OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — It's been 47 years since a tornado struck the middle of Omaha during the afternoon of May 6, 1975. It was a devastating event: three people were killed, schools were struck, and Bergan Mercy Hospital (now, CHI Creighton Medical Center) took millions of dollars worth of damage.
As the funnel tore down 72nd Street, a waitress at Fernando's was killed, NFM was hit and it narrowly missed the Ak-sar-ben horse track where the stands were filled with thousands of people.
In a 1985 television special, KMTV meteorologist Tom Bevacqua took a look back at the traumatic day in Omaha's history. He explained that the tornado — which was recorded as an F4 strength storm as it ripped through the city — could have been much worse. Warning systems, radar, storm spotters, and timing (schools were dismissed for the day, it wasn't yet rush hour) all played a role in keeping injuries and deaths low compared to similar storms in that era.
History buffs will enjoy watching our archived TV special filled with archival footage. Weather nerds will appreciate how far we've come in terms of technology and our ability to forecast storms and alert viewers. Heartlanders of a certain age will enjoy seeing Bevacqua interview broadcasters Carol Scott and Roseann Shannon.
Our viewing area stretches far beyond the Omaha metro area and we typically stay with storm coverage until the danger is out of our viewing area. Mary Nelson and Mark Stitz recently explained why we break into regular programming when there is severe weather in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Changes in technology since 1975 make it a lot easier to provide information to communities in the path of a storm.
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