October 1997 North American storm complex

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October 1997 North American storm complex
October 25-26, 1997 Eastern Nebraska snowstorm snowfall totals map.gif
Snowfall totals map of Eastern Nebraska
TypeExtratropical cyclone, Blizzard, Derecho, Tornado outbreak, Windstorm
FormedOctober 23, 1997
DissipatedOctober 31, 1997
Lowest pressure993 mb (29.32 inHg)
Tornadoes
confirmed
84 confirmed
Max. rating1F3 tornado
Maximum snowfall
or ice accretion
13.2 inches Lincoln, Nebraska
Fatalitiesfatalities:13 (snow); 0 (tornado); injuries: unknown
Areas affectedEastern two-thirds of North America and adjacent waters
Part of the 1997 North American winter storms

1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

The October 1997 North American storm complex was a blizzard and tornado outbreak that affected the Northwest, Rockies, much of the Midwest and Deep south. 84 tornadoes were confirmed as the system moved eastward across the eastern half of the United States, including four that were rated as F3 on the Fujita scale.

The storms resulted in 13 deaths (five in Colorado, two each in Nebraska and Illinois, and one each in Michigan, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas), and caused power outages and school closings lasting up to a week in affected areas. The event was famously billed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as being a "two-hundred year storm". The wind caused much damage, downing trees and power poles.

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