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North Platte, NE Tornado History — 97 Tornadoes Since 1950

Nebraska · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has North Platte, NE had?

North Platte has had 97 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 6 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near North Platte?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of North Platte was an EF1 on June 16, 2025.

When is tornado season in North Platte?

June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near North Platte, with 27 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
97
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
6
6.2% of total
Peak Month
June
27 on record
Per Year Avg
1.3
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near North Platte

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 31 total, averaging 1.6 per year over this window.

2026 0+1 prelim
2025 2
2024 1
2023 0
2022 0
2021 0
2020 1
2019 0
2018 0
2017 0
2016 0
2015 3
2014 0
2013 2
2012 13
2011 0
2010 3
2009 4
2008 0
2007 2

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

Preliminary tornado reports near North Platte since December 29, 2025

These is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 May 31, 2026
11 NE Dickens, Lincoln County, NE

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

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 3
1960s 9
1970s 7
1980s 19
1990s 13
2000s 21
2010s 21
2020s 4

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 70
EF1 16
EF2 5
EF3 5
EF4 1

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 0
Feb 1
Mar 7
Apr 12
May 26
Jun 27
Jul 15
Aug 7
Sep 0
Oct 2
Nov 0
Dec 0

Have any tornadoes near North Platte been fatal?

No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of North Platte from any of the 97 tornadoes since 1950, though 12 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.

Notable Tornadoes Near North Platte

Costliest Tornado
F3 on June 25, 1989 — est. ~$2.8M (NOAA damage class, pre-1996 estimate).
Widest Tornado
F3 on May 17, 2000 — 1,000 yards wide.
Longest Path
F4 on October 29, 1956 — 147.7 mile track.
Most Recent
EF1 on June 16, 2025.

About Tornadoes in North Platte

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.

Lincoln County sits where the North Platte and South Platte rivers meet on the high plains of western Nebraska, and North Platte, the county seat, lives by a seasonal rhythm that residents know well. Gulf of Mexico moisture works up the Platte valley in late spring just as dry air spills east off the Rockies, and the dryline that sharpens along that boundary primes May, June, and July for rotating storms before the pattern slackens toward autumn.

The record maintained by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center shows how widely the atmosphere can stray from that script. On October 29, 1956, an F4 tornado tracked 147.7 miles across the region and injured two people, an autumn storm far removed from the season's core. More typical timing came with the F3 of June 26, 1989, which injured two and caused roughly 2.75 million dollars in damage, and with the F3 of May 17, 2000, which widened to nearly 1,000 yards as it passed near town.

Recent decades have kept the season's edges loose. EF3 tornadoes touched down on March 19, 2012, arriving weeks ahead of the usual severe-weather calendar, while an EF2 on June 17, 2025, cut a short path through the area within the traditional peak. The event list elsewhere on this page traces the full sweep from the 1950s through the 2020s, and the late-spring pulse runs through it all.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has North Platte, NE had?
Since 1950, 97 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of North Platte. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
When is tornado season in North Platte?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near North Platte, with 27 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 North Platte been hit by an EF4 or EF5 tornado?
Within 25 miles of North Platte, there has been 0 EF5 and 1 EF4 tornado 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 North Platte?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of North Platte was an EF1 on June 16, 2025.
How do I get tornado warnings for North Platte?
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.

Official Resources

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