Tornadoes · United States · Nebraska

Tornadoes in Thayer County, Nebraska

70 tornadoes have crossed Thayer County since 1950, 2 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 8th of the 93 counties in Nebraska with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.1 years. They have killed 6 people and injured 98. 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
70
Deaths
6
Injuries
98
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
F4, June 4, 1955

The deadliest in Thayer County

  1. F3, Thayer, Fillmore, Saline and Seward counties, NebraskaMay 9, 19535 killed, 82 injured
  2. F2, Thayer County, NebraskaJune 22, 20031 killed, 7 injured

The strongest

  1. F4, Osborne, Smith and Thayer counties, Kansas and NebraskaJune 4, 1955F4, 61.9 mi (100 km)
  2. EF3, Jewell, Republic, Thayer and Jefferson counties, Kansas and NebraskaMay 29, 2008EF3, 55.2 mi (89 km)
  3. F3, Thayer, Fillmore, Saline and Seward counties, NebraskaMay 9, 1953F3, 46.9 mi (75 km)
  4. F3, Nuckolls, Thayer and Fillmore counties, NebraskaApril 20, 1974F3, 41.6 mi (67 km)
  5. F3, Thayer, Fillmore, Saline and Seward counties, NebraskaMay 8, 1965F3, 40.1 mi (65 km)
  6. F3, Thayer and Fillmore counties, NebraskaMarch 13, 1990F3, 25.0 mi (40 km)
  7. F3, Thayer County, NebraskaMarch 13, 1990F3, 13.0 mi (21 km)
  8. F3, Thayer County, NebraskaJune 12, 1984F3, 13.0 mi (21 km)
  9. F2, Thayer, Jefferson, Saline and Lancaster counties, NebraskaMay 20, 1957F2, 75.3 mi (121 km)
  10. F2, Thayer, Jefferson, Saline and Gage counties, NebraskaJune 9, 1967F2, 48.5 mi (78 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 34 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Thayer County. Each year links to every tornado in Nebraska that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20262EF1
20222EF0
20181EF0
20155EF2
20123EF1
20082EF3
20049F2
2003417F2
200151F1
19982F0
19961F1
19931F1
19904F3
19891F0
19861F2
19851F1
198415F3
19821F1
19802F2
19791F1
19782F1
19771F1
197611F2
19752F2
19741F3
19731F0
196722F2
19651F3
19642F1
19621F1
19581F0
19573F2
19552F4
19531582F3

