey Kreitzberg 1981 Dewey Kenneth Mogil H. Michael The Weather and Climate of Nebraska: The Heartland of Extremes Weatherwise June 23, 2017 70 4 12–19 10.1080/00431672.2017.1321919 2017Weawi..70d..12D Dewey Mogil 2017 Fuelberg Henry E. Kinetic Energy Budgets in Areas of Convection Contractor Report 3166 August 1979 https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19790020679/downloads/19790020679.pdf May 12, 2024 NASA PDF Fuelberg 1979 Hill Kelly Turner Robert E. NASA's Atmospheric Variability Experiments (AVE) Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society February 1977 58 2 170–172 26218060 Hill Turner 1977 Maddox R. A. Hoxit L. R. Chappell C. F. Interactions Between Convective Storms and their Environment Contractor Report https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19800016450/downloads/19800016450.pdf National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration May 9, 2024 Maddox Hoxit Chappell 1979 PDF May 1979 Maddox Robert A. Hoxit L. Ray Chappell Charles F. A Study of Tornadic Thunderstorm Interactions with Thermal Boundaries Monthly Weather Review March 1980 108 3 322–336 10.1175/1520-0493(1980)108<0322:ASOTTI>2.0.CO;2 free Maddox Hoxit Chappell 1980 American Meteorological Society 1980MWRv..108..322M 1 Miller Joseph A. An Example of Dry Line Convective Development: "The Omaha Tornado" Satellite Applications Information Note 76/12 Satellite Applications Information Notes, October 1975December 1978 August 1979 85–86 https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA167989.pdf May 12, 2024 Miller 1979 National Environmental Satellite Service Scott Air Force Base, Illinois PDF Moore James T. Elkins Harold A. A Synoptic Analysis of the 6–7 May 1975 Omaha Tornado Outbreak National Weather Digest 1985 10 1 39–56 https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=1553deb183ea69bae0bea75427f90a911c527e01 May 9, 2024 Moore Elkins 1985 National Weather Association CiteSeerX National Weather Service Central Region Headquarters The Omaha Tornado: May 6, 1975 Disaster Survey Report https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/Omaha%20Tornado%201975.pdf National Weather Service May 9, 2024 NWS Central Region 1975 1975 Ostby Frederick P. Pearson Allen The Tornado Season of 1975 Weatherwise February 1976 29 1 16–23 10.1080/00431672.1976.10543939 1976Weawi..29a..16O Ostby Pearson 1975 Peslen Cynthia A. Impact of Short Interval SMS Digital Data on Wind Vector Determination for a Severe Local Storms Area Technical Memorandum 79714 February 1979 https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19790012403/downloads/19790012403.pdf May 9, 2024 NASA Greenbelt, Maryland Peslen Cynthia A. Short-Interval SMS Wind Vector Determinations for a Severe Local Storms Area Monthly Weather Review September 1980 108 9 1407–1418 10.1175/1520-0493(1980)108<1407:SISWVD>2.0.CO;2 free 1980MWRv..108.1407P Peslen 1980 1 May 1975 Weatherwise August 1975 28 4 178–195 10.1080/00431672.1975.9931760 1975Weawi..28d.178. Weatherwise 1975 External links Black Tuesday: May 6, 1975 https://web.archive.org/web/20131220075358/http://www.shayden.com/_Omaha5675/BlackTuesday.htm December 20, 2013 Lubbock, TX (1970) Costliest U.S. tornadoes on Record May 6, 1975 Wichita Falls, TX (1979) Category:F4, EF4 and IF4 tornadoes 05-06 Category:Tornadoes in Nebraska Category:Natural disasters in Omaha, Nebraska Omaha Tornado Omaha Tornado 1975 Category:20th century in Omaha, Nebraska Category:1975 in Nebraska 1975-05-06