Tornado that hit Elkhorn in April upgraded to EF-4
NWS: Further analysis of damage area shows winds 5mph stronger than earlier assessments — enough to increase tornado rating
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The National Weather Service in Omaha has revised the wind rating for the tornado that struck the Omaha metro area on April 26.
The initial estimate for the tornado that destroyed homes in Elkhorn, Bennington, and Blair showed peak wind speeds of around 165mph. After several months of review, an analysis of the damage showed maximum wind speeds likely reached 170mph.
This 5mph increase from the initial estimate is just enough to push the tornado rating from a very high end EF-3 tornado to EF-4.
The ratings upgrade was based on further analysis of the damage done to three homes in Elkhorn near the area of 216th Street and West Maple Road, as well as one home to the south of Blair. The NWS said the upgrade was based on comparisons to other tornado damage of similar strength, as well as forensic analysis and evaluation of new high resolution overhead photography.
This tornado tracked for 31 miles from southwest Douglas County through Elkhorn, Bennington, through to the south side of Blair before dissipating.
The last EF-4 tornado recorded in Nebraska was in 2014 when four EF-4 tornadoes struck Pilger and surrounding areas on June 16.
The National Weather Service in Omaha/Valley has conducted a thorough review of all available information in the wake of the damaging tornado outbreak of April 26, 2024. This includes direct comparison to other tornado damage of similar magnitude, forensic analysis, and careful evaluation of newly available high resolution overhead photography immediately after the tornado occurred and prior to clean up. These analyses indicate that the tornado that tracked through the Elkhorn, Bennington, and Blair areas had a few points along the track where EF-4 damage occurred, with an estimated maximum peak wind speed of 170 mph, based on the damage. This is an increase of only 5 mph from the previous rating information, but brings the tornado from EF-3 to EF-4 category. This conclusion is being released now, in time for the final submission of the April 26, 2024 severe weather data into the official NOAA Storm Data publication.
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