# Tornado outbreak of May 1968

In mid-May 1968, a significant and deadly tornado outbreak struck most of the central and southern United States. Producing 46 tornadoes, the outbreak killed at least 72 people, including 45 in Arkansas alone. The outbreak also produced two F5 tornadoes in Iowa. It was one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in the United States since the 1960s and is one of the deadliest outbreaks in Iowa history.

## Outbreak description

Severe weather activity started during the afternoon of May 15 as a low pressure system crossed the area. The first tornado touchdowns were across the Midwestern States including the two Iowa F5s that hit central and eastern parts of the state about 45 minutes apart during the late afternoon. Both tornadoes killed 18 in total. The first F5 tornado moved through five counties and 65 miles (105 km). It affected the town of Charles City just before 5 PM destroying much of the area. Damage figures were pegged at $30 million in Charles City alone while $1.5 million of damage was recorded elsewhere. This tornado killed 13 and injured 462 others. The second F5 tornado affected Fayette County and damaged or destroyed nearly 1000 homes. The hardest hit areas were Oelwein and Maynard where homes were completely swept away from their foundations. Five people were killed while 156 others were injured. Damage was estimated at $21 million. These were two of four F5 tornadoes across the country in 1968, the others being in southeastern Ohio on April 23 and in southwestern Minnesota on June 13. The next F5 tornadoes in Iowa took place in Jordan in 1976, and in Parkersburg, in 2008.
Outbreak death toll :
| State | Total | County | County total |
| Arkansas | 45 | Baxter | 3 |
| Arkansas | 45 | Craighead | 34 |
| Arkansas | 45 | Independence | 7 |
| Arkansas | 45 | Jackson | 1 |
| Illinois | 8 | De Witt | 4 |
| Illinois | 8 | St. Clair | 4 |
| Indiana | 1 | Wabash | 1 |
| Iowa | 18 | Fayette | 5 |
| Iowa | 18 | Floyd | 13 |
| Totals | 72 | | |
| All deaths were tornado-related ||||
After the first tornadoes struck the Northern Plains, activity developed further south during the evening hours including several deadly tornadoes in Arkansas. One of the tornadoes touched down west of Jonesboro before hitting the Craighead County city itself at around 10 PM CDT. The tornado caught most residents by surprise since most of the warning systems failed and killed at least 34. One more person was killed in neighboring Jackson County. The tornado was the deadliest in Arkansas since an F4 tornado that affected White County on March 21, 1952, killing 50.
The same city was hit by another destructive tornado five years later killing at least three and injuring 250 others while leaving much more destruction throughout the city than the 1968 event. The damage figures were about $62 million in 1973 dollars. Another F4 tornado just to the west of Jonesboro killed 7 in Oil Trough in Independence County and 3 others were killed in Baxter County.
The activity ceased across the Deep South when the final tornadoes of the first part of the outbreak touched down across the Metropolitan Memphis area and northern Mississippi as well as in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area. A smaller tornado outbreak from the same system took place across Oklahoma and Texas during the following day where seven tornadoes touched down including an F3 in Wilbarger County, Texas.
In addition to the 45 fatalities in Arkansas and 18 in Iowa, the outbreak killed eight in Illinois and one in Indiana.

## Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating :
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
| 0 | 5 | 20 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 46 |

