The severe wind outbreak of January 29, 2008
333 wind reportsKentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and 7 more states
333 damaging wind reports across 10 states between 1:40 PM and 11:45 PM CST, 48 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 81 mph in Putnam County, IN. 39 hail reports and 8 tornadoes the same day.
Watch the day unfoldSevere wind day · January 29, 2008
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
- 333
- on Tuesday, January 29, 2008
- 75 mph or more
- 48
- 13 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
- Strongest measured gust
- 81 mph
- 70 knots, Putnam County, IN
- Measured
- 18
- reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
- Killed by wind
- 0
- 5 injured
- Counties reporting
- 225
- in 10 states
Hour by hour
Damaging wind reports in each hour, Central Standard Time.
The strongest winds
The 100 strongest reports with a speed. Measured gusts come from an instrument; estimated speeds are judged from damage.
| 6:10 PM | Hendricks County IN | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 6:30 PM | Washington County IN | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 7:32 PM | Barren County KY | 92 mph | Estimated |
| 7:32 PM | Allen County KY | 92 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | Morgan County IN | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | Morgan County IN | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | Morgan County IN | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | Morgan County IN | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | Morgan County IN | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | Morgan County IN | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | Morgan County IN | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 7:00 PM | Clark County IN | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 8:25 PM | Russell County KY | 86 mph | Estimated |
| 6:21 PM | Marion County IN | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 6:25 PM | Marion County IN | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 6:46 PM | Marion County IN | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 8:50 PM | Nicholas County KY | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 5:43 PM | Putnam County IN | 81 mph | Measured |
| 3:50 PM | Cape Girardeau County MO | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 4:05 PM | Scott County MO | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:14 PM | Calloway County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:15 PM | Gibson County IN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 7:06 PM | Warren County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:00 PM | Taylor County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:00 PM | Metcalfe County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:03 PM | Warren County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:04 PM | Monroe County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:15 PM | Mercer County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:50 PM | Putnam County IN | 78 mph | Estimated |
| 4:05 PM | Union County IL | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 4:18 PM | Wayne County IL | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 4:30 PM | Wayne County IL | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 4:32 PM | Saline County IL | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 PM | Gallatin County IL | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 5:20 PM | Vanderburgh County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 5:22 PM | Calloway County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 5:32 PM | Pike County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | Hendricks County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:11 PM | Hendricks County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:20 PM | Todd County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:38 PM | Meade County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:10 PM | Warren County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:10 PM | Monroe County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:15 PM | Warren County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:20 PM | Allen County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:30 PM | Jefferson County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:04 PM | Warren County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:10 PM | Adair County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 3:50 PM | Jackson County IL | 72 mph | Measured |
| 4:15 PM | Franklin County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:17 PM | Mississippi County MO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:18 PM | Hamilton County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:26 PM | Pulaski County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:30 PM | Johnson County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:45 PM | White County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 PM | Graves County KY | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:03 PM | Posey County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:05 PM | Vigo County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:16 PM | Marshall County KY | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:26 PM | Livingston County KY | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:30 PM | Henderson County KY | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:43 PM | Putnam County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:45 PM | Trigg County KY | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:50 PM | Spencer County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | Christian County KY | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 PM | Perry County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 8:07 PM | Taylor County KY | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:41 PM | Carlisle County KY | 69 mph | Measured |
