Tornadoes · United States · Nebraska

Tornadoes in Buffalo County, Nebraska

89 tornadoes have crossed Buffalo County since 1950, 4th of the 93 counties in Nebraska with a tornado on record, an average of 1.2 a year. They have killed 0 people and injured 13. 1 was rated F4 or EF4 and above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Now

Tornadoes
89
Deaths
0
Injuries
13
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
F4, June 6, 1956

The strongest

  1. F4, Buffalo County, NebraskaJune 6, 1956F4, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  2. F3, Furnas, Gosper, Phelps and Buffalo counties, NebraskaOctober 29, 1956F3, 65.5 mi (105 km)
  3. F3, Buffalo, Dawson, Sherman and Custer counties, NebraskaApril 20, 1974F3, 63.5 mi (102 km)
  4. F3, Phelps, Dawson, Buffalo and Sherman counties, NebraskaJune 6, 1993F3, 60.0 mi (97 km)
  5. F3, Buffalo, Hall and Howard counties, NebraskaJune 6, 1993F3, 50.0 mi (80 km)
  6. F3, Kearney, Buffalo and Hall counties, NebraskaMarch 13, 1990F3, 32.0 mi (51 km)
  7. F3, Buffalo County, NebraskaMay 10, 1985F3, 17.0 mi (27 km)
  8. EF3, Buffalo County, NebraskaJune 20, 2011EF3, 10.0 mi (16 km)
  9. F3, Buffalo County, NebraskaJuly 18, 1958F3, 3.0 mi (5 km)
  10. F2, Buffalo, Hall and Merrick counties, NebraskaJune 13, 1967F2, 69.7 mi (112 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 41 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Buffalo County. Each year links to every tornado in Nebraska that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20241EF1
20212EF0
20162EF0
20131EF0
201141EF3
20094EF1
20083EF2
20061F0
20054F0
20021F0
19982F2
19951F0
19941F1
199332F3
199142F1
19906F3
19891F0
19863F1
198532F3
19842F2
19831F1
19821F1
19811F0
19791F1
19775F0
19752F1
197436F3
19722F1
19712F0
19701F1
19692F1
19675F2
19651F1
19642F2
19631F1
19621F0
19593F1
19582F3
19562F4
19551F2
19531F1

