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OT: Omaha Tornado 1975

WHCSC

WHCSC

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2002
10,806
3,619
88
Couldn't wait for the Red Cross trucks to come by so we could get some goodies
 
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tpmcg_rivals137159

All-Conference
Mar 25, 2002
10,437
1,024
0
we had already moved from Omaha, but remember seeing a house on a visit with just the stairwell to basement surviving the storm.
i think the dude continued living there.
as a kid, i was impressed.
 
M

MAG_rivals203855

Senior
May 29, 2001
9,934
767
0
Remember it very well. I was in the 7th grade at the time. Lived in Sarpy County away from all of the action. Just rain, wind and some hail at our house. Creepy feeling and the heaviness in the air that afternoon. Just knew sometime serious about the weather was imminent.
 
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NorthwoodHusker

Sophomore
Jun 20, 2019
3,526
156
0
I was driving with my gf, we couldnt see the street, the water was over the curb, couldnt see much of the old 2-3 wide elms along the side of the road.
I guessed right, pulled into a friend of my cousins house and rode it out there.
 
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V1nufanx4

Sophomore
Aug 15, 2018
795
137
37
My dad was driving northbound on 84th St waiting his turn to enter that “Awful Tunnel “ and watching that monster in his review mirror. Wisely he turned west at Center St even though he had an appointment the opposite direction.
 
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GretnaShawn

All-Conference
Sep 28, 2010
6,329
4,182
78
My grandparents/mother lived on 84th St in Ralston. The tornado hit their house. Took off the second floor and most of the main floor. My mom, the oldest child of seven, was not at the house. Either we’re her parents or the next two eldest siblings. But the youngest 4 kids were in the house. Luckily they went to the basement. Ages 6-12.

My grandpa had to stop about a mile away because there was too much debris on the road and he had to run (uphill mainly) home.

I cannot imagine the fear and panic of that run. Knowing your four youngest were home alone (they were able to call and tell them to get to the basement before the tornado came) and seeing all the houses gone and trees down. That had to be terrifying.
 
Tarheelhusker

Tarheelhusker

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2003
21,599
1,110
3
We lived around 84th & Q & got blasted, could have been worse. We still had walls & a frying pan stuck stuck into the kitchen wall, just perfect. Didn’t shatter the drywall, just slammed in there perfectly.
 
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planored

All-Conference
Aug 5, 2003
14,113
2,168
0
I was 11, lived down hill from Middle School. My sister was at book fair at Seymour elem. my mom said go get your sister. Told the teachers what was happening, got home and watched from basement door, remember the sounds and then walked out and the green sky way surreal. We got lucky, knew people in basement of Grandmothers etc. you go thru something like that, you don’t forget.
 
bigboxes

bigboxes

All-American
Sep 4, 2004
46,242
6,784
113
I was 9 and in 3rd grade. Plano is old. My father was a hospital administrator at Bergan Mercy and they had to drape themselves over patients that they couldn't get fully in the hall as glass starting flying in the lobby. I have heard a recording of that scene and it was quite nerving. It was that storm that changed how America dealt with tornadoes from thereon out.
 
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GretnaShawn

All-Conference
Sep 28, 2010
6,329
4,182
78
bigboxes said:
I was 9 and in 3rd grade. Plano is old. My father was a hospital administrator at Bergan Mercy and they had to drape themselves over patients that they couldn't get fully in the hall as glass flying in the lobby. I have heard a recording of that scene and it was quite nerving. It was that storm that changed how America dealt with tornadoes from thereon out.
Click to expand...

I work in commercial/industrial HVAC - there are still pictures of a Bergan that get shot out of the aftermath of that storm periodically.
 
VandalHuskerJulie

VandalHuskerJulie

Senior
Oct 13, 2001
4,412
477
83
v1nufan said:
My dad was driving northbound on 84th St waiting his turn to enter that “Awful Tunnel “ and watching that monster in his review mirror. Wisely he turned west at Center St even though he had an appointment the opposite direction.
Click to expand...

