The tornado outbreak of May 4, 1977

30 tornadoesIowa, Missouri, Kansas and 3 more states

30 tornadoes touched down across 6 states between 9:30 AM and 11:45 PM CDT, 9 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 3 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · May 4, 1977

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 30 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: 30; on Wednesday, May 4, 1977
F3 or stronger: 9; 3 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 3; Along all the paths
Injured: 71; Along all the paths
Path miles: 225; All the paths end to end
First and last: 9:30 AM to 11:45 PM; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. 3 have a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of May 4, 1977

9:30 AM	F1	Allen County KS	0.3	50	0	0
12:30 PM	F2	Miami County KS	11.9	50	0	0
12:40 PM	F3	Bates County, Cass County MO	29.8	500	2	15
2:00 PM	F1	Saline County MO	0.1	50	0	0
2:15 PM	F3	Lafayette County MO	26.2	100	1	5
2:45 PM	F3	Pettis County MO	11.2	700	0	24
2:58 PM	F1	Davis County IA	4.3	20	0	0
3:30 PM	F2	Lee County IA	2.0	60	0	0
3:56 PM	F2	Des Moines County IA	2.0	10	0	0
4:00 PM	F2	Henry County IA	0.1	30	0	1
4:10 PM	F1	Henry County, Louisa County IA	0.1	20	0	0
4:20 PM	F3	Colfax County NE	7.6	200	0	0
4:25 PM	F0	Stanton County NE	0.2	20	0	0
5:15 PM	F1	Saunders County NE	0.5	20	0	0
5:40 PM	F4	Jackson County, Clay County and 1 more MO	12.0	400	0	5
6:15 PM	F4	Ray County, Carroll County and 1 more MO	48.6	880	0	1
6:18 PM	F1	Swift County MN	2.0	17	0	0
7:05 PM	F3	Douglas County, Johnson County KS	31.6	300	0	1
7:20 PM	F2	Webster County IA	1.0	70	0	4
7:30 PM	F1	Pocahontas County IA	1.0	10	0	0
7:32 PM	F4	Webster County IA	2.0	70	0	14
8:00 PM	F2	Johnson County KS	7.8	70	0	0
8:15 PM	F0	Guthrie County IA	1.0	10	0	0
8:26 PM	F1	Guthrie County IA	1.0	30	0	0
9:00 PM	F2	Martin County MN	0.1	10	0	0
9:30 PM	F1	Boone County IA	0.1	10	0	0
10:00 PM	F3	Tama County IA	17.8	30	0	0
11:15 PM	F1	Tama County IA	1.0	20	0	0
11:30 PM	F1	Carroll County IN	1.0	50	0	1
11:45 PM	F1	Jasper County IN	0.5	20	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, May 4, 1977

Iowa	13	2	0
Missouri	6	5	3
Kansas	4	1	0
Nebraska	3	1	0
Indiana	2	0	0
Minnesota	2	0	0

Tornadoes in 1977 · 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.