Tornadoes · United States · Nebraska
Tornadoes in Gage County, Nebraska
60 tornadoes have crossed Gage County since 1950, 1 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 13th of the 93 counties in Nebraska with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.3 years. They have killed 4 people and injured 102. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
- 60
- Deaths
- 4
- Injuries
- 102
- F4 and above
- 1
- Worst on record
- F4, May 22, 2004
The deadliest in Gage County
The strongest
- F4 Hallam tornado, NebraskaMay 22, 2004
- F3, Rice, McPherson, Saline, Ottawa and Gage counties, Kansas and NebraskaSeptember 25, 1973
- F3, Jefferson, Saline and Gage counties, NebraskaApril 28, 1956
- F3, Washington and Gage counties, Kansas and NebraskaApril 26, 1991
- F2, Jefferson, Gage, Pawnee and Richardson counties, NebraskaJune 7, 1967
- F2, Thayer, Jefferson, Saline and Gage counties, NebraskaJune 9, 1967
- F2, Gage and Johnson counties, NebraskaApril 15, 2006
- F2, Gage, Pawnee and Johnson counties, NebraskaJuly 3, 1958
- F2, Saline, Lancaster and Gage counties, NebraskaMay 20, 1957
- F2, Washington and Gage counties, Kansas and NebraskaApril 6, 2006
Every year with a tornado
The 38 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Gage County. Each year links to every tornado in Nebraska that year.
| Year | Tornadoes | Deaths | Injuries | Strongest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | Unrated | ||
| 2024 | 2 | EF0 | ||
| 2022 | 2 | EF1 | ||
| 2020 | 1 | Unrated | ||
| 2018 | 1 | EF0 | ||
| 2017 | 2 | EF0 | ||
| 2015 | 1 | EF1 | ||
| 2013 | 1 | EF0 | ||
| 2009 | 2 | EF0 | ||
| 2008 | 1 | EF2 | ||
| 2006 | 3 | F2 | ||
| 2004 | 2 | 1 | 38 | F4 |
| 2003 | 1 | F1 | ||
| 2001 | 3 | 2 | F2 | |
| 1998 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1997 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1996 | 1 | 15 | F2 | |
| 1995 | 2 | F0 | ||
| 1994 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1993 | 3 | F1 | ||
| 1991 | 2 | F3 | ||
| 1989 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1984 | 1 | F1 | ||
| 1978 | 5 | F2 | ||
| 1976 | 2 | F1 | ||
| 1975 | 1 | F2 | ||
| 1973 | 1 | 3 | 42 | F3 |
| 1972 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1971 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1970 | 1 | F2 | ||
| 1969 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1967 | 2 | 2 | F2 | |
| 1964 | 1 | F2 | ||
| 1959 | 3 | F1 | ||
| 1958 | 1 | 2 | F2 | |
| 1957 | 1 | F2 | ||
| 1956 | 2 | 1 | F3 | |
| 1953 | 1 | F2 |
Every tornado that crossed Gage County
60 tornadoes, newest first. 3 of them touched down in a neighboring state and ran in, so the record files them under that state rather than Nebraska. The 1 at the top is this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and its rating is marked as preliminary.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2026 | 2:57 PM CDT | Unrated | Gage | 0.6 | 20 | |||
| May 6, 2024 | 7:16 PM CDT | EF0 | Gage | 0.2 | 20 | |||
| May 6, 2024 | 7:07 PM CDT | EF0 | Gage | 1.0 | 30 | |||
| June 11, 2022 | 5:40 PM CDT | EF1 | Gage to KS | 4.2 | 150 | |||
| June 11, 2022 | 5:18 PM CDT | Unrated | Gage | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| May 22, 2020 | 5:07 PM CDT | Unrated | Gage | 0.0 | 50 | |||
| May 1, 2018 | 7:23 PM CDT | EF0 | Gage | 0.3 | 75 | |||
| June 16, 2017 | 9:39 PM CDT | EF0 | Gage | 0.9 | 40 | |||
| April 9, 2017 | 8:51 PM CDT | EF0 | Gage | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 6, 2015 | 10:49 PM CDT | EF1 | Gage | 7.7 | 500 | |||
| May 27, 2013 | 9:16 PM CDT | EF0 | Gage | 1.4 | 100 | |||
| June 17, 2009 | 2:18 PM CDT | EF0 | Gage | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| April 4, 2009 | 5:15 PM CDT | EF0 | Gage | 2.5 | 75 | |||
| May 29, 2008 | 11:25 PM CDT | EF2 | Gage | 10.8 | 440 | $750,000 | ||
| April 15, 2006 | 4:33 PM CDT | F2 | Gage | 34.0 | 880 | $5.0 million | ||
| April 6, 2006 | 6:30 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 5.5 | 200 | $60,000 | ||
| April 6, 2006 | 5:20 PM CDT | F2 | Washington to NE | 17.3 | 440 | $750,000 | ||
| May 29, 2004 | 7:30 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| May 22, 2004 | 7:30 PM CDT | F4 | Hallam tornado | 54.0 | 4,400 | 1 | 38 | $160 million |
| May 8, 2003 | 5:20 PM CDT | F1 | Gage | 7.0 | 150 | |||
