Saturday marked the anniversary of the widest tornado ever recorded inhistory. The tornado reached a peak width of 2.5 miles as it tore throughsoutheastern Nebraska in 2004.The tornado touched down two miles north of Daykin, Neb., at 7:30 p.m. CDTSaturday, May 22, 2004. The tornado then proceeded northeastward, strengtheningto its most intense stage from the towns of Wilber to Hallam. It is during thistime the tornado's width grew to a record-breaking 2.5 miles.
For comparison, the tornado that left a trail of death and destruction inMississippi in late April measured 1.75 miles wide at its peak. That twisterwas the widest ever to tear through Mississippi.
The 2004 tornado in Nebraska was given an F4 ranking from north of Clatonia toHallam. The tornado demolished many well-built homes, grain bins, farm sheds,outbuildings and trees within this corridor. The town of Hallam escaped theworst of the tornado's fury, but many structures still suffered considerabledamage.
A destroyed home and trees with all their limbs gone in Hallam, Neb.,after the 2004 tornado tore through. (Photo from the Omaha/Valley, Neb., officeof the National Weather Service)After slamming Hallam, the width of the tornado lessened to about a mile wide.
The twister, however, continued to cause significant destruction.
Schools north of Firth sustained severe damage. The roof of the middle school'sauditorium collapsed, and several walls caved in. School buses were alsotossed. Northeast of the schools, the tornado flattened several homes.
After continuing northeastward for a time, the record-breaking tornado finallydissipated a mile west of Palmyra at 9:10 p.m.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski
