The severe wind outbreak of July 8, 2003
300 wind reportsOhio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and 19 more states
300 damaging wind reports across 22 states between 1:07 AM and 12:53 AM the next day CDT, 25 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger. 86 hail reports and 6 tornadoes the same day.
Watch the day unfoldSevere wind day · July 8, 2003
How the day unfolded
Every damaging wind report of the day at its logged time, with the day's hail reports and tornadoes, and the counties they reached.
The day in numbers
- Wind reports
- 300
- on Tuesday, July 8, 2003
- 75 mph or more
- 25
- 4 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
- Strongest measured gust
- —
- No measured gust reported
- Measured
- 0
- reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
- Killed by wind
- 0
- 1 injured
- Counties reporting
- 173
- in 22 states
Hour by hour
Damaging wind reports in each hour, Central Daylight Time.
The strongest winds
The 100 strongest reports with a speed. Measured gusts come from an instrument; estimated speeds are judged from damage.
| 2:45 PM | Wood County OH | 101 mph | Estimated |
| 10:05 PM | Pennington County SD | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 10:05 PM | Pennington County SD | 92 mph | Estimated |
| 4:17 PM | McLean County IL | 87 mph | Estimated |
| 2:47 PM | Bullitt County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 7:45 PM | Meade County SD | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 10:30 PM | Haakon County SD | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 3:20 PM | Peoria County IL | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 4:00 PM | Randolph County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:14 PM | Warren County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 PM | Boone County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:30 PM | Fountain County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:36 PM | Parke County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:50 PM | Montgomery County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:05 PM | Hendricks County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:22 PM | Boone County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:26 PM | Hendricks County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:31 PM | Hendricks County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:34 PM | Marion County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:45 PM | Marion County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:51 PM | Marion County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:53 PM | Madison County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:14 PM | Hancock County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:17 PM | Henry County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:30 PM | Rush County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:10 PM | Boone County WV | 72 mph | Estimated |
| 5:45 PM | Stark County OH | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:40 PM | Aroostook County ME | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:42 PM | Adams County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:45 PM | Boone County WV | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:42 PM | Butte County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 8:03 PM | Harding County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 8:30 PM | Perkins County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 12:02 AM | Sully County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:45 AM | Seneca County OH | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:34 AM | Franklin County OH | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:00 AM | Franklin County OH | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:08 AM | Licking County OH | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:26 AM | Licking County OH | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:15 AM | Randolph County WV | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:40 PM | Adams County IL | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:17 PM | Sangamon County IL | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:28 PM | Alleghany County VA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 1:45 AM | Delaware County IN | 67 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 PM | Pasco County FL | 67 mph | Estimated |
| 3:15 AM | Huron County OH | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:30 AM | Erie County OH | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:45 AM | Lorain County OH | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 7:12 AM | Lafayette County WI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 1:30 AM | Mercer County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 2:04 AM | Darke County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 2:06 AM | Auglaize County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 2:30 AM | Hardin County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 2:35 AM | Shelby County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 2:35 AM | Miami County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 3:05 AM | Clark County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 3:05 AM | Champaign County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 3:20 AM | Logan County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 3:25 AM | Madison County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 3:30 AM | Union County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 3:30 AM | Delaware County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 4:25 AM | Stark County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 4:31 AM | Fairfield County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 5:40 AM | Riley County KS | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 12:52 PM | Van Buren County IA | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 1:05 PM | Washtenaw County MI | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 1:05 PM | Washtenaw County MI | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 1:10 PM | Washtenaw County MI | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 1:30 PM | Washtenaw County MI | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 1:40 PM | Henderson County IL | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 1:45 PM | Monroe County MI | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 1:50 PM | Champaign County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 1:52 PM | Wayne County MI | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 1:53 PM | Monroe County MI | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 5:35 PM | Adams County IL | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 5:45 PM | Lewis County MO | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 6:52 PM | Woodford County IL | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 7:30 PM | Pike County IL | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 7:30 PM | Pike County IL | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 8:30 PM | Knox County MO | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 9:30 PM | Lewis County MO | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 10:00 PM | Pike County IL | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 2:42 AM | Lenawee County MI | 62 mph | Estimated |
| 1:14 PM | Washtenaw County MI | 62 mph | Estimated |
| 2:00 AM | Calhoun County MI | 61 mph | Estimated |
| 8:33 AM | Golden Valley County ND | 61 mph | Estimated |
| 12:05 PM | Calhoun County MI | 61 mph | Estimated |
| 12:30 PM | Jackson County MI | 61 mph | Estimated |
| 1:00 PM | Jackson County MI | 61 mph | Estimated |
| 1:10 AM | Yankton County SD | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 1:30 AM | Bon Homme County SD | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 1:45 AM | Bon Homme County SD | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 2:40 AM | Sandusky County OH | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 4:14 AM | Pickaway County OH | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 AM | Muskingum County OH | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 6:00 AM | Lawrence County PA | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 1:30 PM | Des Moines County IA | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 1:54 PM | Warren County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 1:57 PM | Hancock County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 2:00 PM | Monroe County MI | 60 mph | Estimated |
By state
| Ohio | 121 | — |
| Indiana | 37 | — |
| Pennsylvania | 34 | — |
| Illinois | 22 | — |
| West Virginia | 20 | — |
| South Dakota | 19 | — |
| Michigan | 18 | — |
| Maine | 7 | — |
| Missouri | 3 | — |
| Vermont | 3 | — |
| Iowa | 2 | — |
| Kansas | 2 | — |
| Kentucky | 2 | — |
| Maryland | 2 | — |
| Nebraska | 1 | — |
| Florida | 1 | — |
| Georgia | 1 | — |
| Virginia | 1 | — |
| Louisiana | 1 | — |
| Mississippi | 1 | — |
| North Dakota | 1 | — |
| Wisconsin | 1 | — |
| Montana | 0 | — |
| Wyoming | 0 | — |
Counties with the most wind reports
- Columbiana CountyOH · 9 reports
- Beaver CountyPA · 6 reports
- Hancock CountyWV · 6 reports
- Washtenaw CountyMI · 5 reports
- Allegheny CountyPA · 5 reports
- Washington CountyPA · 5 reports
- Monroe CountyMI · 4 reports
- Aroostook CountyME · 4 reports
- DeKalb CountyIN · 4 reports
- Fayette CountyPA · 4 reports
Hail and tornadoes that day
86 hail reports, 3 of 2 inches or more; 6 tornadoes.
