On June 13, 1968, an F5 tornado formed near Lake Sarah southwest of Tracy, leveled three farmsteads, and tore through the heart of the city after entering town at 7:03 p.m. The tornado remained on the ground for 13.5 miles and 25 minutes before dissipating several miles northeast of town. In its aftermath, nine people were killed and 150 were injured, 111 homes were completely destroyed, 76 more suffered major damage, five businesses were destroyed, and 15 others were damaged. A three-story elementary school built in 1895 was gutted within seconds, and the winds were strong enough to hurl a 25-ton boxcar several blocks through the air before dropping it at a residential street intersection. The disaster is remembered both for the lives lost and for the resilient spirit of Tracy's citizens afterward.