"IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE."

At 4:35 P.M. on May 6, 1975, a tornado, packing winds estimated at 150 m.p.h., struck Omaha, Nebraska. The tornado struck hard. In less than one-half hour, it had devastated a section of Omaha one-quarter mile wide and almost 9 miles long. It left behind well over $l00 million in property damage, three persons dead and approximately 150 persons injured.

The next day, the Omaha World-Herald headline proclaimed 'It could have been worse..." There were many reasons why it was not worse. Hopefully, these reasons and this report will help Omaha and other communities to be even better prepared the next time a disaster occurs.

THE EVENTS
Omaha, although hit by high winds, rain, etc., from time to time, had not recorded a substantial tornado strike for seven years. Then, on March 27, 1975, a small tornado struck the southwestern edge of the city and damaged or destroyed several homes. It was not until four minutes after the tornado had lifted that Civil Defense sirens were sounded. The people affected had had little or no warning.

The March tornado was labeled a "freak" since standard tornado conditions were absent that day. The tornado also hit prior to what is considered "tornado season", and weather warning radar was not yet in operation. Hence, volunteer weather observers who usually alert the mass media and public to such problems were not, themselves, alerted. In addition, severe weather conditions in western Nebraska and thunderstorm activity over Lincoln were keeping most weather service personnel busier than usual. The threat to Omaha seemed minimal.

Therefore, as spring weather descended in 1975, Civil Defense and the National Weather Service were somewhat more "tornado conscious" then they might have been and particularly sensitive in the area of tornado forecasting and warning adequacy.

About noon on May 6, the National Weather Service issued what is to Midwesterners a rather routine tornado "watch". A watch simply states that conditions are favorable for the development of tornados. On that day the watch was issued for a broad area encompassing portions of southern South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Cold Canadian air had moved into Nebraska and was mixing with a flow of warm, moist gulf air. Thunderstorms were developing over western Nebraska, forming the classic tornado conditions. As the storm front moved east it seemed to be concentrating its force on northeastern Nebraska. By mid-afternoon a tornado warning had been issued for northeastern Nebraska, and a series of tornados were - sighted two of them struck - destroying portions of Magnet and Pierce, Nebraska.

Meanwhile, amateur radio operators were dispatched by Offutt Air Force Base to critical geographical areas around urban Omaha to observe and report on the now severe weather conditions. The organization, called the Amateur Radio Emergency Corps (AREC) is a volunteer group of amateur radio operators organized to provide emergency public service communications. At approximately the same time, the Radio Emergency Associated Citizens Team (REACT) was activated by the Weather Service. Tornados to the southwest of Omaha were sighted by members of this group shortly after 4 P.M. and the Weather Service was notified. At 4:14 P.M., the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning" for the City of Omaha, and this was immediately broadcast by local radio and television stations. (A tornado warning is issued for an area after a tornado has been sighted.)

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