1968 Oelwein tornado
The tornado as it was forming just outside of Oelwein, IA | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 15, 1968, ~4:57 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Dissipated | May 15, 1968, ~5:40 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Duration | 43 minutes |
| F5 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | >261 mph (420 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Injuries | 156 |
| Areas affected | Oelwein, Iowa and surrounding areas, including Maynard, Iowa |
Part of the Tornadoes of 1968 and Tornado outbreak of May 1968 | |
In the late afternoon and early evening hours of May 15, 1968, a violent and devastating F5 tornado struck the city of Oelwein, Iowa and the town of Maynard, Iowa, killing 5 and injuring a further 156. The tornado caused ~$21 million (1968 USD) in damages, and was one of two F5s that touched down as part of the Tornado outbreak of May 1968.