No Title | |
---|---|
250px | |
No Title |
No information |
The May 4-8, 1964 tornado outbreak was a major tornado outbreak that produced 73 tornadoes, including three violent tornadoes. One of the tornadoes was rated F5, the highest on the Fujita scale. One of the most destructive tornadoes occurred in Michigan and was rated F4.
Confirmed tornadoes[]
Confirmed Total |
Confirmed F? |
Confirmed F0 |
Confirmed F1 |
Confirmed F2 |
Confirmed F3 |
Confirmed F4 |
Confirmed F5 |
73 | 0 | 8 | 20 | 35 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
May 4 event[]
F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Time (Local Time) | Path length | Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F2 | ESE of Melrose | Jackson | WI | 1640 | 9.7 miles | Damage to farm buildings and trees. |
F2 | N of Whittier | Linn | IA | 1730 | 2.3 miles | A tornado caused $300,000 in losses. |
F1 | SSE of Sayner | Vilas | WI | 1810 | 2.2 miles | Damage to 4 resorts and woods. |
F2 | NW of Harpers Ferry, IA to SE of Ferryville, WI | Allamakee (IA), Crawford (WI) | IA, WI | 1810 | 9.2 miles | A tornado caused $500,000 in losses. |
F2 | S of Hopkinton to WSW Worthington | Delaware | IA | 1815 | 4.7 miles | 6 farmsteads extensively damaged. |
F2 | SSW of Hustler | Juneau | WI | 2000-2020 | 7.7 miles | Farm buildings were reportedly damaged. |
F1 | W of Necedah | Juneau | WI | 2030 | 1 mile | Touched down at least twice during its lifetime. |
May 5 event[]
F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Time (Local Time) | Path length | Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F1 | E of McKinley | Barron | WI | 1415 | 0.3 miles | Destroyed buildings and trees on farm. |
F2 | NE of Odin to NE of Dubuque | Barton, Russell | KS | 1450 | 10.6 miles | A tornado damaged several farm plants. |
F4 | Wolbach to E of Oakdale | Greeley, Boone, Antelope, Pierce | NE | 1455-1550 | 51.2 miles | A tornado destroyed a major portion of the city of Wolbach before lifting off of the ground. The tornado touched down a second time in an isolated area. The tornado went on to destroy several houses, school houses, and many farm buildings. The tornado moved in between the cities of Meadow Grove and Tilden before entering Pierce County, where the tornado dissipated. |
F0 | NE of Grenville | Day | SD | 1500 | 0.1 miles | Tornado touched down, but no damage reported. |
F1 | Tilden | Antelope | NE | 1520 | 0.1 miles | A tornado damaged a depot and other buildings in the Tilden area. |
F2 | Dannebrog to N of Kalamazoo | Howard, Nance, Boone, Platte, Madison | NE | 1520-1645 | 0.1 miles | A tornado moved parallel with the F4 tornado that struck Primrose, damaging numerous farm sites and the town of St. Edward. Only 7 injuries were reported from this tornado. |
F1 | WSW of Irene | Yankton | SD | 1600 | 0.1 miles | |
F1 | SW of Webster | Day | SD | 1600 | 0.1 miles | No damage reported. |
F2 | SE of New Effington to Victor | Roberts | SD | 1620 | 4.5 miles | A tornado caused damage to property and livestock. |
F0 | ESE of Mission Hill | Yankton | SD | 1700 | 0.1 miles | Slight damage reported. |
F0 | NNW of Pratt | Pratt | KS | 1715 | 0.1 miles | |
F0 | W of Tegarden | Woods | OK | 1720 | 0.1 miles | No damage reported. |
F3 | Fairmount, ND to SW of Doran, MN | Richland (ND), Wilkin (MN) | ND, MN | 1730-1745 | 5.2 miles | A tornado touched down in Fairmount, then moving into the state of Minnesota, where several farm buildings were damaged before lifting. |
F2 | N of Sawyer | Pratt | KS | 1730 | 0.1 miles | A tornado caused some damage along a short path. |
F3 | Sioux City to E of Hartley | Woodbury, Plymouth, Cherokee, O'Brien | IA | 1800 | 67 miles | A very large tornado destroyed at least 60 farms as it moved past Sioux City, Le Mars, and Hartley. At least $1,500,000 (1964 USD; $11,678,370 2017 USD) in damages resulted from the tornado. |
F0 | W of Alva | Woods | OK | 1800 | 0.1 miles | A tornado downed power lines. |
F5 | S of Hastings to Bradshaw to NW of Bellwood | Adams, Clay, Hamilton, York, Polk, Antelope | NE | 1830 | 79.7 miles | 4 deaths - A strong tornado touched down near Hastings, moving into Clay and Hamilton counties. The tornado moved into York County, where it directly struck Bradshaw at peak intensity, killing four and injuring 50. The tornado swept away numerous farms in Bradshaw. The tornado then moved into Antelope County, where it lost strength and dissipated. This was the only official F5 tornado in the state of Nebraska. |
