Why You Should Be Concerned For A Destructive Tornado In Boise

Tornadoes are all over the news after several hit the usual places in the South and the Midwest earlier in the week. It reminds us how fortunate we are to live in the Treasure Valley, where tornadoes are few and far between. But that doesn't mean that they never happen.

Boise once had four separate tornadoes on the same day! It happened on August 3, 2000, when all four broke out in different points of the city between 4:15pm and 4:51pm. That was the last time there was a tornado in Ada County.

Knowing it's been since August 2000 since our last tornado, you may wonder if we're due for one. The answer is yes!  According to tornadoproject.com, after two tornadoes reached Boise in 1956, it took nearly 11 years for the next one in June of 1967. The next recorded tornado was almost 17 years later, in March of 1984, followed by an odd one in October of that same year. After nearly 13 years, Ada County had another tornado in 1997, then another one the following year. Then it took twelve years before the next tornado in July 2000, then less than a month later came the four tornadoes of August 2000.

It has been almost 23 years since the last tornado, seven years longer than we've ever had between twisters. Think about how much the city has grown in that time! The population of Boise was less than 200,000 people in 2000, and the city didn't stretch out nearly as far. Those rural areas from those days are now densely populated, which is another reason to be prepared.

Historically, Boise has never had a death caused by a tornado, and there have only been nine injuries, but let's not forget how long ago it's been since we've experienced that kind of destructive weather.