| 9:00 PM | Grant County NE | 3.00 |
| 8:00 PM | Meade County SD | 2.50 |
| 6:05 PM | Butte County SD | 2.00 |
| 10:10 AM | Ziebach County SD | 1.75 |
| 1:10 PM | Stark County IL | 1.75 |
| 3:52 PM | Campbell County WY | 1.75 |
| 5:22 PM | Carter County MT | 1.75 |
| 5:50 PM | Butte County SD | 1.75 |
| 6:02 PM | Cass County IA | 1.75 |
| 6:45 PM | Meade County SD | 1.75 |
| 8:25 PM | Pennington County SD | 1.75 |
| 8:50 PM | Grant County NE | 1.75 |
| 9:45 PM | Cherry County NE | 1.75 |
| 11:15 PM | McPherson County NE | 1.75 |
| 3:25 PM | Peoria County IL | 1.50 |
| 7:55 PM | Meade County SD | 1.50 |
| 8:05 PM | Meade County SD | 1.50 |
| 5:00 PM | Garfield County MT | 1.25 |
| 5:18 PM | Carter County MT | 1.25 |
| 6:52 PM | Aroostook County ME | 1.25 |
| 8:41 AM | Lake County IL | 1.00 |
| 1:29 PM | Elkhart County IN | 1.00 |
| 1:46 PM | LaSalle County IL | 1.00 |
| 2:37 PM | DeKalb County IN | 1.00 |
| 3:30 PM | Allen County IN | 1.00 |
| 3:35 PM | Tazewell County IL | 1.00 |
| 4:00 PM | McLean County IL | 1.00 |
| 4:00 PM | Powder River County MT | 1.00 |
| 4:35 PM | Laurens County GA | 1.00 |
| 5:08 PM | Powder River County MT | 1.00 |
| 5:25 PM | Campbell County WY | 1.00 |
| 6:29 PM | Wayne County IA | 1.00 |
| 7:13 PM | Aroostook County ME | 1.00 |
| 7:30 PM | Perkins County SD | 1.00 |
| 8:25 PM | Meade County SD | 1.00 |
| 8:55 PM | Pennington County SD | 1.00 |
| 9:05 PM | Haakon County SD | 1.00 |
| 9:20 PM | Grant County NE | 1.00 |
| 9:30 PM | Haakon County SD | 1.00 |
| 9:40 PM | Somerset County PA | 1.00 |
| 9:59 PM | Hooker County NE | 1.00 |
| 11:15 PM | Jones County SD | 1.00 |
| 12:40 AM | Holt County NE | 1.00 |
| 1:40 AM | Lincoln County SD | 0.88 |
| 1:58 AM | Sioux County IA | 0.88 |
| 4:22 AM | Richland County OH | 0.88 |
| 7:01 AM | Allegheny County PA | 0.88 |
| 1:38 PM | Muscatine County IA | 0.88 |
| 2:50 PM | Monroe County IN | 0.88 |
| 5:10 PM | Powder River County MT | 0.88 |
- F0 tornado3:34 PM CDT
- F1 tornado5:35 PM CDT
- F1 tornado5:47 PM CDT
- F0 tornado6:15 PM CDT
- F0 tornado6:15 PM CDT
- F0 tornado11:35 PM CDT
2003 · On this date in other years · The biggest severe wind days
- A report is a single damage or measurement report to the National Weather Service. Several reports can describe one gust front, so reports are not storms.
- Reporting has grown with population, spotter networks and the internet, so counts from different decades are not directly comparable.
- Thunderstorm wind reports start at 50 knots (58 mph). SPC began flagging measured against estimated speeds in 2006; earlier reports are shown as estimated.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1955 to 2025. A day is SPC’s calendar date in Central Standard Time; a severe wind day here has 300 or more damaging wind reports, or 15 or more of 75 knots (86 mph) or more.