Full storm history reportKnow the Storm Risk Before It Becomes Expensive Damage.Get a full report of past flood, hail, and tornado events at any address.
Get full report

Tornado History

Polk Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Polk, Nebraska. The records below identify 36 tornadoes from 1955 through 2024, including a highest listed rating of F5 (Incredible damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $36.4M, with 0 deaths and 3 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes36
Total Deaths0
Total Injuries3
Property Damage$36.4M
Avg Length4.7 mi
Avg Width189 yd

Want to check tornado history for a specific address?Use the address lookup to see nearby historical tornado tracks, dates, ratings, and distance from the location.

Check any address

Key Tornado Facts for Polk, Nebraska

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 0.5 tornadoes per year (0.5/yr in last decade)
May is the peak tornado month with 13 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F1 in Polk, Nebraska with 0 deaths
2011 was the most active year with 4 tornadoes
The 1960s had the most tornado activity (7 events)
Longest tornado: 25.8 miles in Polk, Nebraska
Widest tornado: 1,500.0 yards in Polk, Nebraska
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on Oct 9, 2001

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Polk, Nebraska, May is the most active month with 13 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

4320

Summary: 2011 was the most active year with 4 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
F3
EF3
F5
Unknown
EFU

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 10 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$27.5M$2.8M$275K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1978 with at least $27.5M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F5 May 5, 19641964EF3 June 20, 20112011F3 October 9, 20012001F3 July 21, 19621962F2 July 30, 19681968F2 June 15, 19921992EF1 December 15, 20212021F1 June 23, 19851985F1 June 29, 19861986EF1 December 15, 20212021EF1 May 11, 20112011F1 July 9, 19551955F1 May 12, 19561956F1 April 19, 19851985F1 June 29, 1986F1 March 27, 1975F1 October 9, 2001EF0 May 21, 2024EF0 May 2, 2021F0 May 26, 1973F0 April 30, 1973F0 July 16, 1969F0 May 10, 1975F0 May 29, 1991F0 June 6, 1962F0 May 15, 1965F0 July 16, 1969F0 October 9, 2001F0 May 10, 2005EF0 May 12, 2011EF0 May 12, 2011EF0 April 27, 2014Unknown April 7, 1978Unknown April 7, 1978Unknown May 4, 1959EFU August 14, 2024© OpenStreetMap contributors

Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
May 5, 1964F5Polk, Nebraska25.8 mi880 yd00$25K
June 20, 2011EF3Polk, Nebraska9.49 mi880 yd00$4.0M
October 9, 2001F3Polk, Nebraska16 mi1500 yd00$1.8M
July 21, 1962F3Polk, Nebraska25.2 mi880 yd01$250K
July 30, 1968F2Polk, Nebraska6.4 mi200 yd02$250K
June 15, 1992F2Polk, Nebraska2 mi150 yd00$250K
December 15, 2021EF1Polk, Nebraska7.54 mi350 yd00$400K
June 23, 1985F1Polk, Nebraska2 mi40 yd00$250K
June 29, 1986F1Polk, Nebraska0.3 mi50 yd00$250K
December 15, 2021EF1Polk, Nebraska3.31 mi400 yd00$150K
May 11, 2011EF1Polk, Nebraska2.29 mi75 yd00$100K
July 9, 1955F1Polk, Nebraska0 mi33 yd00$25K

Want to check a home, business, or exact property?Search any address to compare nearby historical tornado tracks against that specific location.

Check any address

Related Location Pages

Address-level storm reportGet flood, hail, and tornado history for any property.PastStorms turns historical storm data into a focused report before damage becomes an expensive surprise.
Visit PastStorms

Source And Limits

Data source: NOAA/NCEI. TornadoTrace summarizes historical records for screening and research. Coordinates, damage estimates, narratives, and event details can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. Do not use this page as legal, insurance, engineering, real estate, emergency management, or safety advice.