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Nebraska · County tornado history

Lincoln County, Nebraska tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 107 tornadoes in Lincoln County, Nebraska from 1950 through 2024, about 1.4 a year. That ranks it 2 of 93 counties in Nebraska with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on May 6, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
107
Since 2000
49
Strongest
F4, October 29, 1956
Most recent
EF0, May 6, 2024
Peak month
May (31)
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 Lincoln County

May has brought the most, 31 of 107. About 81% 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) 74
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 18
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 8
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
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 Lincoln County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 29, 1956 F4 147.7 mi 440 yd 2
June 18, 1975 F3 28.4 mi 10 yd 1 3
June 25, 1989 F3 8 mi 123 yd 2
May 17, 2000 F3 11.5 mi 1,000 yd 2
April 20, 2007 EF3 15.7 mi 440 yd 2
March 18, 2012 EF3 6.7 mi 100 yd 2
March 18, 2012 EF3 1.7 mi 100 yd 2
July 27, 1972 F3 2.3 mi 100 yd
June 18, 1975 F3 21.9 mi 10 yd
May 18, 1962 F2 14.2 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 Lincoln County was an F3 on June 18, 1975. It killed 1 person and injured 3 along its 28.4-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 6, 2024 EF0 0.9 mi 10 yd
June 8, 2020 EF0 0 mi 10 yd
August 2, 2015 EF0 0.1 mi 10 yd
August 2, 2015 EF0 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 14, 2015 EF0 1 mi 25 yd
March 29, 2013 EF0 0.1 mi 20 yd
March 29, 2013 EF0 0.3 mi 25 yd
April 14, 2012 EF0 15.1 mi 20 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 Lincoln County as relatively low, with a score of 63 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 1.47 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,124,052 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 Lincoln County had?

107 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 49 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Lincoln County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on May 6, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Lincoln County?

An F4 on October 29, 1956, with a 147.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Lincoln 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.