Tornado outbreak of May 22–27, 2008
A house damaged by the Windsor EF3 tornado. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | May 22–27, 2008 |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 173 |
| Maximum rating | EF5 tornado |
| Duration | 5 days, 6 hours, 35 minutes |
| Highest winds | Tornadic – 205 mph (330 km/h) (Parkersburg, IA EF5 tornado on May 25) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 13 fatalities (+1 non-tornadic) |
| Injuries | 215 injuries |
| Damage | $343 million (2008 USD) $509 million (2025 USD) |
| Areas affected | Central United States, Southern Canada |
Part of the the tornado outbreaks of 2008 | |
A multi-day tornado outbreak affected the central plains of the United States from May 22–27, 2008. It was also one of the largest continuous tornado outbreaks on record. A total of 173 tornadoes were confirmed, with the most intense activity occurring across the Great Plains. One person was killed when a large wedge tornado struck Windsor, Colorado, and two more deaths were reported in Pratt County, Kansas. One person was also killed near Hugo, Minnesota on May 25 and nine were killed by an EF5 tornado that destroyed most of Parkersburg, Iowa and a small subdivision of New Hartford, Iowa (located near Waterloo, Iowa). Another fatality, caused by lightning related to the storms, occurred in central Kansas.