Name: Damaging Winds in Idaho, May 6, 1994
Start: 1994-05-06T18:28
End: 1994-05-06T18:53
Location: Idaho

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $500,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Twin Falls

When: May 6, 6:28 PM MST
Where: Twin Falls County
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph)
Coordinates: 42.356, -114.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorms, moving east to west around an upper level low pressure system, caused damage across a significant portion of south-central and southeast Idaho. Winds gusted to 61 mph at the Pocatello Airport. Winds at the Twin Falls Airport blew at 69 mph with gusts to 92 mph. The air traffic control tower at the Twin Falls Airport was evacuated for nearly ten minutes. Two unofficial reports of tornadoes were received: one near Castleford, 20 miles west of Twin Falls, and another at Kimberly, five miles southeast of Twin Falls. Upon investigation by National Weather Service personnel, these events were determined to be straight-line winds. The winds did a significant amount of damage. A roof was blown off of a house in Castleford. A "stoutly built" shed, with supporting poles anchored in concrete, was knocked over and blown into a nearby house. Several wheel-line irrigation systems were damaged. Numerous downed electrical wires caused power outages in Twin Falls, as well as in several smaller communities around Twin Falls. Many trees were blown over, a number of them onto houses and cars. One large pine tree flattened the rear portion of a nearly new 1994 Jeep Cherokee. A hangar at the Bulh Airport, 18 miles west of Twin Falls, was blown apart.

Thunderstorm Wind, Twin Falls

When: May 6, 6:53 PM MST
Where: Twin Falls County
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Property damage: $500,000
Coordinates: 42.356, -114.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorms, moving east to west around an upper level low pressure system, caused damage across a significant portion of south-central and southeast Idaho. Winds gusted to 61 mph at the Pocatello Airport. Winds at the Twin Falls Airport blew at 69 mph with gusts to 92 mph. The air traffic control tower at the Twin Falls Airport was evacuated for nearly ten minutes. Two unofficial reports of tornadoes were received: one near Castleford, 20 miles west of Twin Falls, and another at Kimberly, five miles southeast of Twin Falls. Upon investigation by National Weather Service personnel, these events were determined to be straight-line winds. The winds did a significant amount of damage. A roof was blown off of a house in Castleford. A "stoutly built" shed, with supporting poles anchored in concrete, was knocked over and blown into a nearby house. Several wheel-line irrigation systems were damaged. Numerous downed electrical wires caused power outages in Twin Falls, as well as in several smaller communities around Twin Falls. Many trees were blown over, a number of them onto houses and cars. One large pine tree flattened the rear portion of a nearly new 1994 Jeep Cherokee. A hangar at the Bulh Airport, 18 miles west of Twin Falls, was blown apart.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Idaho in 1994 Every state in 1994 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, May 1994

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10320765, 10320248.