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The severe wind outbreak of May 30, 2004

555 wind reportsIllinois, Kentucky, Arkansas and 18 more states

555 damaging wind reports across 21 states between 1:00 AM and 12:56 AM the next day CDT, 34 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger. 230 hail reports and 81 tornadoes the same day. The 20th-most wind reports of any day since 1955.

Watch the day unfold

Severe wind day · May 30, 2004

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.

About this replay
Central time—Historical replay — logged report times
Wind reports—of 555 that day
Strongest gust—measured, so far
Largest hail—so far

The day in numbers

Wind reports
555
20th of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
75 mph or more
34
15 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
2
29 injured
Counties reporting
399
in 21 states

Hour by hour

Damaging wind reports in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Wind reports per hour, May 30, 2004 1 AM: 37 2 AM: 5 3 AM: 0 4 AM: 0 5 AM: 1 6 AM: 2 7 AM: 1 8 AM: 1 9 AM: 5 10 AM: 2 11 AM: 3 Noon: 4 1 PM: 9 2 PM: 14 3 PM: 24 4 PM: 19 5 PM: 42 6 PM: 54 7 PM: 83 83 8 PM: 51 9 PM: 35 10 PM: 37 11 PM: 62 Midnight: 64 1 AM4 AM7 AM10 AM1 PM4 PM7 PM10 PM

The strongest winds

The 100 strongest reports with a speed. Measured gusts come from an instrument; estimated speeds are judged from damage.

Strongest wind reports, May 30, 2004
12:45 AMGiles County TN120 mph104Estimated1
12:45 AMGiles County TN98 mph85Estimated0
5:29 PMSt. Clair County IL97 mph84Estimated0
10:20 PMPerry County IN92 mph80Estimated0
11:00 PMHarrison County IN92 mph80Estimated0
11:02 PMGrayson County KY92 mph80Estimated0
11:02 PMEdmonson County KY92 mph80Estimated0
12:02 AMWayne County TN92 mph80Estimated0
12:15 AMLawrence County TN92 mph80Estimated0
12:30 AMAdair County KY92 mph80Estimated0
12:40 AMTaylor County KY92 mph80Estimated0
12:45 AMGiles County TN92 mph80Estimated0
7:40 PMMassac County IL90 mph78Estimated0
8:40 PMHenderson County KY90 mph78Estimated0
7:25 PMPowell County KY86 mph75Estimated0
8:40 PMWarrick County IN85 mph74Estimated0
1:05 AMTaylor County KY81 mph70Estimated0
2:35 PMHancock County IL81 mph70Estimated0
3:12 PMMcDonough County IL81 mph70Estimated0
3:50 PMJefferson County KY81 mph70Estimated0
5:10 PMJefferson County KY81 mph70Estimated0
5:30 PMSt. Clair County IL81 mph70Estimated0
5:57 PMMontgomery County IL81 mph70Estimated0
6:00 PMMontgomery County IL81 mph70Estimated0
7:22 PMSaline County IL81 mph70Estimated0
11:55 PMGreen County KY81 mph70Estimated0
12:00 AMLawrence County TN81 mph70Estimated0
12:46 AMMadison County AL81 mph70Estimated0
3:30 PMRussell County VA75 mph65Estimated0
7:10 PMClay County IL75 mph65Estimated0
8:15 PMHorry County SC75 mph65Estimated0
9:00 PMSpencer County IN75 mph65Estimated0
12:24 AMLimestone County AL75 mph65Estimated0
12:33 AMLimestone County AL75 mph65Estimated0
2:01 AMAdair County IA72 mph63Estimated0
5:31 PMSt. Clair County IL72 mph63Estimated0
3:40 PMLewis County MO71 mph62Estimated0
1:24 AMRogers County OK70 mph61Estimated0
3:40 PMLe Flore County OK70 mph61Estimated0
3:49 PMDelaware County IA70 mph61Estimated0
4:00 PMCrawford County AR70 mph61Estimated0
4:28 PMFranklin County AR70 mph61Estimated0
6:15 PMFayette County IL70 mph61Estimated0
6:18 PMWashington County IL70 mph61Estimated0
12:50 AMMarshall County TN70 mph61Estimated0
1:00 AMLincoln County KY69 mph60Estimated0
1:00 AMCasey County KY69 mph60Estimated0
1:00 AMBourbon County KY69 mph60Estimated0
1:05 AMRussell County KY69 mph60Estimated0
1:05 AMHarrison County KY69 mph60Estimated0
1:10 AMEstill County KY69 mph60Estimated0
1:11 AMPulaski County KY69 mph60Estimated0
1:30 AMMadison County KY69 mph60Estimated0
1:45 AMOwsley County KY69 mph60Estimated0
1:26 PMPerry County KY69 mph60Estimated0
1:42 PMPolk County MO69 mph60Estimated0
1:55 PMCamden County MO69 mph60Estimated0
2:28 PMGreene County MO69 mph60Estimated0
3:40 PMAdams County IL69 mph60Estimated0
5:00 PMBrown County IL69 mph60Estimated0
5:10 PMSt. Louis MO69 mph60Estimated0
5:30 PMShelby County IL69 mph60Estimated0
6:00 PMFayette County IL69 mph60Estimated0
6:00 PMLee County VA69 mph60Estimated0
6:10 PMMcLean County IL69 mph60Estimated0
6:50 PMFord County IL69 mph60Estimated0
7:00 PMJasper County IL69 mph60Estimated0
8:10 PMHorry County SC69 mph60Estimated0
8:10 PMHorry County SC69 mph60Estimated0
8:52 PMWood County TX69 mph60Estimated0
10:22 PMOhio County KY69 mph60Estimated0
10:25 PMOrange County IN69 mph60Estimated0
10:25 PMDubois County IN69 mph60Estimated0
10:25 PMDubois County IN69 mph60Estimated0
10:30 PMBreckinridge County KY69 mph60Estimated0
10:30 PMDubois County IN69 mph60Estimated0
10:40 PMMeade County KY69 mph60Estimated0
10:40 PMButler County KY69 mph60Estimated0
10:45 PMGrayson County KY69 mph60Estimated0
10:50 PMHancock County KY69 mph60Estimated0
10:55 PMLogan County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:00 PMWashington County IN69 mph60Estimated0
11:10 PMEdmonson County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:24 PMJefferson County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:25 PMFloyd County IN69 mph60Estimated0
11:30 PMWarren County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:30 PMEdmonson County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:30 PMScott County IN69 mph60Estimated0
11:35 PMJefferson County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:35 PMBullitt County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:40 PMOldham County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:40 PMHart County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:40 PMHardin County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:40 PMLauderdale County AL69 mph60Estimated1
11:43 PMColbert County AL69 mph60Estimated0
11:48 PMClark County IN69 mph60Estimated0
11:50 PMOldham County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:50 PMAllen County KY69 mph60Estimated0
11:52 PMWayne County TN69 mph60Estimated0
11:55 PMHenry County KY69 mph60Estimated0