OMG that was an awful tunnel. I hated driving thru it!
 
Tarheelhusker

Tarheelhusker

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2003
21,599
1,110
3
planored said:
I was 11, lived down hill from Middle School. My sister was at book fair at Seymour elem. my mom said go get your sister. Told the teachers what was happening, got home and watched from basement door, remember the sounds and then walked out and the green sky way surreal. We got lucky, knew people in basement of Grandmothers etc. you go thru something like that, you don’t forget.
Click to expand...

After being in that
VandallHuskerJulie said:
OMG that was an awful tunnel. I hated driving thru it!
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you would have despised me. Not every time but often enough, I would honk my horn AFTER incoming traffic passed me. (I didn’t want to get sideswiped by a tensed up driver, much like yourself.)
 
VandalHuskerJulie

VandalHuskerJulie

Senior
Oct 13, 2001
4,412
477
83
bigboxes said:
I was 9 and in 3rd grade. Plano is old. My father was a hospital administrator at Bergan Mercy and they had to drape themselves over patients that they couldn't get fully in the hall as glass flying in the lobby. I have heard a recording of that scene and it was quite nerving. It was that storm that changed how America dealt with tornadoes from thereon out.
Click to expand...

I'm even older. I was a junior at Westside. Our house was between Hillside Elementary (Prep) and Westbrook. We were lucky - my friend who lived east of Prep not so much. I misspoke - school was in session but we were allowed to leave to help with the cleanup effort. We had to park at the mortuary on 72nd and Western and walk down the hill where the houses were destroyed. I've never witnessed so much destruction.

My poor Mom had to drive from downtown to our house shortly after the tornado went thru. She was understandably pretty shook up driving thru the rubble not knowing if our home was still standing.
 
VandalHuskerJulie

VandalHuskerJulie

Senior
Oct 13, 2001
4,412
477
83
tarheelhusker said:
After being in that

you would have despised me. Not every time but often enough, I would honk my horn AFTER incoming traffic passed me. (I didn’t want to get sideswiped by a tensed up driver, much like yourself.)
Click to expand...

Fortunately I didn't go thru that tunnel very often as I didn't live in that area!
 
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Baxter48_rivals204143

All-Conference
Sep 22, 2010
8,892
2,089
0
It was different, I lived about 150 miles to the southwest of Omaha, it was partly cloudy warm on our farm we could see a large dark cloud So dad said turn on kfab see if Omaha is having a thunderstorm they had more than that.
 
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planored

All-Conference
Aug 5, 2003
14,113
2,168
0
bigboxes said:
I was 9 and in 3rd grade. Plano is old. My father was a hospital administrator at Bergan Mercy and they had to drape themselves over patients that they couldn't get fully in the hall as glass flying in the lobby. I have heard a recording of that scene and it was quite nerving. It was that storm that changed how America dealt with tornadoes from thereon out.
Click to expand...
 
RealTucoSalamanca

RealTucoSalamanca

Heisman
Aug 18, 2016
16,645
10,920
113
We lucked out. I was 6 and we were at my grandmother's house near the Benson Park Golf Course. It is strange that I remember this, but you could see the the twister coming straight toward us from the basement windows. Then all of a sudden, it just lifted up and was gone, about 1/2 mile away. My grandma was pissed because my uncle had us standing too close to the window watching. Strange day.
 
bigboxes

bigboxes

All-American
Sep 4, 2004
46,242
6,784
113
VandallHuskerJulie said:
I'm even older. I was a junior at Westside. Our house was between Hillside Elementary (Prep) and Westbrook. We were lucky - my friend who lived east of Prep not so much. I misspoke - school was in session but we were allowed to leave to help with the cleanup effort. We had to park at the mortuary on 72nd and Western and walk down the hill where the houses were destroyed. I've never witnessed so much destruction.

My poor Mom had to drive from downtown to our house shortly after the tornado went thru. She was understandably pretty shook up driving thru the rubble not knowing if our home was still standing.
Click to expand...

I remember that they installed tornado sirens tested them every week. I remember going into our basement with the battery powered transistor radio.
 