### May 15 event

List of confirmed tornadoes :
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
| Minnesota ||||||
| F2 | NW of Northfield to S of New Trier | Rice, Dakota | 2028 | 15.4 miles (24.6 km) | One woman was injured when a barn collapsed onto her. |
| F0 | NW of Hutton | Freeborn | 2200 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Brief tornado caused minor damage. |
| F1 | SW of Dodge Center | Dodge | 2207 | 7.8 miles (12.5 km) | Tornado damaged outbuildings on 3 farms. |
| F1 | W of West Concord | Steele, Dodge | 2240 | 16.6 miles (26.6 km) | Outbuildings were damaged on 7 farms. |
| F1 | W of Newburg | Fillmore | 2345 | 8.4 miles (13.4 km) | Tornado damaged 3 farms and a church. |
| Illinois ||||||
| F3 | E of Easton to SW of Emden | Mason, Logan | 2030 | 12.6 miles (20.2 km) | 15 homes were damaged or destroyed beyond repair, with near F4 damage in some areas. Trailers and smaller buildings were destroyed and scattered. |
| F1 | S of Waynesville to S of Farmer City | De Witt | 2200 | 25.4 miles (40.6 km) | 4 deaths – Passed along the south edge of Wapella, destroying 3 homes and several buildings on multiple farms. A library in Waynesville was torn apart. Grazulis states that this tornado produced near F4 damage, despite the official F1 rating. |
| F3 | E of Milford | Iroquois | 2350 | 7.1 miles (11.4 km) | One home had its roof blown off and was torn apart. 25 loaded freight cars were blown from the tracks. Barns and trailers were destroyed as well. |
| F3 | SE of Freeburg | St. Clair | 0245 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | 4 deaths – A trailer park was completely destroyed at Freeburg, where 4 people were killed. Frame homes and other structures were badly damaged. |
| Kansas ||||||
| F3 | NE of Louisburg, KS | Miami, KS, Cass, MO | 2045 | 2.7 miles (4.3 km) | Tornado struck 8 farms in two states. One farm home was unroofed and torn apart. Barns were destroyed as well along the path. |
| Iowa ||||||
| F5 | NE of Hampton to SE of Chester | Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Butler, Floyd, Chickasaw, Howard | 2110 | 62.1 miles (99.4 km) | See article on this tornado – 13 deaths – In Charles City, 13 people died, 450 were injured, and $30 million damage occurred. 372 homes were destroyed, 188 sustained major damage, and 356 sustained minor. A new housing project was leveled. 58 businesses were destroyed, 90 sustained major damage, and 46 sustained minor damage. Multiple homes in town were completely swept away. Farms were swept away in rural areas outside of town, and intense cycloidal scour marks were visible in fields. A department store was flattened and the downtown area on Main St. was heavily damaged. All 8 churches and 3 of the city schools were damaged or destroyed. All the bars were spared. The police station was heavily damaged. 1250 vehicles were destroyed. In Elma, nearly $1.5 million damage occurred. Five homes and 20 cars were demolished and the Roman Catholic Church was unroofed. Along the path, 13 people were killed, 462 injured, and total damages were estimated at $31.5 million. |
| F5 | Oelwein to W of Fayette | Fayette | 2157 | 13.1 miles (21 km) | See article on this tornado – 5 deaths – Tornado struck the towns of Oelwein and Maynard. Homes in both communities were completely swept away. Churches, businesses, and schools in Oelwein were badly damaged and destroyed. Nearly 1,000 homes in total were damaged or destroyed by the tornado along its path. 34 people were hospitalized as a result of their injuries. |
| F1 | W of Jackson Junction | Fayette | 2158 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | Brief tornado touchdown with minor damage. |
| F1 | Audubon area | Audubon | 2245 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Barns were destroyed and house windows were blown out. |
| F2 | S of Vernon Springs | Howard | 2315 | 4.7 miles (7.5 km) | The roof was torn off of a home and a concrete block garage was destroyed. Barns were destroyed as well. |
| Missouri ||||||
| F2 | W of Pittsville | Johnson | 2130 | 5.2 miles (8.3 km) | Tornado struck 7 farms, destroying barns and outbuildings. A gas station was destroyed and one home had its roof torn off. |
| F1 | NW of Richmond | Ray | 2145 | 3.6 miles (5.8 km) | Tornado struck 5 farms, damaging barns and sheds. |
| F2 | Fayetteville to Concordia | Johnson, Lafayette | 2200 | 12.3 miles (19.7 km) | Large barns and outbuildings were destroyed. |
| F1 | S of Blackburn | Lafayette, Saline | 2200 | 4.9 miles (7.8 km) | Four farms sustained outbuilding damage. Trees and roofs were damaged, and a car was flipped by the tornado. |
| F1 | S of Alba | Jasper | 2300 | 2.5 miles (4 km) | Tornado damaged or destroyed structures on 3 farms. Tree damage occurred and a car was flipped, injuring the 3 occupants. |
| F1 | W of Hillsboro | Jefferson | 0140 | 5.9 miles (9.4 km) | Tornado caused tree damage along its path. |
| F2 | SW of Neelyville | Butler | 0250 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) | Brief tornado destroyed two buildings and flipped a truck onto a station wagon. 1 person was injured. |
| F1 | S of Campbell | Dunklin | 0320 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Tornado caused damage to treetops before lifting, then touching down fully in a rural area. |
| Indiana ||||||
| F2 | Mooresville area | Hendricks, Morgan | 2145 | 8.8 miles (14.1 km) | 30 homes were damaged or had their roofs torn off, and multiple trailers were destroyed in Hazelwood. 20 additional homes were damaged at Lake Bodona, with some unroofed or nearly destroyed. |
| F2 | N of West Lafayette | Tippecanoe | 0351 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Two small buildings were destroyed. |
| F2 | N of Beard | Clinton | 0430 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | A barn and farm machinery were destroyed near Beard. |
| F3 | S of Wabash to E of Fort Wayne | Wabash, Huntington, Allen | 0602 | 50.3 miles (80.5 km) | 1 death – 13 trailers were destroyed, one of which was thrown across a highway, resulting in a fatality. 35 homes were damaged, 15 of them in New Haven. Twenty garages and barns were destroyed, and 3 planes were damaged at Wabash airport. 15 people were injured. |
| Ohio ||||||
| F1 | SE of Wooster | Wayne | 2315 | 1 miles (1.6 km) | Barns and outbuildings were destroyed. |
| F2 | Dalton area | Wayne | 0000 | 1 miles (1.6 km) | Barns and outbuildings were destroyed. |
| Arkansas ||||||
| F3 | NE of Mountain Home | Baxter | 0030 | 7.3 miles (11.7 km) | 3 deaths – 20 homes and 12 trailers were destroyed. 4 businesses and 15 other homes were badly damaged. Boats, docks, and resorts were damaged at Lake Norfolk. |
| F1 | NE of Viola | Fulton | 0115 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Tornado caused damage in the Viola area where two trailers were flipped and a recreation hall sustained roof and wall damage. The roof was blown off of Viola School and several homes in Viola were damaged as well. |
| F4 | N of Oil Trough | Independence | 0236 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | 7 deaths – Tornado struck Oil Trough, destroying over half of the town. An implement company, a grocery store, and the post office were destroyed. The high school was badly damaged as well. A church with 60 people inside was badly damaged, but only one injury occurred there. |
| F4 | E of Tuckerman to SW of Blytheville | Jackson, Craighead, Mississippi | 0245 | 20.9 miles (33.4 km) | 35 deaths – Tornado first struck the south side of Tuckerman before tearing through Jonesboro. At least 164 homes were destroyed in Jonesboro, and multiple others were damaged. Several fatalities occurred when vehicles were thrown from a road and wrapped around trees. The tornado also impacted the towns of Fairview, Nettleton, and Manila. The tornado was not on the ground between Jonesboro and Manila, but the NWS(National Weather Service) counts the event as one tornado. The downtown area of Manila was destroyed, and Nettleton School was completely destroyed as well. |
| Tennessee ||||||
| F1 | Memphis area (southeast) | Shelby | 0520 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Tornado remained over open country. |
| F1 | Germantown area | Shelby | 0715 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Brief tornado reported. |
| F1 | SW of Dixonville | Shelby | 0750 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | No damage reported. |
| Mississippi ||||||
| F2 | SW of Lewisburg | DeSoto | 0620 | 5.2 miles (8.3 km) | Two concrete block houses were badly damaged and another was pushed several feet from its foundation. An additional 3 homes were destroyed, one was unroofed, and 3 others were damaged. A mobile home, antique shop, implement company, garage, and chicken house were all destroyed. A barn was unroofed, and many trees and power poles were downed. 6 people were injured. |
| F1 | E of Bowman | Tate | 0640 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Tornado uprooted multiple trees. |
| F1 | NW of Taska | Marshall | 0730 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | One truck was pushed from the road, another jackknifed, and two others were involved as the tornado briefly moved down the highway. |
| Source: Tornado History Project Storm Data - May 15, 1968 ||||||

