103
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
14
Direct injuries
$7.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Lincoln County, Nebraska: 103 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #44 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Lincoln County, Nebraska: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Lincoln County is the 2000s, when 27 of the county's 103 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 Lincoln County archive, tornado makes up 5.6% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #44 for this hazard and #2 within Nebraska, putting it in the 98.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Lincoln County with 31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-10-29 | EF4 | 147.7 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1975-06-18 | EF3 | 28.4 mi | 10 yd | Crossed in |
| 2012-03-18 | EF3 | 6.7 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-18 | EF3 | 1.7 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2007-04-20 | EF3 | 15.7 mi | 440 yd | Crossed in |
| 2000-05-17 | EF3 | 11.5 mi | 1,000 yd | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-25 | EF3 | 8.0 mi | 123 yd | Touched down here |
| 1975-06-18 | EF3 | 21.9 mi | 10 yd | Crossed in |
| 1975-06-18 | EF3 | 9.4 mi | 10 yd | Crossed in |
| 1972-07-27 | EF3 | 2.3 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 19, 2012 | NORTH PLATTE | EF3 | 0 | 2 | $750K |
| Mar 19, 2012 | NORTH PLATTE | EF3 | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| Apr 21, 2007 | BRADY | EF3 | 0 | 2 | $180K |
| May 17, 2000 | BRADY | F3 | 0 | 2 | $750K |
| Jun 26, 1989 | F3 | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Oct 29, 1956 | F4 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Mar 19, 2012 | NORTH PLATTE | EF1 | 0 | 1 | $250K |
| May 18, 1990 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2025 | DICKENS | EF2 | $140K |
| Jun 17, 2025 | DICKENS | EF1 | $0 |
| May 6, 2024 | WELLFLEET | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2020 | MAXWELL | EF0 | $0 |
| Aug 2, 2015 | NORTH PLATTE | EF0 | $0 |
| Aug 2, 2015 | (LBF)BIRD FLD NORTH | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2015 | (LBF)BIRD FLD NORTH | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2012 | WELLFLEET | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2012 | (LBF)BIRD FLD NORTH | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2012 | NORTH PLATTE | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Lincoln County
- Hail 1,091
- Thunderstorm Wind 567
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado touched down four and a half miles west of North Platte just south of west Front street and traveled north northeast. The tornado damage was extensive to include two homes destroyed and two additional homes with significant damage from trees blown over and windows blown out. Two residents were injured in their homes. As the tornado traveled north across the Union Pacific Bailey Yards, an estimated 15 tanker cars were blown over and debris was scattered northeast for one and a half miles. A center pivot irrigation system was overturned north of Highway 30 before the tornado lifted five and a half miles northwest of North Platte.
The same supercell thunderstorm that had earlier produced the twin tornadoes 20 miles south of Brady produced a large tornado that touched down 6 miles south of Brady and moved toward the northwest lifting 4 miles south of Maxwell. Two women were injured when their home blew down around them. The tornado destroyed three homes and heavily damaged three others. Numerous outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. Four center pivot irrigation systems were destroyed and extensive damage was done to agricultural equipment. Over 75 power and telephone poles were destroyed along with miles of wire. The tornado reached it's maximum intensity of F3 shortly after touchdown when it heavily damaged a brick home and completely destroyed a large steel building. Later in it's path, the tornado leveled a frame home and blew several vehicles over and around the home. The path of the tornado was clearly visible where crops had been stripped from the ground. This tornado received extensive national coverage because of great video taken from chasers.
A tornado touched down 10 miles southwest of North Platte and traveled north and destroyed a large metal transmission tower. Two homes were damaged, several outbuildings and garages were damaged or destroyed. Two center pivot irrigation systems were overturned with one wood transmission tower destroyed and extensive power line damage along the path in addition to tree damage. The tornado dissipated while moving north of Walker road.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Lincoln County, Nebraska?
103 tornado events are recorded in Lincoln County between 1956 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Lincoln County?
The strongest tornado on record in Lincoln County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Lincoln 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 Lincoln County, Nebraska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nebraska/lincoln-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.