1975 Omaha tornado outbreak facts for kids

The 1975 Omaha tornado was a very powerful tornado that hit the city of Omaha in Nebraska. It was part of a bigger event called a "tornado outbreak." This outbreak happened over two days, May 6 and 7, 1975. It affected many states in the central and southern parts of the United States.

States like South Dakota, Iowa, Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana also had tornadoes. In total, 36 tornadoes touched down across these six states. Sadly, three people lost their lives, and 137 people were hurt. The damage from these storms cost between $250 million and $300 million.

What Was the 1975 Tornado Outbreak?

A tornado outbreak is when several tornadoes happen from the same large storm system. The 1975 outbreak was a big one, with many tornadoes hitting different areas.

Tornadoes on May 6

On May 6, tornadoes first appeared in South Dakota and Nebraska. One very strong tornado, rated F4 on the Fujita scale, hit a town called Magnet in Pierce County. It damaged or destroyed every building there. Homes were flattened, and cars were thrown far away. Amazingly, only one person was injured in Magnet.

Another strong tornado, an F3, traveled for a long distance, about 45 miles (72 km). It destroyed barns and trailers.

The Omaha Tornado

The most famous tornado of the outbreak hit the Omaha area. Around 4:15 PM, a tornado warning was sent out for Omaha. About 15 minutes later, an F4 tornado touched down. An F4 tornado is incredibly strong, with winds between 207 and 260 miles per hour (333–418 km/h).

The tornado moved northeast, cutting a path through Omaha. It crossed busy roads and neighborhoods. Many homes and apartments were badly damaged. Places like Creighton Prep School and the United Methodist Church were hit hard. The Westgate neighborhood was devastated, with many homes leveled. The nearby Westgate Elementary School was also destroyed.

Bergan Mercy Hospital, Lewis and Clark Junior High School, a motel, and several businesses were also severely damaged. The tornado finally lifted around 4:58 PM.

A Quick Escape

There's an amazing story from the First United Methodist Church. The music minister, Mel Olson, was rehearsing with a children's choir. He saw the swirling clouds outside the windows. He quickly led all the children to safety in the church basement. Just in time, because the church building was hit and heavily damaged by the tornado. The room where the children had been practicing, which had many windows, was completely shattered.

The Aftermath

The Omaha tornado caused three deaths and injured 133 people. One woman was tragically thrown from her home into a backyard several houses away. Debris from the storm was found miles away.

More than 4,000 buildings were damaged, and 287 were completely destroyed. At the time, this tornado was the most expensive in American history. It caused between $250 million and $300 million in damages. That would be about $1.7 billion in today's money!

This tornado was one of the costliest in history for many years. It was only surpassed by a few other major tornadoes, like the one in Oklahoma City in 1999 and Joplin, Missouri, in 2011. Today, it is still one of the top ten most expensive tornadoes ever recorded.

Tornadoes on May 7

Tornadoes continued on May 7, affecting states like Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Iowa, and Louisiana. Many of these were F1 or F2 tornadoes. An F2 tornado has winds between 113 and 157 miles per hour (181–253 km/h).

In Mississippi, an F3 tornado caused damage to trees and houses. In Iowa, several F2 tornadoes destroyed barns and sheds on farms. In Louisiana, an F2 tornado near Welsh destroyed four trailers and six homes. One trailer was even found in a treetop!