View source for 1913 Easter tornado outbreak

{{Short description|Severe windstorm in the United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox weather event
 | image                = 1913 Omaha Tornado.jpg
 | alt                  = 
 | caption              = The Omaha F4, the deadliest tornado of the outbreak
}}{{Infobox weather event/Tornado outbreak
 | name                 = Tornado outbreak sequence of March 1913
 | duration             = March 23, 1913
 | tornadoes            = ≥ 15
 | fujitascale          = F4+
 | winds                = 
 | largest hail         = <!-- unused? -->
}}
{{Infobox weather event/Effects
 | year                 = 1913
 | damages              = $3 million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|3,000,000|1913|r=-4}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}} USD){{efn|All losses are in 1913 [[United States dollar]]s unless otherwise noted.|group=note|name=Losses}}
 | outages              = 
 | fatalities           = 192
 | injuries             = 853+
 | affected             = [[Central United States]]
}}
{{Infobox weather event/Footer
 | season               = tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1913
}}
On March&nbsp;23, 1913—[[Easter]] Sunday—a devastating [[tornado outbreak]] affected the northern [[Great Plains]] and sections of the [[Upper Midwest]], lasting approximately 3{{frac|1|2}}&nbsp;hours.{{efn|An [[tornado outbreak|outbreak]] is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An [[tornado outbreak sequence|outbreak sequence]], prior to (after) the start of modern records in 1950, is defined as a period of no more than two (one) consecutive days without at least one [[Fujita scale#Rating classifications|significant]] (F2 or stronger) tornado.<ref name=OutbreakClimo>{{cite conference |url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/schneider/otbrkseq.pdf |title=Tornado Outbreak Day Sequences: Historic Events and Climatology (1875–2003) |last1=Schneider |first1=Russell S. |last2=Brooks |first2=Harold E. |last3=Schaefer |first3=Joseph T. |author-link2=Harold E. Brooks |year=2004 |publisher=[[American Meteorological Society]] |location=Hyannis, Massachusetts |conference=22nd Conf. Severe Local Storms |conference-url=https://ams.confex.com/ams/11aram22sls/techprogram/programexpanded_230.htm |access-date=September 17, 2019}}</ref>|group=note|name=Outbreak}} It was the most violent tornado outbreak to affect the northern Great Plains on so early a date in the year—a record that still stands as of 2020. That day, four&nbsp;F4 tornadoes affected portions of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, killing at least 168&nbsp;people. The deadliest tornado of the day was a [[Fujita scale#Rating classifications|violent tornado]], retroactively [[Fujita scale#Parameters|rated F4]] on the present-day Fujita scale,{{efn|The [[Fujita scale]] was devised under the aegis of scientist [[Ted Fujita|T. Theodore Fujita]] in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=141}}{{sfn|Grazulis|2001a|p=[https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz/page/131 131]}} Tornado ratings were retroactively applied to events prior to the formal adoption of the F-scale by the [[National Weather Service]].{{sfn|Edwards et al.|2013|p=641–642}} While the Fujita scale has been superseded by the [[Enhanced Fujita scale]] in the U.S. since February&nbsp;1, 2007,<ref name="EFscale">{{cite web|last1=Edwards|first1=Roger|title=Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html|website=The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)|publisher=Storm Prediction Center|access-date=February 25, 2016|date=March 5, 2015}}</ref> Canada used the old scale until April&nbsp;1, 2013;<ref name="FscaleCanada">{{cite web |title=Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale) |url=https://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=41E875DA-1 |website=Environment and Climate Change Canada |publisher=[[Environment and Climate Change Canada]] |access-date=February 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220706/http://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=41E875DA-1 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |date=June 6, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> nations elsewhere, like the United Kingdom, apply other classifications such as the [[TORRO scale]].<ref name="TORROscale">{{cite web|title=The International Tornado Intensity Scale |url=http://www.torro.org.uk/tscale.php |website=Tornado and Storm Research Organisation |publisher=[[Tornado and Storm Research Organisation]] |access-date=February 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305120332/http://www.torro.org.uk/tscale.php |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |year=2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>|group=note|name=Fujita}} that grew to {{convert|1/4|mi|yd|lk=on}} in width as it passed through northern [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], [[Nebraska]], killing at least 94&nbsp;people in the city proper and three in rural areas. Damage in Omaha reached [[List of F4, EF4, and IF4 tornadoes|at least F4]], possibly even [[List of F5, EF5, and IF5 tornadoes|F5]], intensity, though confirmation of F5 damage could not be determined from available evidence. The tornado is the 13th deadliest ever to affect the United States and the deadliest to hit the U.S. state of Nebraska as of 2014. No other violent tornado would affect Omaha for another [[1975 Omaha tornado outbreak|62&nbsp;years]]. Outside the Great Plains, the outbreak of March&nbsp;23 also produced two other F4 tornadoes, one each in [[Missouri]] and [[Indiana]], including a devastating path more than {{convert|1/2|mi|yd|abbr=on}} through southern [[Terre Haute, Indiana]], killing 21&nbsp;people and injuring 250. In all, tornadoes struck Nebraska, Iowa, Louisiana, Indiana, and Missouri, though only significant events were recorded and other, weaker tornadoes may have gone undetected.

