Hastings, NE Tornado History — 204 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Hastings, NE had?
Hastings has had 204 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 17 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Hastings?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Hastings was an EF1 on July 6, 2024.
When is tornado season in Hastings?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Hastings, with 66 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
Recent Tornado Activity Near Hastings
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 46 total, averaging 2.3 per year over this window.
Tornadoes by Decade
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.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Hastings
13 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Hastings since 1950, across 5 events. 315 injuries have been reported across all events. 1980 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F5 on May 5, 1964, which caused 4 fatalities along a 79.7-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Hastings
About Tornadoes in Hastings
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.
Adams County occupies flat, open farm country in south-central Nebraska, and Hastings sits near its center, exposed on all sides to the storms that cross the plains each spring. Warm, humid air drawn north from the Gulf of Mexico routinely collides here with drier air spilling off the High Plains to the west; when the jet stream adds wind shear overhead, thunderstorms can rotate and drop tornadoes with little terrain to slow them. The NOAA Storm Prediction Center's archive for the Hastings area stretches from the 1950s into the 2020s, with late spring and early summer standing out as the prime season.
Certain dates stand apart in that archive. On May 6, 1964, an F5 tornado tore a 79.7-mile path up to 880 yards wide across the area, killing 4 people and injuring 50. Almost a year later, on May 8, 1965, an F4 tracked 125.7 miles and killed 4 more while injuring 53. On June 4, 1980, an F4 up to 1700 yards wide struck near the city, killing 3, injuring 110, and causing about 275 million dollars in damage, with additional strong tornadoes touching down the same evening. On March 13, 1990, an F4 stayed on the ground for 131 miles, injuring 8 along its path.