The tornado outbreak of May 29, 1980

40 tornadoesSouth Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and 6 more states

40 tornadoes touched down across 9 states between 2:55 PM and 11:00 PM CDT, none rated F3 or stronger.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · May 29, 1980

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 40 that day

Strongest so far—

Killed—in tornadoes so far

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 40; on Thursday, May 29, 1980
F3 or stronger: 0; None rated F4 or F5
Killed: 0; Along all the paths
Injured: 2; Along all the paths
Path miles: 106; All the paths end to end
First and last: 2:55 PM to 11:00 PM; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown.

Tornadoes of May 29, 1980

2:55 PM	F1	Laramie County, Weld County WY, CO	14.5	40	0
3:00 PM	F0	Jackson County OK	0.1	10	0
3:42 PM	F0	Brown County SD	0.1	10	0
3:42 PM	F0	Brown County SD	0.1	10	0
3:42 PM	F0	Brown County SD	0.1	10	0
3:42 PM	F0	Brown County SD	0.1	10	0
3:42 PM	F0	Brown County SD	0.1	10	0
3:42 PM	F0	Brown County SD	0.1	10	0
4:00 PM	F0	Spink County SD	0.1	10	0
4:50 PM	F2	Dixon County NE	3.3	60	0
5:00 PM	F0	Clay County SD	0.1	10	0
5:13 PM	F0	Spink County SD	0.3	10	0
5:15 PM	F0	Lyon County IA	0.3	60	0
5:17 PM	F0	Spink County SD	1.0	10	0
5:22 PM	F1	Faribault County MN	2.0	80	0
5:23 PM	F0	Beadle County SD	1.0	10	0
5:30 PM	F2	Cerro Gordo County IA	0.5	30	0
5:30 PM	F1	Kit Carson County CO	1.0	40	0
5:37 PM	F2	Collingsworth County TX	16.2	160	0
7:12 PM	F1	Freeborn County MN	6.9	400	0
7:35 PM	F1	Fillmore County NE	10.0	10	0
8:00 PM	F1	Buena Vista County, Pocahontas County IA	4.2	40	0
8:16 PM	F0	Ellsworth County KS	0.1	10	0
8:17 PM	F0	Barton County KS	0.1	10	0
8:25 PM	F1	Butler County, Saunders County and 1 more NE	19.6	80	2
8:28 PM	F2	Jackson County OK	0.1	10	0
8:35 PM	F1	Ellsworth County KS	0.1	10	0
8:36 PM	F1	Mower County MN	0.1	10	0
8:40 PM	F0	Fillmore County NE	0.1	10	0
8:45 PM	F1	Thayer County NE	6.2	17	0
9:00 PM	F1	Webster County IA	0.5	30	0
9:00 PM	F0	Howard County IA	0.1	30	0
9:00 PM	F0	Hardeman County TX	0.1	10	0
9:15 PM	F0	Yankton County SD	1.0	10	0
9:15 PM	F0	Yankton County SD	1.0	10	0
9:30 PM	F0	Dixon County NE	0.1	10	0
9:45 PM	F1	Hamilton County IA	0.1	30	0
10:00 PM	F1	Harrison County IA	1.0	30	0
10:20 PM	F1	Carroll County IA	0.1	30	0
11:00 PM	F2	Wilbarger County TX	13.2	100	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, May 29, 1980

South Dakota	13	0	0
Iowa	8	0	0
Nebraska	6	0	0
Kansas	3	0	0
Minnesota	3	0	0
Texas	3	0	0
Oklahoma	2	0	0
Colorado	1	0	0
Wyoming	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 1980 · 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.