==Background==
A series of potent storm systems traversed the US during March 1913,<ref>{{cite web | author=Evan Kuchera | title = 23 March 1913 Omaha area tornadoes | date =2014-07-05 | url = https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vg-e6nr9ZHW_nI2RJsWscPZFE-XzRQjhrzUdw4XcIeo/edit#slide=id.p | accessdate =2014-07-05}}</ref> described by the US Weather Bureau as "...the most extraordinary situation in regards to the weather since the creation of the bureau."  Anomalously high moisture had gathered near the US Gulf Coast, as an intense upper level storm system moved in from the west. According to retrospective numerical modeling of this event,<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Compo | first1=G. P. | last2=Whitaker | first2=J. S. | last3=Sardeshmukh | first3=P. D. | last4=Matsui | first4=N. | last5=Allan | first5=R. J. | last6=Yin | first6=X. | last7=Gleason | first7=B. E. | last8=Vose | first8=R. S. | last9=Rutledge | first9=G. | last10=Bessemoulin | first10=P. | last11=Brönnimann | first11=S. | last12=Brunet | first12=M. | last13=Crouthamel | first13=R. I. | last14=Grant | first14=A. N. | last15=Groisman | first15=P. Y. | last16=Jones | first16=P. D. | last17=Kruk | first17=M. C. | last18=Kruger | first18=A. C. | last19=Marshall | first19=G. J. | last20=Maugeri | first20=M. | last21=Mok | first21=H. Y. | last22=Nordli | first22=Ø. | last23=Ross | first23=T. F. | last24=Trigo | first24=R. M. | last25=Wang | first25=X. L. | last26=Woodruff | first26=S. D. | last27=Worley | first27=S. J. | title=The Twentieth Century Reanalysis Project | journal=Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society  | volume=137 | issue=654 | year=2011 | issn=0035-9009 | doi=10.1002/qj.776 | pages=1–28 |display-authors=1 |doi-access=free| bibcode=2011QJRMS.137....1C | hdl=2434/167622 | hdl-access=free }}</ref> a strong cap aloft was in place over the central Plains, as is common as the elevated mixed layer advects eastward from the Rockies. Observations taken at 13Z 23 March 1913 showed that surface low pressure was located in Colorado, and a [[warm front]] stretched due eastward from there into Illinois. Morning temperatures near this front were in the 30s. South of the front warmer and moister air was present, but dewpoints in the upper 50s were confined to southern Oklahoma and Arkansas, far away from where the tornadoes were to later occur in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

As the day progressed, the surface low ejected through Nebraska, with a [[dry line]] and trailing [[cold front]]. South winds blowing 40–50 knots at times brought the moister air rapidly northward. One of the worst dust storms on record occurred behind the dry line in western Kansas, but in the warm sector the day remained dry until mid afternoon when light showers began to form in central Nebraska. A cooperative observer in Osceola noted that the wind shifted from S to NW at 2230Z (4:30 PM local). Professors at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln noted that the relative humidity there jumped from 53% at 2150Z to 78% at 2230Z, indicating much higher dewpoints had rapidly arrived in Lincoln since the cold front was still to the west near Osceola. They also noted that the surface low passed just to the north of Omaha and was in western Iowa at 01Z 24 March 1913.

