The tornado outbreak of November 15, 1988

44 tornadoesMissouri, Iowa, Arkansas and 4 more states

44 tornadoes touched down across 7 states between 8:40 AM and 10:45 PM CST, 3 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 7 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · November 15, 1988

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 44 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 Standard Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 44; on Tuesday, November 15, 1988
F3 or stronger: 3; None rated F4 or F5
Killed: 7; Along all the paths
Injured: 137; Along all the paths
Path miles: 304; All the paths end to end
First and last: 8:40 AM to 10:45 PM; Touchdowns, Central Standard Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Standard Time.

Every tornado

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

Tornadoes of November 15, 1988

8:40 AM	F0	Beckham County OK	0.1	23	0	0
10:30 AM	F1	Kingfisher County OK	3.0	50	0	0
2:05 PM	F1	Neosho County KS	0.1	20	0	0
2:06 PM	F2	Shawnee County KS	5.0	70	0	22
2:15 PM	F2	Neosho County KS	7.5	50	0	0
2:30 PM	F0	Jefferson County KS	0.1	20	0	0
2:45 PM	F0	Atchison County KS	0.1	20	0	0
2:55 PM	F1	Atchison County KS	0.5	40	0	0
3:30 PM	F0	Haskell County OK	0.5	50	0	0
3:45 PM	F2	McDonald County, Barry County MO	28.0	23	1	12
3:50 PM	F1	Jasper County MO	1.0	50	0	0
4:09 PM	F0	Wayne County, Appanoose County IA	0.2	10	0	0
4:29 PM	F2	Monroe County IA	4.0	60	0	4
4:55 PM	F1	Henry County MO	0.5	50	0	0
4:55 PM	F1	Johnson County MO	0.5	50	0	0
5:10 PM	F1	Pettis County MO	0.5	30	0	0
5:10 PM	F1	Christian County, Greene County MO	21.0	30	0	0
5:14 PM	F1	Rains County TX	0.2	10	0	0
5:19 PM	F1	Rains County TX	0.2	10	0	0
5:20 PM	F1	Pettis County MO	0.5	30	0	0
5:28 PM	F1	Greene County MO	0.5	30	0	0
5:30 PM	F0	Pettis County MO	0.5	30	0	0
6:25 PM	F1	Keokuk County, Iowa County IA	19.0	50	0	0
6:28 PM	F2	Johnson County AR	16.0	150	0	9
6:50 PM	F0	Keokuk County IA	0.5	20	0	0
6:50 PM	F1	Bremer County IA	1.0	20	0	0
7:08 PM	F2	Wapello County IA	6.0	63	0	0
7:20 PM	F1	Conway County AR	9.0	100	0	0
7:30 PM	F2	Pulaski County MO	3.0	50	0	0
7:41 PM	F3	Conway County, Faulkner County and 2 more AR	29.0	400	1	10
7:45 PM	F2	Stone County AR	13.0	400	0	4
8:00 PM	F2	Clark County, Hot Spring County and 1 more AR	27.0	400	0	4
8:15 PM	F1	St. Charles County MO	0.5	50	0	0
8:25 PM	F3	St. Charles County MO	1.0	200	0	10
8:30 PM	F1	Izard County AR	10.0	300	0	1
8:55 PM	F1	Dent County, Crawford County MO	24.0	73	0	1
9:05 PM	F2	Delaware County IA	11.0	63	0	0
9:15 PM	F1	Jersey County IL	0.2	50	0	0
9:22 PM	F0	Clayton County IA	0.2	20	0	0
9:30 PM	F2	Greene County IL	0.1	50	0	0
9:36 PM	F2	Saline County, Pulaski County and 2 more AR	49.0	250	5	60
10:12 PM	F2	St. Clair County IL	0.4	50	0	0
10:28 PM	F3	St. Clair County, Madison County IL	9.0	200	0	0
10:45 PM	F1	Coles County IL	0.1	50	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, November 15, 1988

Missouri	13	1	1
Iowa	8	0	0
Arkansas	7	1	6
Kansas	6	0	0
Illinois	5	1	0
Oklahoma	3	0	0
Texas	2	0	0

Tornadoes in 1988 · 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.