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Bellevue, NE Tornado History — 132 Tornadoes Since 1950

Nebraska · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Bellevue, NE had?

Bellevue has had 132 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 11 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near Bellevue?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Bellevue was an EF3 on April 17, 2025.

When is tornado season in Bellevue?

May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Bellevue, with 34 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.

At a Glance

Tornadoes Since 1950
132
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
11
8.3% of total
Peak Month
May
34 on record
Per Year Avg
1.7
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Bellevue

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 56 total, averaging 2.8 per year over this window.

2026 0+5 prelim
2025 3
2024 11
2023 1
2022 2
2021 7
2020 0
2019 0
2018 5
2017 2
2016 9
2015 0
2014 3
2013 0
2012 3
2011 0
2010 1
2009 1
2008 7
2007 1

Striped bars mark preliminary reports not yet confirmed by NWS survey — excluded from the confirmed counts.

Preliminary tornado reports near Bellevue since December 29, 2025

These are 5 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.

Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.

Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.

Preliminary June 11, 2026
5 NW Tabor, Mills County, IA
Preliminary June 11, 2026
2 NNW Union, Cass County, NE
Preliminary May 22, 2026
1 E Murray, Cass County, NE
Preliminary May 18, 2026
2 S Plattsmouth, Cass County, NE
Preliminary May 18, 2026
2 NNE Ashland, Saunders County, NE

Within 25 miles of Bellevue. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 14
1960s 1
1970s 13
1980s 14
1990s 17
2000s 26
2010s 23
2020s 24

Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating

F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.

EF0 51
EF1 48
EF2 22
EF3 7
EF4 4

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 0
Feb 0
Mar 4
Apr 30
May 34
Jun 32
Jul 8
Aug 9
Sep 6
Oct 2
Nov 0
Dec 7

Casualties on Record Near Bellevue

9 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Bellevue since 1950, across 5 events. 316 injuries have been reported across all events. 1975 was the deadliest year on record.

The deadliest single event was a F4 on May 6, 1975, which caused 3 fatalities along a 8.0-mile track.

Notable Tornadoes Near Bellevue

Deadliest Tornado
F4 on May 6, 1975 — 3 fatalities, 8.0 mi path, 267 yd wide.
Costliest Tornado
F1 on July 15, 1988 — est. ~$27.5M (NOAA damage class, pre-1996 estimate).
Widest Tornado
EF3 on April 26, 2024 — 1,900 yards wide.
Longest Path
F4 on April 25, 1957 — 89.8 mile track.
Most Recent
EF3 on April 17, 2025.

About Tornadoes in Bellevue

This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.

Bellevue can drift through entire seasons of quiet skies, then watch a spring afternoon turn the Missouri River valley violent. The whiplash is built into eastern Nebraska's setting: humid Gulf of Mexico air streams north across the Plains, drier air presses in behind a sharpening dryline, and jet-stream winds aloft supply the shear that sets thunderstorms rotating. When those ingredients align, typically in spring and early summer, the calm breaks fast.

The archive maintained by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center shows what such afternoons produce. An F4 tore a 26.7-mile path through the area on August 14, 1952, injuring 20 people. Another F4 on April 26, 1957 tracked close to 90 miles, killing one person and injuring 8. On May 6, 1975, an F4 ripped through the Bellevue area, killing 3 people and injuring 133.

Recent decades read the same way. April 26, 2024 brought an EF4 that churned along a roughly 32-mile path nearly 1,900 yards wide at times, while an EF3 the same day ran about 40 miles and killed one person; another EF3 followed on April 17, 2025. Between such outbreak days stretch long quiet spells — that contrast is the true character of tornado weather here, and the event list elsewhere on this page fills in the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Bellevue, NE had?
Since 1950, 132 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Bellevue. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
What was the deadliest tornado near Bellevue?
The deadliest tornado on record within 25 miles of Bellevue was a F4 on May 6, 1975, which caused 3 fatalities.
When is tornado season in Bellevue?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Bellevue, with 34 tornadoes on record. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring months (April–June) generally see the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
Has Bellevue been hit by an EF4 or EF5 tornado?
Within 25 miles of Bellevue, there have been 0 EF5 and 4 EF4 tornadoes recorded since 1950. EF4 and EF5 tornadoes are the most destructive ratings on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds above 166 mph.
When was the most recent tornado near Bellevue?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Bellevue was an EF3 on April 17, 2025.
How do I get tornado warnings for Bellevue?
Vortex delivers real-time tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm alerts, and SPC outlook updates for any US location via push notification and phone call. Alerts are sourced directly from the National Weather Service and updated within seconds of issuance.

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