With all of this observed information, it is likely that the quality moisture required to produce convection strong enough for tornadoes arrived just an hour or two before the strong forcing associated with the surface low pressure and attendant frontal systems. At the time of the tornadoes it is estimated that surface temperatures were in the upper 60s, dewpoints were in the upper 50s, and surface winds were southerly around 25–30 knots. Numerical modeling estimates that 500 hPa flow was around 80 knots from the WSW and that CAPE was from 1000 to 2000 J/kg. These conditions are similar to those found in other tornado outbreaks.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Craven |first1=Jeffrey P.|first2=Harold E. |last2=Brooks|first3=John A. |last3=Hart |title=Baseline climatology of sounding derived parameters associated with deep, moist convection |journal=Natl. Wea. Dig |volume=28 |issue=1 |year=2004 |pages=13–24| url = http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/craven/baseclim.pdf}}</ref>  Tornadic storms developed from 5:00-6:00 PM local time and while storm motions were to the NE, the prevalence of tornadic storms moved southward with the [[dryline]]/[[cold front]] intersection, lasting until 8:00 PM local in NW Missouri. A serial [[derecho]] then formed and moved across Iowa and Illinois through the nighttime hours, hitting Chicago in the early morning.
{{clear}}

==Outbreak statistics==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0 0 0.5em 1em;float:left;"
|+'''Outbreak death toll'''
|-
!'''State'''
!'''Total'''
|-
|rowspan=1 bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|[[Indiana]]
|rowspan=1 bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|'''21'''
|-
|rowspan=1 bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|[[Iowa]]
|rowspan=1 bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|'''33'''
|-
|rowspan=1 bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|[[Louisiana]]
|rowspan=1 bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|'''1'''
|-
|rowspan=1 bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|[[Missouri]]
|rowspan=1 bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|'''2'''
|-
|rowspan=1 bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|[[Nebraska]]
|rowspan=1 bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|'''135'''
|-
|bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|Totals
|bgcolor="#e6e9ff"|'''192'''
|-
|colspan=2 align=center| <small>All deaths were tornado-related</small>
|-
|}
{{clear}}

==Confirmed tornadoes==
{{Tornado Chart | Total=≥ 15 | FU=? | F0=1| F1=?| F2=5 | F3=3 | F4=6 | F5=0}}
Prior to 1990, there is a likely undercount of tornadoes, particularly E/F0–1, with reports of weaker tornadoes becoming more common as population increased. A sharp increase in the annual average E/F0–1 count by approximately 200 tornadoes was noted upon the implementation of [[NEXRAD]] [[Weather radar|Doppler weather radar]] in 1990–1991.{{sfn|Agee and Childs|2014|p=1496}}{{efn|Historically, the number of tornadoes globally and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded. Documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.{{sfn|Grazulis|2001a|pp=[https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz/page/251 251]–[https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz/page/254 4]}} Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.<ref name="TornadoClimaFAQ">{{cite web|last1=Edwards|first1=Roger|title=The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/#Climatology|website=Storm Prediction Center: Frequently Asked Questions about Tornadoes|publisher=[[Storm Prediction Center]]|access-date=February 25, 2016|date=March 5, 2015}}</ref> Significant low biases in U.S. tornado counts likely occurred through the early 1990s, when advanced [[NEXRAD]] was first installed and the [[National Weather Service]] began comprehensively verifying tornado occurrences.{{sfn|Cook|Schaefer|2008|p=3135}}|group=note|name=NCEI}} 1974 marked the first year where significant tornado (E/F2+) counts became homogenous with contemporary values, attributed to the consistent implementation of [[Fujita scale]] assessments.{{sfn|Agee and Childs|2014|pp=1497, 1503}}{{efn|group=note|name=Fujita}} Numerous discrepancies on the details of tornadoes in this outbreak exist between sources. The total count of tornadoes and ratings differs from various agencies accordingly. The list below documents information from the most contemporary official sources alongside assessments from tornado historian [[Thomas P. Grazulis]].