Every tornado that crossed Thayer County

70 tornadoes, newest first. 7 of them touched down in a neighboring state and ran in, so the record files them under that state rather than Nebraska. The 2 at the top are this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and their ratings are marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 17, 20266:42 PM CDTEF1Thayer4.3200$10
July 3, 20267:02 PM CDTEF0Thayer2.40
June 7, 20229:42 PM CDTEF0Nuckolls9.425$1.0 million
April 29, 20227:05 PM CDTEF0Nuckolls4.835
May 1, 20185:44 PM CDTEF0Republic to NE8.2125
May 6, 20155:28 PM CDTEF0Thayer1.030
May 6, 20155:26 PM CDTEF0Thayer1.8100$500,000
May 6, 20155:20 PM CDTEF2Republic to NE36.2800$1.0 million
May 6, 20154:48 PM CDTEF0Grady to KS, NE0.350
May 6, 20154:48 PM CDTEF2Nuckolls to NE20.1400$4.3 million
May 2, 201210:03 PM CDTEF1Thayer1.0250$200,000
April 14, 20122:56 PM CDTEF0Thayer0.360$350,000
April 14, 20122:30 PM CDTEF0Thayer0.025
July 8, 20084:57 PM CDTEF0Thayer0.125
May 29, 20089:30 PM CDTEF3Jewell to NE55.21,320$2.8 million
May 29, 20045:30 PM CDTF0Thayer0.150
May 24, 20044:29 PM CDTF0Thayer0.125
May 24, 20044:06 PM CDTF1Thayer2.0450$500,000
May 24, 20044:02 PM CDTF0Thayer2.075$30,000
May 22, 20049:25 PM CDTF0Thayer6.0200$250,000
May 22, 20048:53 PM CDTF1Thayer10.0400$1.0 million
May 22, 20047:24 PM CDTF0Thayer1.050
May 22, 20047:00 PM CDTF2Thayer8.0800$2.5 million
May 22, 20046:53 PM CDTF0Thayer0.275
June 22, 20037:20 PM CDTF0Thayer2.050$100,000
June 22, 20037:00 PM CDTF0Thayer1.035
June 22, 20036:43 PM CDTF2Thayer3.020017$10 million
June 22, 20036:30 PM CDTF0Thayer4.0100$200,000
July 18, 20016:58 PM CDTF1Thayer2.040$50,000
June 13, 200110:45 PM CDTF0Thayer3.050
June 13, 20019:25 PM CDTF0Thayer0.520
June 13, 20019:05 PM CDTF1Thayer3.0150$500,000
April 11, 20011:49 AM CDTF1Thayer1.0751$30,000
June 13, 19986:45 PM CDTF0Thayer1.030$150,000
May 11, 19989:00 PM CDTF0Thayer2.530$10,000
May 8, 19969:07 PM CDTF1Thayer7.0150$2.0 million
July 7, 19932:00 AM CDTF1Nuckolls5.0100$5,000 to $50,000
June 16, 19908:40 PM CDTF1Thayer15.0100$50,000 to $500,000
June 15, 19909:05 PM CDTF1Thayer15.0200$5,000 to $50,000
March 13, 19907:45 PM CSTF3Thayer25.0180$500,000 to $5 million
March 13, 19907:45 PM CSTF3Thayer13.0150$50,000 to $500,000
June 24, 19899:20 PM CDTF0Thayer0.130$500 to $5,000
April 26, 19867:08 PM CSTF2Thayer10.040$50,000 to $500,000
April 21, 198510:45 PM CSTF1Thayer1.060$50,000 to $500,000
June 12, 19845:57 PM CDTF3Thayer13.02005$500,000 to $5 million
June 14, 19829:30 PM CDTF1Thayer0.220$5,000 to $50,000
June 2, 19804:30 AM CDTF2Thayer2.0300$5,000 to $50,000
May 29, 19808:45 PM CDTF1Thayer6.217$50,000 to $500,000
October 18, 19797:05 PM CDTF1Thayer3.650$50,000 to $500,000
May 30, 19787:00 PM CDTF1Thayer1.020$5,000 to $50,000
May 30, 19787:00 PM CDTF1Thayer0.720$5,000 to $50,000
August 3, 197712:35 AM CDTF1Thayer0.110$50,000 to $500,000
April 14, 19764:05 PM CSTF2Jewell to NE38.83301$50,000 to $500,000
December 13, 19759:30 PM CSTF2Thayer8.060$50,000 to $500,000
April 27, 197510:30 AM CDTF2Thayer0.320$500 to $5,000
April 20, 19744:30 PM CDTF3Nuckolls41.610$5,000 to $50,000
September 25, 197310:20 PM CDTF0Thayer0.110$5,000 to $50,000
September 20, 19676:10 PM GMT-5F0Thayer0.110
June 9, 19677:55 PM GMT-5F2Thayer48.5102$50,000 to $500,000
May 8, 19655:40 PM GMT-5F3Thayer40.110
June 11, 19648:00 PM GMT-5F0Thayer0.110
June 8, 19646:45 PM GMT-5F1Nuckolls14.610$50,000 to $500,000
August 4, 19624:30 PM GMT-5F1Thayer1.2400$500 to $5,000
May 14, 19584:40 PM GMT-5F0Thayer0.110under $50
June 27, 19578:05 PM GMT-5F0Thayer5.910under $50
June 27, 19578:00 PM GMT-5F1Nuckolls9.710$5,000 to $50,000
May 20, 19575:00 PM GMT-5F2Thayer75.310$50,000 to $500,000
June 4, 19558:00 PM GMT-5F1Thayer0.110
June 4, 19554:20 PM GMT-5F4Osborne to NE61.9500
May 9, 195310:45 PM GMT-5F3Thayer46.9880582$500,000 to $5 million

Nearby

Warnings in force in Thayer CountyThe forecast for Thayer CountyThe live radar over Thayer 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.