ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) — At 3:30 pm on April 26, a tornado began near the intersection of 255th and Q streets in far southwest Douglas County. Over the next hour, this mile-wide tornado would rip through and near Waterloo, Elkhorn, Bennington, Washington County, Blair, and Modale before lifting in Harrison County, Iowa. The initial rating on the "Elkhorn-Bennington-Blair" Tornado was an EF-3 with winds up to 165 mph. However, based on new information gathered, the National Weather Service has found sufficient evidence to upgrade the rating of the Elkhorn tornado to an EF-4 with winds up to 170 mph.
The upgrade was based on the damage done to three homes in Elkhorn and one south of Blair. Two of them were on Larimore Drive, and one was on 216th near Prospect Hill Cemetary. The one in Blair was on Sundown Drive. These homes had their walls swept away, leaving only a bare foundation. The house was built and inspected within the past two years, adding to the credibility of its construction being up to code. Using contextual damage found in other EF-4 tornadoes, and contributions from experts in the structural engineering business, the National Weather Service gave it the EF-4 rating.
The Elkhorn tornado is the only tornado to receive an upgrade. The EF-3 tornadoes that struck Lincoln/Waverly, Eppley Airfield/Crescent, the McClelland area, and Minden have all remained the same. For more details on those tornadoes, see the updated tornado count blog here.
In context, EF-4 tornadoes in Nebraska are somewhat rare, despite the reputation of the state for being in tornado alley. The last EF-4 tornado to hit Nebraska was the Stanton/Pilger/Wakefield tornadoes (there were 4 EF-4s) on June 16, 2014. Before that, it was the Hallam tornado of May 22, 2004. (NOTE: Before 2007, the Fujita scale (F-scale) was used; after 2007, the enhanced Fujita (EF-scale) was used.)
In Douglas County, there have only been three F-4/EF-4 tornadoes to strike the county before April 26. The first two occurred on Easter Sunday (March 23), 1913. One of them hit Yutan in Saunders County where 18 people died, then crossed over northern Douglas County passing between Valley and Waterloo then west of Bennington where 1 other person was killed. The other F-4 tornado was the infamous one that began in Ralston and crossed through the heart of Omaha killing 103 people. After 1913, the other F-4 tornado was the Omaha tornado on May 6, 1975, which followed 72nd Street more or less, taking the lives of 3 people.
Washington County has also only had 3 F-4/EF-4 tornadoes before April 26. The Yutan tornado from 1913 crossed near Fort Calhoun. On June 13, 1899, an F-4 tornado hit Herman directly killing 11 people. The most recent occurred on May 18, 1944, when a tornado crossed over northern Washington County into Burt County.
Harrison County, Iowa, where the Elkhorn tornado ended, also has had its fair share of violent tornadoes. The Yutan tornado of 1913 continued into the county, hitting Woodbine where much damage occurred. The Omaha tornado in 1913 also dissipated near Persia. On April 21, 1883, an F-4 tornado killed 2 people west of Dunlap. Then on June 3, 1925, two F-4 tornadoes hit the southeast corner of the county doing significant damage.
Overall, the change in rating means little outside the scientific community. Disaster funding does NOT rely on the EF-rating of a tornado, nor does it help anyone who lost their home to the tornado. However, ensuring the most accurate information for a tornado rating and estimated wind speed is key for further research on tornadoes and how they work. Plus, it can help manufacturers and engineers determine future building codes to help properties withstand high winds.