===March&nbsp;23 event===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, March 23, 1913{{efn|All dates are based on the local [[time zone]] where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in [[Coordinated Universal Time]] and dates are split at midnight [[Central Time Zone|CST/CDT]] for consistency.|group=note|name=Date/Time}}
! scope="col"  style="width:2%; text-align:center;"|[[Fujita scale|F#]]
! scope="col" text-align:center;" class="unsortable"|Location
! scope="col" text-align:center;" class="unsortable"|County / Parish
! scope="col" text-align:center;"|State
! scope="col" text-align:center;"|Time ([[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]])
! scope="col" text-align:center;"|Path length
! scope="col" text-align:center;"|Width{{efn|group=note|name=Width|The listed width values are primarily the average/mean width of the tornadoes, with those having known maximum widths denoted by ♯. From 1952 to 1994, reports largely list mean width whereas contemporary years list maximum width.{{sfn|Agee and Childs|2014|p=1494}} Values provided by Grazulis are the average width, with estimates being rounded down (i.e. {{convert|0.5|mi|km|abbr=on}} is rounded down from 880 yards to 800 yards.{{sfn|Brooks|2004|p=310}}{{sfn|Grazulis|1990|p=ix}}}}
! scope="col" text-align:center;"|Damage
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat3}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F3
|W of [[Craig, Nebraska|Craig (NE)]] to NW of [[Blencoe, Iowa|Blencoe (IA)]]
|[[Burt County, Nebraska|Burt (NE)]], [[Monona County, Iowa|Monona (IA)]]
|[[Nebraska|NE]], [[Iowa|IA]]
|23:00–?
|{{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|200|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|This intense tornado hit rural areas, collectively affecting 15 or more farms. Striking the northwestern side of Craig, it also destroyed 11 homes. 13 people were injured.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=737}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat4}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F4
|SE of [[Mead, Nebraska|Mead (NE)]] to northern [[Yutan, Nebraska|Yutan (NE)]] to [[Woodbine, Iowa|Woodbine (IA)]]
|[[Saunders County, Nebraska|Saunders (NE)]], [[Douglas County, Nebraska|Douglas (NE)]], [[Washington County, Nebraska|Washington (NE)]], [[Harrison County, Iowa|Harrison (IA)]]
|[[Nebraska|NE]], [[Iowa|IA]]
|23:30–?
|{{convert|62|–|63|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|800|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{nts|100,000|prefix=$}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|22 deaths – This violent tornado leveled the northern side of Yutan, claiming 17 lives there, half of them children's. In town the tornado destroyed or damaged 40 homes, along with a quartet of churches. It also killed a few people in Iowa before dissipating, as well as three more near Yutan. In all 50 injuries were reported. The tornado passed just west of [[Logan, Iowa]].{{sfn|Grazulis|1984|p=A-26}}{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=737}}<ref name="TrudyEBell">{{cite report |author=Trudy E. Bell |date=2007 |title=The Devastating Nebraska–Iowa–Missouri Tornadoes of 1913: Harbingers of the U.S.'s Now-Forgotten Most Widespread Natural Disaster |url=http://trudyebell.com/Bell_NE-IA-MO_tornadoes1913text_MVHC2007_2-25-07.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427060436/http://trudyebell.com/Bell_NE-IA-MO_tornadoes1913text_MVHC2007_2-25-07.php |archive-date=27 April 2015 |access-date=17 October 2024 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat3}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F3
|[[Lincoln, Nebraska|Lincoln]] to [[Prairie Home, Nebraska|Prairie Home]] to E of [[Greenwood, Nebraska|Greenwood]]
|[[Lancaster County, Nebraska|Lancaster]], [[Cass County, Nebraska|Cass]]
|[[Nebraska|NE]]
|23:30–?
|{{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|150|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|Touching down near [[Lincoln, Nebraska#Neighborhoods|Havelock, Lincoln]], this event was part of the Omaha [[tornado family]]. It destroyed several homes and injured a few people.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=737}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat4}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F4
|[[Ralston, Nebraska|Ralston (NE)]] to northwestern [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha (NE)]] to S of [[Arcadia, Iowa|Arcadia (IA)]]
|[[Sarpy County, Nebraska|Sarpy (NE)]], [[Douglas County, Nebraska|Douglas (NE)]], [[Pottawattamie County, Iowa|Pottawattamie (IA)]], [[Harrison County, Iowa|Harrison (IA)]], [[Shelby County, Iowa|Shelby (IA)]], [[Carroll County, Iowa|Carroll (IA)]]
|[[Nebraska|NE]], [[Iowa|IA]]
|23:45–?
|{{convert|85|–|90|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|400|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{nts|2,500,000|prefix=$}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|103 deaths – [[Tornado outbreak sequence of March 1913#Omaha, Nebraska|See section on this tornado]] – 350 people were injured.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat4}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F4
|Southern [[Bellevue, Nebraska|Bellevue (NE)]] to southern [[Council Bluffs, Iowa|Council Bluffs (IA)]] to SE of [[Glidden, Iowa|Glidden (IA)]]
|[[Sarpy County, Nebraska|Sarpy (NE)]], [[Pottawattamie County, Iowa|Pottawattamie (IA)]], [[Harrison County, Iowa|Harrison (IA)]], [[Shelby County, Iowa|Shelby (IA)]], [[Audubon County, Iowa|Audubon (IA)]], [[Carroll County, Iowa|Carroll (IA)]]
|[[Nebraska|NE]], [[Iowa|IA]]
|00:15–?
|~{{convert|98|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|400|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{nts|400,000|prefix=$}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|25 deaths – Part of a two-member family, this tornado leveled small, possibly frail homes in Iowa. A secondary tornado may have caused {{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on}} or more of damage. 75 injuries occurred. The tornado passed east of [[Harlan, Iowa]], near [[Gray, Iowa|Gray]], and near [[Carroll, Iowa|Carroll]].{{sfn|Grazulis|1984|p=A-27}}{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=737}}<ref name="TrudyEBell" />