| September 7, 2001 | 7:03 PM CDT | F1 | Gage | 3.0 | 40 | $60,000 | ||
| April 11, 2001 | 2:40 AM CDT | F2 | Gage | 2.0 | 50 | 2 | $400,000 | |
| April 11, 2001 | 2:30 AM CDT | F1 | Gage | 1.0 | 40 | $150,000 | ||
| June 27, 1998 | 10:20 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| May 7, 1997 | 4:14 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 2.0 | 20 | |||
| May 8, 1996 | 8:44 PM CDT | F2 | Gage | 9.5 | 880 | 15 | $12 million | |
| May 16, 1995 | 5:30 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 16, 1995 | 5:25 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| July 1, 1994 | 7:45 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.5 | 50 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| October 8, 1993 | 4:45 PM CDT | F1 | Gage | 2.0 | 100 | |||
| May 14, 1993 | 7:40 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| May 14, 1993 | 7:38 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| April 26, 1991 | 5:00 PM CDT | F2 | Gage | 4.0 | 150 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 26, 1991 | 3:50 PM CDT | F3 | Washington to NE | 24.0 | 200 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| August 27, 1989 | 2:55 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.1 | 20 | $50 to $500 | ||
| July 5, 1984 | 8:30 PM CDT | F1 | Gage | 0.8 | 40 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| July 18, 1978 | 11:30 PM CDT | F1 | Gage | 0.2 | 20 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| July 6, 1978 | 6:00 PM CDT | F1 | Gage | 1.0 | 30 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| July 6, 1978 | 5:45 PM CDT | F2 | Jefferson | 4.4 | 100 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| June 19, 1978 | 8:15 PM CDT | F1 | Gage | 0.5 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 30, 1978 | 7:20 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 13, 1976 | 4:21 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| April 23, 1976 | 6:55 PM CST | F1 | Gage | 9.5 | 60 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 2, 1975 | 6:10 PM CDT | F2 | Gage | 0.2 | 27 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| September 25, 1973 | 4:05 PM CDT | F3 | Rice to NE | 169.7 | 100 | 3 | 42 | $5 million to $50 million |
| May 23, 1972 | 6:50 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| June 6, 1971 | 9:30 PM CDT | F0 | Gage | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| July 14, 1970 | 7:30 PM CDT | F2 | Gage | 4.7 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 31, 1969 | 5:05 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Gage | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| June 9, 1967 | 7:55 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Thayer | 48.5 | 10 | 2 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| June 7, 1967 | 6:15 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Jefferson | 67.3 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| June 8, 1964 | 8:00 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Saline | 12.3 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| July 3, 1959 | 11:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Gage | 4.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 20, 1959 | 8:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Jefferson | 40.6 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 4, 1959 | 8:30 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Gage | 9.5 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| July 3, 1958 | 3:00 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Gage | 32.1 | 10 | 2 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| May 20, 1957 | 6:20 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Saline | 23.9 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 29, 1956 | 10:30 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Gage | 2.3 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 28, 1956 | 1:15 AM GMT-6 | F3 | Jefferson | 39.3 | 10 | 1 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| August 2, 1953 | 4:30 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Gage | 1.9 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Gage CountyThe forecast for Gage CountyThe live radar over Gage 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.