Every tornado that crossed Buffalo County

89 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 26, 202412:16 PM CDTEF1Sherman4.7175$140,000
December 15, 20211:33 PM CSTEF0Kearney7.1120$350,000
December 15, 20211:27 PM CSTEF0Kearney11.0150$700,000
December 25, 201612:24 PM CSTEF0Buffalo4.250$225,000
May 9, 20164:30 PM CDTEF0Buffalo0.020
March 19, 20135:00 PM CDTEF0Buffalo0.610
June 20, 20114:35 PM CDTEF0Buffalo3.650
June 20, 20114:09 PM CDTEF3Buffalo10.01,320$6.0 million
June 20, 20113:51 PM CDTEF2Buffalo4.04401$750,000
June 20, 20113:35 PM CDTEF0Phelps4.8300$750,000
June 17, 20097:10 PM CDTEF0Buffalo3.6100
June 17, 20097:05 PM CDTEF0Buffalo0.225
June 17, 20096:54 PM CDTEF1Buffalo1.1200$100,000
June 15, 20098:37 PM CDTEF0Buffalo0.120
May 29, 20085:26 PM CDTEF2Buffalo21.8400$11 million
May 29, 20085:20 PM CDTEF1Buffalo25.6100$100,000
May 29, 20085:16 PM CDTEF2Phelps14.1100$100,000
September 15, 20065:30 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.125$40,000
May 7, 20056:15 PM CDTF0Buffalo9.090$30,000
May 7, 20056:00 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.130
May 7, 20056:00 PM CDTF0Buffalo1.545$50,000
May 7, 20055:39 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.130
July 24, 20029:43 PM CDTF0Buffalo2.035
October 16, 19986:12 PM CDTF2Phelps24.0500$480,000
June 13, 19986:25 PM CDTF0Buffalo1.030
August 5, 19952:22 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.123
October 17, 19944:48 PM CDTF1Buffalo1.050
June 6, 19939:45 PM CDTF3Buffalo50.0880
June 6, 19938:53 PM CDTF2Buffalo7.0880
June 6, 19938:25 PM CDTF3Phelps60.01,7602$500,000 to $5 million
May 29, 199110:30 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.530
May 28, 199110:10 PM CDTF1Buffalo1.0502$50,000 to $500,000
May 16, 19915:05 PM CDTF0Buffalo1.040
May 16, 19915:00 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.750
July 25, 19905:15 PM CDTF0Buffalo2.030
July 25, 19904:40 PM CDTF1Buffalo8.050$50,000 to $500,000
June 15, 19909:55 PM CDTF1Buffalo1.060$5,000 to $50,000
March 13, 19905:35 PM CSTF0Buffalo0.140under $50
March 13, 19905:00 PM CSTF3Kearney32.0200$500,000 to $5 million
March 13, 19904:45 PM CSTF1Buffalo1.080$50 to $500
July 14, 19895:20 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.340$5,000 to $50,000
May 10, 19864:00 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.120under $50
May 10, 19863:25 PM CDTF1Buffalo0.520$50 to $500
April 13, 19864:32 PM CSTF0Buffalo0.120$500 to $5,000
September 4, 198510:15 PM CDTF1Buffalo0.250$50,000 to $500,000
May 10, 19856:02 PM CDTF3Buffalo17.05002$500,000 to $5 million
April 21, 19855:00 PM CSTF1Buffalo0.150$500 to $5,000
June 11, 19849:20 PM CDTF2Buffalo0.520$5,000 to $50,000
June 11, 19847:48 PM CDTF1Buffalo0.530$5,000 to $50,000
June 12, 198311:00 PM CDTF1Buffalo0.530$5,000 to $50,000
October 8, 19825:00 PM CDTF1Sherman3.030$50,000 to $500,000
July 21, 19818:00 AM CDTF0Buffalo0.110under $50
April 11, 19796:00 PM CSTF1Buffalo0.510$500 to $5,000
August 30, 19775:30 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.110
May 25, 19778:30 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.120
May 21, 19772:25 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.120
May 18, 19779:31 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.230
May 16, 19779:23 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.230
July 19, 19759:45 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.110
June 19, 19753:30 PM CDTF1Buffalo44.2200$50,000 to $500,000
April 20, 19745:30 PM CDTF1Buffalo0.110$500 to $5,000
April 20, 19743:30 PM CDTF1Buffalo1.210$5,000 to $50,000
April 20, 19743:10 PM CDTF3Buffalo63.58806$500,000 to $5 million
July 25, 19728:15 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.110
July 25, 19727:30 PM CDTF1Buffalo0.110$5,000 to $50,000
July 27, 19715:50 PM CDTF0Buffalo0.110
May 30, 19715:40 PM CDTF0Buffalo26.710
June 12, 19702:45 PM CDTF1Buffalo0.110
May 13, 19698:00 PM GMT-5F1Buffalo0.210$50 to $500
May 12, 19697:30 PM GMT-5F1Buffalo0.110
June 13, 19679:00 PM GMT-5F2Buffalo0.510
June 13, 19679:00 PM GMT-5F0Buffalo0.110
June 13, 19676:40 PM GMT-5F2Buffalo69.710
June 13, 19675:55 PM GMT-5F2Buffalo33.010
June 12, 19677:15 PM GMT-5F2Buffalo34.350$5,000 to $50,000
May 24, 196512:30 PM GMT-5F1Buffalo176.410$5,000 to $50,000
June 11, 19648:00 PM GMT-5F0Buffalo0.110
April 26, 196412:30 PM GMT-5F2Buffalo9.510$5,000 to $50,000
July 14, 19638:30 PM GMT-5F1Buffalo0.510$500 to $5,000
May 29, 196211:15 AM GMT-5F0Buffalo0.110
June 27, 195911:10 PM GMT-5F1Dawson14.010$50,000 to $500,000
May 28, 19596:00 PM GMT-5F1Buffalo0.1100$5,000 to $50,000
May 25, 195910:10 PM GMT-5F1Buffalo0.110$500 to $5,000
July 18, 195811:30 PM GMT-5F3Buffalo3.010$5,000 to $50,000
July 18, 195811:00 PM GMT-5F0Buffalo2.010$500 to $5,000
October 29, 19567:30 PM GMT-6F3Furnas65.510$50,000 to $500,000
June 6, 19564:30 PM GMT-5F4Buffalo2.0500$5,000 to $50,000
July 12, 19557:15 PM GMT-5F2Buffalo5.210$500 to $5,000
May 26, 195312:30 AM GMT-5F1Buffalo0.110$500 to $5,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Buffalo CountyThe forecast for Buffalo CountyThe live radar over Buffalo CountyEvery county in Nebraska

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.