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat4}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F4
|S of [[Douglas, Nebraska|Douglas (NE)]] to [[Otoe, Nebraska|Berlin (NE)]] to E of [[Macedonia, Iowa|Macedonia (IA)]]
|[[Otoe County, Nebraska|Otoe (NE)]], [[Cass County, Nebraska|Cass (NE)]], [[Mills County, Iowa|Mills (IA)]], [[Pottawattamie County, Iowa|Pottawattamie (IA)]]
|[[Nebraska|NE]], [[Iowa|IA]]
|00:15–?
|{{convert|65|–|75|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|800|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|18 deaths – This potent tornado flattened numerous farms in Nebraska, causing a dozen deaths in Berlin, now Otoe. Hitting [[Rock Bluff, Nebraska|Rock Bluff]]—then Rock Cliffs—it claimed still another life, then leveled more farms in Iowa. In all 100 injuries were reported.{{sfn|Grazulis|1984|p=A-26}}{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=737}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat2}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F2
|NW of [[Saline, Louisiana|Saline]]
|[[Bienville Parish, Louisiana|Bienville]]
|[[Louisiana|LA]]
|01:00–?
|{{convert|6|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|200|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|1+ death – This tornado destroyed small tenant homes, as well as a spacious home. It or a related event may have killed one more person in [[Bossier Parish, Louisiana|Bossier Parish]]. Five people were injured.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=738}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat2}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F2
|[[Burchard, Nebraska|Burchard]]
|[[Pawnee County, Nebraska|Pawnee]]
|[[Nebraska|NE]]
|01:00–?
|≥{{convert|5|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|This tornado unroofed and destroyed four homes, along with a school. This or a separate-but-related tornado may have destroyed a few barns in nearby [[Barneston, Nebraska|Barneston]].{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=738}}<ref name="TrudyEBell" />
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat2}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F2+
|[[Falls City, Nebraska|Falls City]]
|[[Richardson County, Nebraska|Richardson]]
|[[Nebraska|NE]]
|~01:00–?
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|A tornado felled utility poles and trees, while leveling a large warehouse.<ref name="TrudyEBell" />
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat3}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F3+
|[[Mount Ayr, Iowa|Mount Ayr]]
|[[Ringgold County, Iowa|Ringgold]]
|[[Iowa|IA]]
|~02:00–?
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|Apparently intense, this tornado felled large trees and chimneys, while blowing a church {{convert|8|in|ft m|abbr=on}} off its foundation.<ref name="TrudyEBell" />
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat4}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F4
|N of [[Prairieton, Indiana|Prairieton]] to southern [[Terre Haute, Indiana|Terre Haute]] to near [[Brazil, Indiana|Brazil]]
|[[Vigo County, Indiana|Vigo]], [[Clay County, Indiana|Clay]]
|[[Indiana|IN]]
|02:30–?
|{{convert|22|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|1000|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|21 deaths – This tornado virtually leveled a five-block swath of Terre Haute, destroying or damaging 300 homes in town. Damaging floods followed the tornado, adding to losses. 250 people were injured.{{sfn|Grazulis|1984|p=A-27}}{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=738}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat4}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F4
|SW of [[Savannah, Missouri|Savannah]] to E of [[Albany, Missouri|Albany]]
|[[Andrew County, Missouri|Andrew]], [[Gentry County, Missouri|Gentry]], [[Harrison County, Missouri|Harrison]]
|[[Missouri|MO]]
|02:30–?
|{{convert|45|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|200|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|2 deaths – This tornado destroyed buildings on 30 farms in Gentry County. It also swept away at least one home and leveled many farms, while destroying other homes. Eight injuries occurred.{{sfn|Grazulis|1984|p=A-27}}{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=738}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat2}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F2+
|Southern [[Fremont, Nebraska|Fremont]]
|[[Dodge County, Nebraska|Dodge]]
|[[Nebraska|NE]]
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|A tornado tossed a {{convert|150|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} smokestack {{convert|30|ft|m|abbr=on}}.<ref name="TrudyEBell" /><ref name="BellFlood">{{cite web |last1=Bell |first1=Trudy E. |title=1913 Flood - Articles and Research |url=https://trudyebell.com/1913flood.php |website=Trudy E. Bell, M.A. |access-date=17 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326040252/https://trudyebell.com/1913flood.php |archive-date=26 March 2013}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|storm}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F0
|[[Guthrie Center, Iowa|Guthrie Center]]
|[[Guthrie County, Iowa|Guthrie]]
|[[Iowa|IA]]
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|This tornado hit a farm, damaging several outbuildings.<ref name="TrudyEBell" />
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#{{#invoke:Storm categories|color|cat2}}; border-bottom: 1px solid black"| F2+
|S of [[Casey, Iowa|Casey]] to between [[Stuart, Iowa|Stuart]] and [[Menlo, Iowa|Menlo]]
|[[Adair County, Iowa|Adair]], [[Guthrie County, Iowa|Guthrie]]
|[[Iowa|IA]]
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|- class="expand-child"
| colspan="9" style=" border-bottom: 1px solid black;|A tornado destroyed homes and barns, while felling trees and power poles.<ref name="TrudyEBell" />
|}
{{clear}}