F2 | NE of Pelican Rapids | Otter Tail | MN | 1830-1845 | 3 miles | A tornado touched down at a resort on Lake Lida, injuring 14 people, and some critically when their homes were demolished. The tornado blew one house into the lake, injuring eight occupants. Thirteen cottages and several barns were destroyed by the tornado. Also, many outbuildings were severely damaged or destroyed. Trees were uprooted, utility lines were downed, and one eyewitness claimed to have seen the water be drawn into the funnel from the lake. At least 60 families were affected by the tornado. |
F1 | SE of Alva | Woods | OK | 1830 | 0.1 miles | A swing set was dragged across the ground, and an old building was severely damaged. |
F3 | New Munich | Stearns | MN | 2000 | 4.3 miles | A tornado struck a rural area, damaging or destroying buildings and killing cattle on nine farms. Trees were uprooted and twisted off, utility lines were downed, and at least ten families were affected. |
F3 | SSW of St. John to NW of Sylvia | Stafford, Reno | KS | 2045-2130 | 20.4 miles | A tornado demolished numerous farm homes and buildings. At one farm, 17 ready-to-market fat cattle were all killed. |
F3 | S of Medicine Lodge to SW of Duquoin | Barber, Harper | KS | 2045-2110 | 33 miles | A tornado destroyed numerous farm plants. |
F2 | Herreid/Mound City | Campbell | SD | 2100 | 16 miles | |
F2 | NE of Sweetwater | Roger Mills | OK | 2100 | 3.6 miles | A tornado damaged four farmsteads along a "skipping" path. Several outbuildings were destroyed and glass was blown into several automobiles and homes. One newly-built home was moved six inches off of its foundation and was heavily damaged. An older home had its porch and roof torn off. |
F2 | WSW of Hague to SW of Streeter | Emmons, McIntosh, Logan | ND | 2105 | 47.5 miles | |
F2 | NE of Strong City | Roger Mills | OK | 2220 | 11.6 miles | A tornado damaged eight farmsteads along a ten-mile path. Barns and outbuildings were demolished and four cattle were killed. Trees were uprooted, and telephone and electrical lines were downed. One farm lost most of its buildings while the house was heavily damaged, with collapsed walls and a partially torn off roof. |
F2 | Manning to N of Healy | Scott, Lane | KS | 2250 | 7.6 miles | |
F1 | SE of Gove City | Gove | KS | 2250 | 0.1 miles | A trailer was destroyed, injuring one person. |
F1 | Seiling | Dewey | OK | 2315 | 1 mile | A tornado touched down on a farm just outside of Seiling and moved across six different farms. It destroyed three garages, caved in a silo, twisted numerous trees, and damaged a granary and a barn. The final farm lost two steel granaries, a hay shed, and a brooder house. |
F1 | E of Jefferson | Grant | OK | 2345 | 3.3 miles |
May 6 event[]
F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Time (Local Time) | Path length | Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F2 | NNE of Nash | Grant | OK | 0010 | A machine shed was unroofed and several outbuildings were demolished. | |
F0 | Fort Cobb | Caddo | OK | 0100 | 8.3 miles | A tornado caused minor damage to a house and a few barns. |
F1 | ESE of Craig | Burt | NE | 0530 | 0.3 miles | A tornado touched down and caused damage to a few farm buildings. |
F2 | N of Prague | Saunders | NE | 0550 | 2.3 miles | Several farms were damaged. |
F2 | NE of Sundell | Alger | MI | 1800 | A small tornado wrecked two barns and a garage was demolished when it was struck by a tree. 25 cattle were killed within one of the wrecked barns. The tornado caused at least $60,000 (1964 USD) in damages. |
May 7 event[]
F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Time (Local Time) | Path length | Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F2 | N of Meadow Valley | Juneau | WI | 1450 | 3.3 miles | Destroyed some buildings on a farm. |
F1 | Rotan | Fisher | TX | 1550 | 2 miles | A tornado struck an implement shed about one mile northwest of Rotan and scattered it for half a mile. The tornado then destroyed a vacant house and a windmill tower. |
F2 | NNW of Boone | Boone | IA | 1600 | 2 miles | |
F3 | S of Hazelton | Buchanan | IA | 1710 | 2.3 miles | A tornado caused $35,000 (1964 USD) in damages. |
F2 | ESE of Oelwein | Fayette | IA | 1728 | 2 miles | |
