40
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$4.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Red Willow County, Nebraska: 40 recorded events between 1950 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #620 nationally and #28 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Red Willow County, Nebraska: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Red Willow County is the 1990s, when 12 of the county's 40 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Red Willow County archive, tornado makes up 6.7% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #620 for this hazard and #28 within Nebraska, putting it in the 78.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Red Willow County with 16 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-06-15 | EF4 | 28.0 mi | 2,640 yd | Crossed in |
| 2019-05-17 | EF2 | 6.0 mi | 350 yd | Touched down here |
| 1996-08-10 | EF2 | 6.0 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1958-06-30 | EF2 | 3.0 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-22 | EF1 | 34.0 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 1999-06-26 | EF1 | 0.5 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 1996-08-10 | EF1 | 0.3 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1990-05-18 | EF1 | 2.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1990-05-18 | EF1 | 1.0 mi | 23 yd | Touched down here |
| 1988-06-19 | EF1 | 0.2 mi | 33 yd | Touched down here |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2024 | PERRY | EF0 | $1K |
| May 17, 2019 | PERRY | EFU | $0 |
| May 17, 2019 | PERRY | EF2 | $0 |
| May 8, 2016 | INDIANOLA | EF0 | $0 |
| May 10, 2015 | MC COOK | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 20, 2011 | PERRY | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 2009 | MC COOK | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2008 | MC COOK | EF0 | $0 |
| May 23, 2008 | LEBANON | EF1 | $350K |
| Aug 12, 2002 | BARTLEY | F0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Red Willow County
- Hail 294
- Thunderstorm Wind 237
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado moved into Red Willow county from Decatur county, Kansas. A garage lost a roof and 2 walls approximately 3.5 miles north of Lebanon. A stock trailer was pushed 6 feet and 4 oil tanks were blown over, one being tossed 1/4 mile. About 25 utility poles were either broken or damaged in this area.
Tornado reported north of McCook, NE. No damage was found by storm survey other than a few snapped branches off trees and minor debris from unknown sources/structures. Could not find a defined path but tornado continued into Frontier County, NE.
Weak tornado developed 6 miles north of Indianola in northeast Red Willow County. The tornado remained over open fields as it traversed 4.5 miles in 11 minutes for an average forward speed of 25 mph. The tornado dissipated approximately 3 miles northeast of Indianola. No known injuries or damage.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Red Willow County, Nebraska?
40 tornado events are recorded in Red Willow County between 1950 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Red Willow County?
The strongest tornado on record in Red Willow County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Red Willow County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Red Willow County, Nebraska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nebraska/red-willow-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.