===Omaha, Nebraska===
{{coord|41.25| -96|display=title}}
{{About|the 1913 tornado|the 1975 tornado|1975 Omaha tornado outbreak#Omaha, Nebraska|section=yes}}
{{Infobox weather event
| name                 = Omaha, Nebraska
| formed               = March 23, 1913, 6:45 p.m. [[Central Time Zone|CDT]] ([[UTC−05:00]])
| dissipated           = 
| duration             = 
| image                = Omaha Tornado Damage 1913.jpg
| caption              = Damage in Omaha
}}{{Infobox weather event/Tornado
| basin = atl
| fujita-scale = F4+
| winds =
}}{{Infobox weather event/Effects
| fatalities = 103 (94 in Omaha)
| injuries = 350+
| damages    = $8,000,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|8,000,000|1913|r=-4}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}} USD)
}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer}}
The '''Omaha Easter Sunday tornado''' struck [[Omaha, Nebraska]], at approximately 6:00&nbsp;p.m. local standard time on March&nbsp;23, 1913. The storm's path was reported as being {{convert|1/4|-|1/2|mi|km|abbr=on}} wide and contained [[multiple vortex tornado|multiple vortices]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Condra |first=G. E. |author2=G. A. Loveland |date=May 3, 1914 |title=The Iowa-Nebraska Tornadoes Of Easter Sunday, 1913 |journal=[[American Geographical Society|Bulletin of the American Geographical Society]] |volume=XLVI |issue=2 |pages=100–107 |doi=10.2307/199859 |jstor=199859 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-XU9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA100 |accessdate=2009-08-15 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The Omaha tornado followed the path of [[Little Papillion Creek]] as it entered the city. It moved through the west side of town alongside the [[Missouri Pacific Railroad]], destroying the small workers cottages in the area. The tornado was so strong that steel train cars were later found pierced by pieces of shattered lumber from the demolished homes.

