The tornado outbreak of August 6, 1969

13 tornadoesMinnesota and Nebraska

13 tornadoes touched down across 2 states between 1:15 PM and 8:40 PM CDT, 8 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 15 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · August 6, 1969

How the day unfolded

Every tornado recorded that day, at its logged touchdown time and along its path, with the counties it crossed.

About this replay

Central time—Historical replay — logged touchdown times

Tornadoes—of 13 that day

Strongest so far—

Killed—in tornadoes so far

The day’s milestones

Tornado pathsWider and brighter with the rating; F3 and stronger glow

On the groundEach grows from its logged touchdown time

Counties crossedLit as a tornado reaches them, brighter for F3 or stronger

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database (touchdown times, ratings, start and end points) and Storm Events Database (segment paths and times for the notable tornadoes that have record pages). SPC logs the touchdown time only; other paths are drawn at a typical forward speed of 35 mph. Times are Central Daylight Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 13; on Wednesday, August 6, 1969
F3 or stronger: 8; 1 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 15; 74th-deadliest tornado day since 1950
Injured: 109; Along all the paths
Path miles: 121; All the paths end to end
First and last: 1:15 PM to 8:40 PM; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. One has a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of August 6, 1969

1:15 PM	F0	Beltrami County MN	0.1	10	0	0
4:20 PM	F3	Cass County MN	17.3	167	0	4
4:48 PM	F4	Crow Wing County, Cass County and 1 more MN	32.3	833	12	70
5:25 PM	F3	St. Louis County MN	10.0	300	0	9
5:50 PM	F3	Aitkin County MN	12.5	1,500	1	3
6:00 PM	F2	St. Louis County MN	0.1	150	0	0
6:00 PM	F2	St. Louis County MN	0.1	150	0	0
6:00 PM	F3	St. Louis County MN	7.2	220	0	0
6:00 PM	F3	St. Louis County MN	18.4	2,933	0	20
6:15 PM	F3	St. Louis County MN	3.8	250	0	0
6:35 PM	F2	St. Louis County MN	1.9	193	0	0
6:50 PM	F3	St. Louis County, Lake County MN	17.2	117	2	3
8:40 PM	F0	Platte County NE	0.1	10	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, August 6, 1969

Minnesota	12	8	15
Nebraska	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 1969 · On this date in other years · The biggest outbreak days

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025. A day is SPC’s calendar date in Central Standard Time; an outbreak day here has 40 or more tornadoes, or 6 or more rated F3/EF3 or stronger.