| 5:10 PM | Knox County IN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:30 PM | Butler County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:30 PM | Edmonson County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:35 PM | Breckinridge County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:39 PM | Hancock County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:48 PM | Jackson County IN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:48 PM | Jackson County IN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:56 PM | Breckinridge County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:00 PM | Shelby County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:02 PM | Breckinridge County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:10 PM | Simpson County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:15 PM | Henry County IN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:15 PM | Jennings County IN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:15 PM | Meade County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:18 PM | Wilson County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:19 PM | Oldham County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:20 PM | Meade County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:20 PM | Perry County IN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:20 PM | Edmonson County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:30 PM | Allen County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:30 PM | Butler County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:30 PM | Logan County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:42 PM | Nelson County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:05 PM | Monroe County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:07 PM | Spencer County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:10 PM | Mercer County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:10 PM | Franklin County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:11 PM | Shelby County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:15 PM | Nelson County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:15 PM | Cumberland County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:19 PM | Boyle County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:28 PM | Harrison County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
By state
| Kentucky | 137 | 69 mph |
| Indiana | 82 | 81 mph |
| Tennessee | 48 | 67 mph |
| Illinois | 25 | 72 mph |
| Ohio | 19 | 62 mph |
| Mississippi | 8 | — |
| Missouri | 6 | — |
| North Carolina | 4 | — |
| West Virginia | 3 | — |
| Virginia | 1 | — |
| Hawaii | 0 | — |
Counties with the most wind reports
- Morgan CountyIN · 7 reports
- Hendricks CountyIN · 6 reports
- Vigo CountyIN · 5 reports
- Breathitt CountyKY · 5 reports
- Warren CountyKY · 5 reports
- Marion CountyIN · 4 reports
- Jennings CountyIN · 4 reports
- Clinton CountyIN · 4 reports
- Madison CountyIN · 4 reports
- Rutherford CountyTN · 4 reports
Hail and tornadoes that day
39 hail reports, 0 of 2 inches or more; 8 tornadoes.
| 3:05 PM | St. Clair County IL | 1.75 |
| 2:55 PM | Randolph County IL | 1.00 |
| 3:00 PM | Randolph County IL | 1.00 |
| 5:30 PM | Gibson County IN | 1.00 |
| 7:50 PM | Wilson County TN | 1.00 |
| 1:07 PM | Menard County IL | 0.88 |
| 2:35 PM | Madison County IL | 0.88 |
| 3:15 PM | Randolph County IL | 0.88 |
| 3:59 PM | Cape Girardeau County MO | 0.88 |
| 4:03 PM | Franklin County IL | 0.88 |
| 4:04 PM | Perry County IL | 0.88 |
| 4:06 PM | Cape Girardeau County MO | 0.88 |
| 4:20 PM | Clay County IL | 0.88 |
| 4:25 PM | Alexander County IL | 0.88 |
| 4:28 PM | Williamson County IL | 0.88 |
| 4:39 PM | Saline County IL | 0.88 |
| 4:56 PM | Wabash County IL | 0.88 |
| 5:02 PM | Lawrence County IL | 0.88 |
| 5:02 PM | Lawrence County IL | 0.88 |
| 5:35 PM | Daviess County IN | 0.88 |
| 5:37 PM | Daviess County IN | 0.88 |
| 6:00 PM | Boone County IN | 0.88 |
| 6:20 PM | Crawford County IN | 0.88 |
| 6:25 PM | Crawford County IN | 0.88 |
| 8:35 PM | Scott County KY | 0.88 |
| 1:10 PM | Macoupin County IL | 0.75 |
| 1:40 PM | Madison County IL | 0.75 |
| 3:00 PM | Hawaii County HI | 0.75 |
| 3:25 PM | Randolph County IL | 0.75 |
| 3:44 PM | Bollinger County MO | 0.75 |
| 4:15 PM | Jackson County IL | 0.75 |
| 5:16 PM | Posey County IN | 0.75 |
| 5:28 PM | Calloway County KY | 0.75 |
| 6:05 PM | Hendricks County IN | 0.75 |
| 6:16 PM | Hendricks County IN | 0.75 |
| 6:31 PM | Hamilton County IN | 0.75 |
| 7:10 PM | Breckinridge County KY | 0.75 |
| 7:35 PM | Wilson County TN | 0.75 |
| 8:30 PM | Garrard County KY | 0.75 |
- EF1 tornado4:09 PM CST
- EF2 tornado5:07 PM CST · 2 killed
- EF1 tornado6:20 PM CST
- EF1 tornado6:40 PM CST
- EF1 tornado6:58 PM CST · 1 killed
- EF1 tornado7:00 PM CST
- EF1 tornado7:10 PM CST
- EF0 tornado8:00 PM CST
2008 · 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.