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Huskerfan73

Redshirt
Dec 24, 2017
45
0
0
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Hawkdiver

Redshirt
Jun 27, 2019
56
23
0
I was at a pizza place in downtown Millard. The women and children were all shuffled into the walk in freezer and the men stood by the bar, but close enough to dive in the freezer if needed. They kept serving and my dad was pretty lit by the time we left.

It took forever to get home as every street we turned down was blocked.
 
Laner2

Laner2

Senior
Dec 27, 2007
18,967
901
113
tarheelhusker said:
We lived around 84th & Q & got blasted, could have been worse. We still had walls & a frying pan stuck stuck into the kitchen wall, just perfect. Didn’t shatter the drywall, just slammed in there perfectly.
Click to expand...


Tarheel and I are brothers. Our middle brother claimed to be driving south on 84th during the tornado and claimed to have seen a horse in the air. Possible, but I'm thinking it more that devil peyote than anything.
 
mgbreeze

mgbreeze

All-Conference
Dec 16, 2004
10,118
3,591
113
NJVAKYVANESDMOTXINCANE said:
I was in the Nebraska National Guard then. Got to stand guard duty along 72nd street to protect what was left. Just remember there was a lot of damage.
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My father in law was also in the National Guard and from Lincoln. My wife's birthday is on May 6th and she turned 2 that year. Every year on her birthday her Dad tells the story about someone from the Guard calling to tell him to report and he said "I'm putting together a tricycle and we're having a birthday party" and they said "not anymore you're not." You probably know him.
 
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Cedric_rivals191091

Sophomore
Jun 20, 2001
872
116
0
VandallHuskerJulie said:
I'm even older. I was a junior at Westside. Our house was between Hillside Elementary (Prep) and Westbrook. We were lucky - my friend who lived east of Prep not so much. I misspoke - school was in session but we were allowed to leave to help with the cleanup effort. We had to park at the mortuary on 72nd and Western and walk down the hill where the houses were destroyed. I've never witnessed so much destruction.

My poor Mom had to drive from downtown to our house shortly after the tornado went thru. She was understandably pretty shook up driving thru the rubble not knowing if our home was still standing.
Click to expand...
You must be two years younger than me. I had graduated from Prep the previous year and had just gotten home from my first year of college. No damage at our place near 114th and Pacific. I spent the following couple of days helping clean up at Prep
 
bigboxes

bigboxes

All-American
Sep 4, 2004
46,242
6,784
113
108th and Q. No damage. I remember riding our bikes into this drainage gully at Hitchcock Elementary on the edge of the hill. Storm passes over and we are out immediately. You get used to it. I remember seeing funnel clouds.
 
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HuskerJack95

Junior
Oct 10, 2007
3,972
230
0
My boss at the time lived on 91st Street about 3 blocks south of Q. The tornado tore the roof off the house while his wife and son took shelter under the pool table in the basement. When I went to the house the next day to help empty their freezer, I noticed that the house across the street had the garage torn off and the south side was exposed. A box of cereal was still on the kitchen counter, unscathed. My boss' house was razed and the lot sat vacant for seven years.

I knew two guys who worked at Calvary Cemetery on 78th and Center. They jumped into a grave as the tornado passed over. Luckily, the grave was empty.
 
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RockyMtnHusker

Junior
Aug 1, 2002
2,940
380
0
I remember hearing the sirens and that musty smell from taking cover in the corner of the basement. Made a mess of 72nd St. and there were looters. Wasn’t a good day to be at the track, haha. We had a little snowstorm in ‘75 too.
 
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Dean Pope

All-Conference
Oct 11, 2001
13,288
1,055
0
MAG said:
Remember it very well. I was in the 7th grade at the time. Lived in Sarpy County away from all of the action. Just rain, wind and some hail at our house. Creepy feeling and the heaviness in the air that afternoon. Just knew sometime serious about the weather was imminent.
Click to expand...
We had the exact same feeling in Lincoln back in May of '04. The Hallam tornado.
 
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