2004 Hallam, Nebraska tornado
| Formed | May 22, 2004 1830 CST – 2010 CST |
|---|---|
| Max rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Highest winds |
|
| Damage | $160.22 million |
| Casualties | 1 fatality, 38 injuries |
| Areas affected | Nebraska (Jefferson, Saline, Gage, Lancaster, and Otoe counties) |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
On May 22, 2004, a tornado touched down outside Hallam, Nebraska. It is recognized on the NOAA's Tornado FAQ as the second-largest[1] known tornado, peaking at 2.5 miles (4.0 km) wide. The El Reno, Oklahoma tornado of May 31, 2013 now holds the width record of 2.6 miles (4.2 km) wide.[2][3]
Tornado sequence
The tornado started north of Daykin as an F1. It then traveled east-northeast to a point south of Western and then to about 2 miles (3.2 km) of Swanton. In this time, the tornado fluctuated between F0 and F1 intensities (the EF scale was not in place at the time of this tornado). The only damage reported was to farmhouses and silos.
The tornado remained confined within the F0-1 range until it hit southern Wilber, where it reached F2 on the Fujita Scale. The damage here was slight, with only roofs blown off. It then passed through Wilber completely and moved on to Clatonia. Here it is estimated that the tornado was an F3.
After this, it moved through Hallam, where it reached high end F4 damage intensity. Just south of the town, the tornado hit its record-breaking 2.5 miles (4.0 km) wide. Some houses in Hallam were completely demolished, along with farming equipment and structures. Hallam escaped the most intense winds of the storm, which hit south of the town. The tornado here was rated F2-3 after it started to choke up.
The storm tossed a freight train off its tracks west of Hallam. Here the tornado started to thin out, decreasing in size to about a mile wide just north of Cortland and 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Firth. Norris Schools suffered severe damage, with the middle school being hit worst. There the auditorium roof and several walls caved in.
Buses were tossed, and homes northeast of the schools were flattened to rubble. At this point, the storm regained intensity, reaching F4 damage intensity. Damage continued northeast to Holland and a point north of Panama. Here tornado damage was light (F2 at best) compared to what the tornado had done. The path then tracked north to Bennet where some houses received F3 damage, then tracked northeast, weakening bit by bit. Damage here was F1/0 damage. The tornado finally dissipated a mile west of Palmyra.
Damage
The storm was long-lived, having been on the ground for more than 100 minutes. It was also a long-track tornado with a track covering 52 miles (84 km).[4] Although it demolished many towns, there is no damage cost estimate available. This tornado held a width record, but there may have been wider, unrecorded tornadoes in the near past.[5] Also, this tornado's width record was surpassed on May 31, 2013 by the El Reno, Oklahoma tornado, which had a width of 2.6 miles (4.2 km) wide.[6]
References
- ↑ El Reno Tornado Rated EF5, Widest on Record
- ↑ NOAA, May 2004 Hallam NE Tornado Damage Survey (noting maximum width, path)
- ↑ NOAA, Storm Prediction Center, The Tornado FAQ, Historical Tornadoes (noting record)
- ↑ NOAA, May 2004 Hallam NE Tornado Damage Survey
- ↑ NOAA, Storm Prediction Center, The Tornado FAQ, Historical Tornadoes
- ↑ http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/04/18751584-el-reno-tornado-at-26-miles-across-was-widest-on-record?lite