By the time the tornado reached Dewey Avenue it was five blocks wide. When it reached Farnam Hill, the tornado followed a shallow valley through this upscale neighborhood. The large mansions of Farnam were no match for the winds, and many houses were torn to pieces, along with several in the [[Gold Coast Historic District (Omaha, Nebraska)|Gold Coast Historic District]] including the [[Joslyn Castle]], which sustained considerable damage. Buildings were found chopped in half, pipes and supports dangling into space, such as the [[Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart (Omaha, Nebraska)|Duchesne Academy]] which was nearly obliterated.

At North 24th and Lake Streets in the [[Near North Side (Omaha, Nebraska)|Near North Side]] neighborhood a large [[African Americans in Omaha, Nebraska|African American]] crowd was enjoying an Easter Sunday performance when the tornado flattened the building and killed more than two dozen people. Other brick structures in this small commercial district took similar hits, and more people died here than in any other part of Omaha. A streetcar running down North 24th Street in [[North Omaha, Nebraska|North Omaha]] encountered the tornado near this area. Thanks to the quick action of operator Ord Hensley in ordering passengers to lie on the floor of the car, everyone survived. Later, photographers would spot the wrecked machine and would call it the "Streetcar of Death", imagining that no one on board could have survived given the immense damage.

The F4 tornado skirted the downtown area and moved over the [[Missouri River]] into Iowa, killing a few children near [[Beebeetown, Iowa|Beebeetown]] and causing further damage. Passing north of [[Persia, Iowa|Persia]], the tornado tracked through or near [[Defiance, Iowa|Defiance]], [[Panama, Iowa|Panama]], and [[Manilla, Iowa|Manilla]]. South of Arcadia it hurled a farmhouse {{convert|50|ft|m|abbr=on}}, shortly before dissipating. Tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis variously estimated a total path length of {{convert|40|to|45|mi|km|abbr=on}}, but subsequent analysis by other researchers in 2007 indicated a path more than twice as long.{{sfn|Grazulis|1984|p=A-26}}{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=737}}<ref name="TrudyEBell" />

In all, 103&nbsp;people died, 94&nbsp;of which were in Omaha, and at least 350&nbsp;were injured. Reportedly, 1,700&nbsp;homes in Omaha alone were destroyed or damaged, with $8&nbsp;million total damage from the storm, $5{{frac|1|2}}&nbsp;million of which was in Omaha (financial damage estimates vary; the [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]] reports more damage than this). In the aftermath of the tornado, a [[weather front|cold front]] moved into Omaha and caused further misery, as newly homeless residents struggled to escape the snowy weather.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jackman|first1=William James|last2=Patton|first2=Jacob Harris|title=History of the American nation|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pOoGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA1750|volume=6|year=1911|publisher=Western Press Association|pages=1750–1756|chapter=Chapter CII. '1913, Great Damage By Tornado And Flood'}}</ref> Many homes, mostly small, throughout the northern side of the city were leveled, and "dozens" were swept away.{{sfn|Grazulis|1984|p=A-26}} Photographs at the time showed empty foundations, suggestive of F5 damage, but these may have been related to post-tornado clean-up.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=738}}
{{clear}}

==Non-tornadic effects==
The same storm system that struck Nebraska created a dust storm in [[Kansas]] and hit [[Missouri]] with hail and heavy rain.<ref name=Klein>{{cite web | author=Christopher Klein | title = The Superstorm That Flooded America 100 Years Ago | publisher =History | date =2013-03-25 | url = http://www.history.com/news/the-superstorm-that-flooded-america-100-years-ago | accessdate =2013-07-03}}</ref><ref name=GreatFlood>{{cite web | title =The Great Flood of 1913, 100 Years Later: The Storms of March 23–27, 1913 | publisher =Silver Jackets | year =2013 | url = http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/1913Flood/storms_wx/storms.shtml | accessdate =2013-07-29}}</ref>{{sfn | Williams | 2013 | p=23}}<ref name=Bell>{{cite journal | author=Trudy E. Bell | title =Forgotten Waters: Indiana's Great Easter Flood of 1913 | journal =Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History | volume =18 | issue =2  | page =5&ndash;6 | date =Spring 2006 |publisher=Indiana Historical Society | url =http://images.indianahistory.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16797coll39/id/2928/filename/2883.pdf}}</ref> The Omaha tornado marked the beginning of the destruction from storms associated with the [[Great Flood of 1913]].{{sfn | Williams | 2013 | p=16}} On Monday and Tuesday, March 24 and 25, the storms brought heavy rains to the [[Midwest]] and upstate [[New York (state)|New York]], causing widespread flooding.
{{clear}}

==Aftermath==
Remarkably, operators from the [[Webster Telephone Exchange Building]] in Omaha did not leave their stations either during or after the tornado. The building was used as an infirmary for the wounded and dying, with physicians and nurses coming from area hospitals. [[United States Army|US Army]] troops from [[Fort Omaha]] set up headquarters in the building, as soldiers patrolled the area for looters and to offer assistance.

Initially, [[James Dahlman]], the longtime mayor of Omaha, refused assistance from any outside sources, including the federal government. However, he relented after seeing the extent of the damage throughout the city. The federal government poured in assistance soon after. The massive damage caused by the tornado inspired new engineering techniques aimed at creating a tornado-proof edifice. The first such building was the [[First National Bank of Omaha]] building, built in 1916 at 1603 Farnam Street. The 14-story building was built in a "U"-shape.
{{clear}}

==See also==
* [[2020 Easter tornado outbreak]] – Another deadly tornado outbreak during Easter weekend 107&nbsp;years later.
* [[Disaster books#1913 Great Dayton Flood and Omaha Easter Sunday Tornado|Disaster Books – Omaha Easter Sunday Tornado]]
* [[Great Dayton Flood]]
* [[List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks]]
* [[List of tornadoes causing 100 or more deaths]]
* [[List of tornadoes striking downtown areas]]
* [[Timeline of North Omaha, Nebraska history]]
* [[Tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2024#April 26|Tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2024]] - Another significant, similar tornado outbreak that struck the Omaha area on April&nbsp;26

