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Nebraska · County tornado history

Knox County, Nebraska tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 48 tornadoes in Knox County, Nebraska from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.6 years. That ranks it 24 of 93 counties in Nebraska with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF3 on October 4, 2013.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
48
Since 2000
13
Strongest
EF3, October 4, 2013
Most recent
EF3, October 4, 2013
Peak month
May (21)
Per 1,000 sq mi
42
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Knox County

May has brought the most, 21 of 48. About 71% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 26
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 15
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 5
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Knox County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 6, 1975 F3 44.8 mi 90 yd
October 4, 2013 EF3 6.4 mi 590 yd
May 30, 1959 F2 26.8 mi 10 yd 1 2
June 13, 1950 F2 4.1 mi 10 yd 101
May 5, 2007 EF2 6.5 mi 500 yd 4
June 21, 1975 F2 0.5 mi 50 yd
April 20, 1985 F2 35 mi 440 yd
April 25, 1994 F1 7 mi 200 yd 1
October 29, 1956 F1 99.8 mi 50 yd
May 30, 1959 F1 2 mi 10 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Knox County was an F2 on May 30, 1959. It killed 1 person and injured 2 along its 26.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 4, 2013 EF3 6.4 mi 590 yd
April 15, 2012 EF0 0.5 mi 25 yd
April 15, 2012 EF0 0.4 mi 40 yd
March 23, 2009 EF1 1.8 mi 75 yd
May 5, 2007 EF0 3.5 mi 100 yd
May 5, 2007 EF2 6.5 mi 500 yd 4
May 5, 2007 EF1 8.9 mi 440 yd
May 5, 2007 EF0 5.3 mi 150 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Knox County as relatively low, with a score of 53 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.74 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,365,902 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Knox County had?

48 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 13 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Knox County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF3 on October 4, 2013. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Knox County?

An EF3 on October 4, 2013, with a 6.4-mile path.

When is tornado season in Knox County?

May has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.