May 2004 tornado outbreak sequence
Radar image of the supercell that spawned the Hallam, Nebraska, tornado.
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| Type | Tornado outbreak |
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| Duration | May 21, 2004 - May 31, 2004 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 389 |
| Max rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 11 days |
| Damage | $175 million (May 22) $65 million (May 29–31) |
| Casualties | 7 fatalities, 123 injuries |
| Areas affected | Central, Southern, and Eastern United States, Ontario |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
The May 2004 tornado outbreak sequence was a series of tornado outbreaks that affected much of southern Ontario, the Central and Southern United States from east of the Rockies to the Mid-Atlantic States from May 21 to May 31, 2004. Particularly hard hit were the central Plains from Missouri to Iowa and the Ohio Valley. The Central Plains were hit by two significant outbreaks on May 22 and May 24, the first outbreak which produced a very large and violent tornado in Hallam, Nebraska. The Ohio Valley was affected by one of the largest tornado outbreaks ever during the Memorial Day weekend on May 29–30.
Seven people were killed in four states during the entire event. In all, 389 tornadoes were confirmed over an 11-day period - close to the number of tornadoes in the May 2003 tornado outbreak sequence which affected more or less the same area. However, the 2003 Outbreak Sequence produced several more destructive and violent tornadoes and had a much higher death toll than in May 2004.
The Hallam, Nebraska Tornado Outbreak was an outbreak of 56 tornadoes in several Midwestern U.S. states on the evening of May 22, 2004 and the first of a series of tornado events. Most of the tornadoes occurred in Nebraska and Iowa. On that day, a warm, moist airmass was sitting over Nebraska while an upper level low developed in Colorado, with an attending dryline forming ahead of the advancing cold front. One person was killed in this outbreak, 38 were injured and there was $175 million in damage. The worst tornado was an F4 that struck Hallam, Nebraska. The F-4 tornado is ranked as one of the widest tornadoes on record, with the funnel stretching 2.5 miles (4 km) wide as it passed through Hallam.
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