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*{{cite journal |first1=Ernest M.|last1=Agee|first2=Samuel|last2=Childs|title=Adjustments in Tornado Counts, F-Scale Intensity, and Path Width for Assessing Significant Tornado Destruction|journal=Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology|date=June 1, 2014|volume=53|issue=6|pages=1494–1505|doi=10.1175/JAMC-D-13-0235.1|publisher=American Meteorological Society|doi-access=free|bibcode=2014JApMC..53.1494A |ref={{sfnRef|Agee and Childs|2014}}}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Brooks |first1=Harold E. |author-link1=Harold E. Brooks |title=On the Relationship of Tornado Path Length and Width to Intensity |journal=[[Weather and Forecasting]] |date=April 2004 |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=310–19 |doi=10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019<0310:OTROTP>2.0.CO;2 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2004WtFor..19..310B }}
*{{cite journal|last1=Cook|first1=A. R.|last2=Schaefer|first2=J. T. |title=The Relation of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) to Winter Tornado Outbreaks|journal=[[Monthly Weather Review]] |date=August 2008|volume=136|issue=8|pages=3121–3137|doi=10.1175/2007MWR2171.1 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2008MWRv..136.3121C}}
*{{cite journal |first1=Roger|last1=Edwards|first2=James G.|last2=LaDue|first3=John T.|last3=Ferree|first4=Kevin|last4=Scharfenberg|first5=Chris|last5=Maier|first6=William L.|last6=Coulbourne|author-link1=Roger Edwards (meteorologist)|title=Tornado Intensity Estimation: Past, Present, and Future|journal=Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society|date=May 1, 2013|volume=94|issue=5|pages=641–653|doi=10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00006.1|doi-access=free|publisher=American Meteorological Society|bibcode=2013BAMS...94..641E |ref={{sfnRef|Edwards et al.|2013}}}}
*''Encyclopedia of Southern Culture'', Vol. I, ed. Charles Reagan Wilson and William Ferris (New York: Anchor Books, 1989).
*{{cite tech report|last=Grazulis|first=Thomas P.|author-link=Thomas P. Grazulis|date=May 1984|title=Violent Tornado Climatography, 1880–1982|series=NUREG|number=CR-3670|website=[[Office of Scientific and Technical Information|OSTI]]|institution=[[Nuclear Regulatory Commission]]|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|osti=7099491 |osti-access=free}}
**{{cite book | last = Grazulis | first = Thomas P. |title = Significant Tornadoes 1880–1989 |date=November 1990 | publisher = The Tornado Project of Environmental Films | location = [[St. Johnsbury, Vermont]] | isbn = 1-879362-02-3 |volume=2 |author-mask=1}}
**{{cite book |last1=Grazulis |first1=Thomas P. |title=Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events |date=July 1993 |publisher=The Tornado Project of Environmental Films |location=[[St. Johnsbury, Vermont]] |isbn=1-879362-03-1 |author-mask=1}}
**{{cite book|last1=Grazulis|first1=Thomas P.|title=The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm|url=https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz|url-access=registration|date=2001a|publisher=[[University of Oklahoma Press]]|location=[[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]]|isbn=978-0-8061-3538-0|author-mask=1}}
**{{Cite book|last=Grazulis|first=Thomas P. |title=F5-F6 Tornadoes|publisher=The Tornado Project of Environmental Films|year=2001b |location=St. Johnsbury, Vermont|author-mask=1}}
* {{cite book | last=Williams | first=Geoffrey | title=Washed away : how the Great Flood of 1913, America's most widespread natural disaster, terrorized a nation and changed it forever | publisher=Pegasus Books | location=New York | year=2013 | isbn=978-1-60598-404-9 | oclc=785079140 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/washedawayhowgre0000will }}

==External links==
* [http://www.crh.noaa.gov/oax/archive/1913_Omaha_Tor/omahatornado.php National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]
*(n.d.) [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/preservation/nature/disaster/chpt18.htm Omaha's Terrible Evening]. ''Tragic Story of America's Greatest Disaster''.

{{North Omaha}}
{{25 deadliest US tornadoes}}
{{Alabama tornado events}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1913-03-21 tornado outbreak}}
[[Category:F4, EF4 and IF4 tornadoes]]
[[Category:20th-century tornadoes]]
[[Category:1913 meteorology]]
[[Category:1913 natural disasters]]
[[Category:Tornadoes in Nebraska]]
[[Category:Natural disasters in Omaha, Nebraska]]
[[Category:North Omaha, Nebraska]]
[[Category:1913 in Nebraska|Omaha Easter Sunday tornado]]
[[Category:1913 natural disasters in the United States]]
[[Category:March 1913 in the United States]]