### May 16 event

List of confirmed tornadoes :
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
| Oklahoma ||||||
| F0 | SE of Wilson | Carter | 2015 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | |
| F0 | NW of Overbrook | Love | 2115 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | |
| F0 | NW of Taylor | Cotton, Stephens | 2143 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | |
| F1 | W of Marietta | Love | 2345 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | |
| F0 | NE of Asphaltum | Jefferson | 0000 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | |
| Texas ||||||
| F1 | NW of Bellevue | Clay | 2015 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | |
| F3 | SW of Vernon | Wilbarger | 2110 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | A home lost its roof and two walls. |
| Source: Tornado History Project Storm Data - May 16, 1968 ||||||

### Hansell — Aredale — Marble Rock — Charles City — Elma — Chester, Iowa

This tornado was first spotted near Hansell at around 4:10 P.M. At one point, two tornadoes were seen simultaneously on the ground. Several farms were destroyed before the tornado appeared to lift near Marble Rock. As the tornado approached Charles City, it intensified and enlarged. Thirteen people were killed and 415 were injured by the tornado in Charles City. The tornado then moved to Elma, causing severe damage there. The tornado then turned to the north and dissipated 14 miles north of Elma. 372 homes were destroyed in Charles City, and the damage total was $30 million in Charles City and $1.5 million in Elma.

### Oelwein — Maynard, Iowa

This tornado occurred less than an hour after the Charles City F5 touched down. In Olewein, it killed two people and destroyed 68 homes, with hundreds taking varying amounts of damage. In addition, it destroyed or damaged every business in the area. Some people reported more than one tornado on the ground. After moving northeast for a while, it hit the western side of Maynard, leveling five blocks of land, including several homes and the newly-constructed church. Two fatalities occurred in Maynard. In total, 156 injuries were recorded, and damage estimates were $21 million.

### Jonesboro — Manilla, Arkansas

This violent tornado, also referred to as the “First Jonesboro Tornado,” would be the deadliest of the outbreak, killing 35 people and injuring over 300. Some of those fatalities were caused by cars being wrapped around trees. 170 homes and some businesses were destroyed by the tornado. Nettleton High School was almost completely destroyed by the tornado. Large amounts of cotton crops were destroyed by heavy rain associated with the storm. In addition to Jonesboro, the tornado ran through the downtown area of Manila, destroying a large section of it. Despite the tornado having been observed to lift between Jonesboro and Manila, the NWS counts this as one tornado.