By state

Severe weather reports by state, May 30, 2004
Illinois115—294.00
Kentucky115—252.50
Arkansas68—212.75
Tennessee50—51.75
Indiana46—71.00
Missouri42—844.50
Ohio29—21.75
Mississippi23—10.75
Alabama14—30.88
Iowa10—91.75
Michigan8—0—
South Carolina6—0—
Oklahoma4—202.00
Texas4—131.75
West Virginia4—51.25
Kansas4—21.00
North Carolina4—21.75
Virginia4—0—
Minnesota2—21.75
Nebraska2—0—
Wisconsin1—0—

Counties with the most wind reports

Hail and tornadoes that day

230 hail reports, 16 of 2 inches or more; 81 tornadoes.

Largest hail, May 30, 2004
3:27 PMMaries County MO4.50
5:00 PMWoodford County IL4.00
2:40 PMMiller County MO2.75
2:52 PMMiller County MO2.75
3:45 PMGasconade County MO2.75
3:56 PMTaney County MO2.75
4:30 PMClinton County IL2.75
5:36 PMTazewell County IL2.75
6:40 PMHempstead County AR2.75
6:50 PMNevada County AR2.75
3:55 PMHarlan County KY2.50
2:20 PMCamden County MO2.00
3:18 PMHaskell County OK2.00
3:59 PMTaney County MO2.00
4:03 PMOzark County MO2.00
5:30 PMEdgar County IL2.00
1:04 PMMcIntosh County OK1.75
1:15 PMMcIntosh County OK1.75
1:40 PMDallas County MO1.75
1:40 PMDallas County MO1.75
2:22 PMLee County IA1.75
2:30 PMLogan County KY1.75
2:34 PMHaskell County OK1.75
2:45 PMMiller County MO1.75
2:53 PMTaney County MO1.75
3:00 PMCarroll County AR1.75
3:01 PMTaney County MO1.75
3:05 PMHancock County IL1.75
3:05 PMFulton County AR1.75
3:15 PMHarnett County NC1.75
3:20 PMBoone County AR1.75
3:40 PMBenton County IA1.75
3:44 PMLe Flore County OK1.75
4:00 PMGasconade County MO1.75
4:00 PMShelby County KY1.75
4:15 PMHarlan County KY1.75
4:26 PMMaries County MO1.75
4:33 PMClinton County IL1.75
4:40 PMMontgomery County IL1.75
4:40 PMShelby County KY1.75
4:45 PMFannin County TX1.75
5:00 PMShannon County MO1.75
5:05 PMYell County AR1.75
5:10 PMSt. Louis County MO1.75
5:10 PMSt. Louis County MO1.75
5:10 PMMadison County IL1.75
5:45 PMLamar County TX1.75
6:13 PMMcLean County IL1.75
6:33 PMLittle River County AR1.75
6:35 PMChampaign County IL1.75

The tornado outbreak of May 30, 2004: 81 tornadoes, each with its touchdown time and path.

2004 · On this date in other years · The biggest severe wind days

  1. 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.
  2. Reporting has grown with population, spotter networks and the internet, so counts from different decades are not directly comparable.
  3. 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.