The tornado outbreak of September 25, 1973
13 tornadoesKansas, Colorado, Iowa and Nebraska
13 tornadoes touched down across 4 states between 3:30 PM and 12:59 AM the next day CDT, 6 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 3 people were killed.
Watch the day unfoldTornado outbreak · September 25, 1973
How the day unfolded
Every tornado recorded that day, at its logged touchdown time and along its path, with the counties it crossed.
The day in numbers
- Tornadoes
- 13
- on Tuesday, September 25, 1973
- F3 or stronger
- 6
- None rated F4 or F5
- Killed
- 3
- Along all the paths
- Injured
- 44
- Along all the paths
- Path miles
- 369
- All the paths end to end
- First and last
- 3:30 PM to 12:59 AM the next day
- Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time
Hour by hour
Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.
Every tornado
In order of touchdown.
| 3:30 PM | F2 | McPherson County KS | 0 |
| 4:05 PM | F3 | Dickinson County, Clay County and 7 more KS, NE | 3 |
| 5:20 PM | F3 | Ottawa County, Cloud County and 2 more KS | 0 |
| 5:30 PM | F2 | Cloud County KS | 0 |
| 6:25 PM | F3 | Meade County KS | 0 |
| 6:30 PM | F3 | Ford County KS | 0 |
| 7:30 PM | F3 | Edwards County, Pawnee County KS | 0 |
| 7:35 PM | F3 | Comanche County, Kiowa County and 1 more KS | 0 |
| 7:50 PM | F0 | Washington County CO | 0 |
| 9:10 PM | F2 | Smith County KS | 0 |
| 10:20 PM | F0 | Thayer County NE | 0 |
| 12:30 AM | F2 | Clay County KS | 0 |
| 12:59 AM | F2 | Shelby County IA | 0 |
By state
Tornadoes in 1973 · 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.