October 1997 North American storm complex

The October 1997 North American storm complex was a blizzard and tornado outbreak that affected the Northwest, Rockies, much of the Midwest and Deep south. 84 tornadoes were confirmed as the system moved eastward across the eastern half of the United States, including four that were rated as F3 on the Fujita scale.

October 1997 North American storm complex

Part of the 1997 North American winter storms
Snowfall totals map of Eastern Nebraska
Type	Extratropical cyclone, Blizzard, Derecho, Tornado outbreak, Windstorm
Formed	October 23, 1997
Dissipated	October 31, 1997
Lowest pressure	993 mb (29.32 inHg)
Tornadoes confirmed	84 confirmed
Max. rating1	F3 tornado
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion	13.2 inches Lincoln, Nebraska
Casualties	fatalities:13 (snow); 0 (tornado); injuries: unknown
Areas affected	Eastern two-thirds of North America and adjacent waters
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

The storms resulted in 13 deaths (five in Colorado, two each in Nebraska and Illinois, and one each in Michigan, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas), and caused power outages and school closings lasting up to a week in affected areas. The event was famously billed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as being a "two-hundred year storm". The wind caused much damage, downing trees and power poles.