F2 | Waterloo | Black Hawk | IA | 1730 | 7.1 miles | A tornado struck Waterloo, injuring 27 people and causing $500,000 (1964 USD) in losses. |
F1 | Hubbard | Hardin | IA | 1730 | 2 miles | |
F1 | Big Spring | Howard | TX | 1730 | 0.7 miles | A barn and several outbuildings were destroyed. |
F0 | Roby | Fisher | TX | 1730-1740 | 1 mile | Several utility poles were blown over. |
F1 | ENE of Colorado City to NNE of Loraine | Mitchell | TX | 1745-1815 | 8.2 miles | A church was heavily damaged, and many outbuildings were destroyed in Colorado City. Some roofs were damaged, and windows on homes were blown in. Several barn roofs were torn off also. Property damage was estimated at $50,000 (1964 USD). |
F2 | Wisconsin Rapids | Wood | WI | 1800 | 0.5 miles | 14 people were injured in the city of Wisconsin Rapids when an F2 tornado ripped through a trailer park. |
F2 | NE of Bayard | Guthrie | IA | 1830 | 2 miles | |
F1 | W of Waterloo | Black Hawk | IA | 1835 | 1 mile |
May 8 event[]
F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Time (Local Time) | Path length | Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F1 | N of Scott City | Scott | KS | 0300 | 0.1 miles | One farm plant was severely damaged when a small tornado struck at a farm north of Scott City. The tornado was followed by strong winds. |
F1 | NE of Vermillion | Union | SD | 0800 | 0.1 miles | |
F1 | SSE of Menno | Hutchinson | SD | 0930 | 1.5 miles | A tornado damaged buildings and crops. |
F1 | SSW of Menno to SSW of Parker | Hutchinson, Turner | SD | 1100 | 21.5 miles | |
F3 | Sioux Center | Sioux | IA | 1145 | 9.3 miles | |
F2 | S of Harris | Osceola | IA | 1235 | 5.1 miles | |
F2 | Pontiac | Oakland | MI | 1533 | 7 miles | A tornado damaged six homes and a garage before striking a factory. At the factory, a wall was torn off and nearby homes sustained similar damage. Numerous trees were either blown over or uprooted. |
F4 | N of Mount Clemens | Macomb | MI | 1559-? | 3.3 miles | 11 deaths - A violent tornado struck the area of Anchor Bay spreading death and many injuries as many buildings were completely swept away. The tornado first struck several homes, flattening all of them. The tornado then completely destroyed homes along a half-mile stretch, and moved into a rural area. The tornado struck another residential area, where the worst damage and most of the deaths occurred. Cars landed upside down on top of other cars, and numerous pieces of furniture were scattered about the area. 88 of the 244 injured were hospitalized, and 132 homes were completely destroyed. This was one of the strongest tornadoes in the state of Michigan's history. |
F2 | Luna Pier | Monroe | MI | 1605 | 3.3 miles | A tornado demolished a barn, a garage, and two sheds. The tornado also destroyed a newly-built trailer. The tornado also toppled trees, severed power lines, and injured a man when his semi-trailer was blown over on its side. |
F2 | NE of Ashley to SSW of Pike Lake | Marathon | WI | 1650 | 12.3 miles | |
F2 | SW of Clintonville | Waupaca | WI | 1700 | 3.3 miles | A farm was destroyed before destroying more farm buildings near Clintonville. |
F2 | White Creek | Juneau, Adams | WI | 1715 | 23.5 miles | |
F2 | SE of Readstown to SW of Hillsboro | Vernon, Richland | WI | 1730 | 20.3 miles | Two injuries were reported. |
F0 | NW of Fort Stockton | Pecos | TX | 1750 | 1 mile | No damage reported. |
F2 | Appleton | Winnebago, Calumet, Outagamie | WI | 1830 | 30.6 miles | Five injuries were reported. |
F2 | WNW of Elk Rapids to Bellaire | Grand Traverse, Antrim | MI | 2126 | 16.6 miles | A garage, a sugar house, and a roadside fruit stand were all completely destroyed by a tornado on a farm. The tornado also demolished a barn and four tenant cabins on another farm, plus a truck was blown upside down. A newly-built cottage was also completely demolished. Hundreds of cherry trees were uprooted in the center of Michigan's cherry growing district. The tornado caused at least $200,000 (1964 USD) in losses. |
F2 | Hawks | Presque Isle | MI | 2258 | 17.9 miles | A grocery store in Hawks was completely demolished, along with barns and machinery. Poultry buildings were also destroyed across several farms. Several other barns, buildings, and homes were reported damaged in the area. Livestock and poultry were killed and had a loss estimated at $5,000 (1964 USD). Total tornado damage was estimated at $300,000 (1964 USD). |
See also[]
- Tornadoes of 1964