- In late April 2024, a severe thunderstorm swept across the plains.
- Tornadoes stretched from Iowa and Nebraska to Texas.
- There are only two dozen strong ones.
- Sulfur City, Oklahoma; Elkhorn, Nebraska; and Minden, Iowa were among the hardest hit areas.
In late April 2024, a wave of severe weather swept across the Plains, triggering devastating tornadoes from Iowa and Nebraska to Oklahoma and Texas.
Tornado Statistics: In a four-day period from April 25 to 28, 130 tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service or spotted by storm spotters.
They span more than 10 states from Wyoming to Iowa to Texas. More than 30 tornadoes were confirmed in Oklahoma, at least 20 in Iowa, 20 in Texas, 16 in Missouri, 15 in Kansas and 13 in Nebraska.
Plotted on this map is a combination of confirmed tornadoes and tornado reports from April 25-28, 2024.
(Data: NOAA/NWS/SPC)
The strongest tornado: one After 10 pm on April 27, an EF4 tornado swept across the west side of Marietta, Oklahoma, killing one person and severely damaging the Dollar Tree warehouse.
This is the first EF4 tornado in the United States since March 31, 2023.
Photo taken on Monday, April 29, 2024, after a tornado ripped through Marietta, Oklahoma, on Saturday.
(USA Today Network, Reuters)
Stronger tornadoes in Nebraska, Iowa: About 20% (two dozen) of tornadoes were rated at least EF2.
A small portion passes through eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
Another long-range EF3 tornado severely damaged the town of Elkhorn, Nebraska, before crossing the Missouri River into Harrison County, Iowa.
However, another EF3 tornado touched down first near Omaha's Eppley Field, where there are hangars and some unsafe small planes The buildings were destroyed before the tornado crossed the Missouri River and Interstate 29 into Iowa.
Two other EF3 tornadoes in western Iowa ripped through parts of Pottawatomie and Shelby counties. The town of Minden suffered a direct attack, causing severe damage, killing one person and injuring three others. There is a house in the town Slipped 10 yards from foundation but still intact. The Minden tornado swept the ground nearly 41 miles.
An EF2 tornado ripped through parts of the south and east sides of the Des Moines, Iowa, metro, including the suburb of Pleasant Hill.
The National Weather Service office near Omaha posted 42 tornado warnings Forecast area for April 26 only.
Two other deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma: An EF3 tornado killed one person in Sulfur, about 75 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. Another long-range EF3 tornado passes Just west of Holdenville in Hughes County and then traced to Okfuski County.
Elsewhere in Oklahoma, EF1 tornadoes were confirmed near Norman and Tinker Air Force Base. EF2 tornado ripped through west side of Ardmore.
A row of buildings was damaged by a tornado on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Sulphur, Oklahoma.
(AP Photo/Ken Miller)
