The severe wind outbreak of July 31, 2008
260 wind reportsMinnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina and 18 more states
260 damaging wind reports across 21 states between 3:00 AM and 9:01 PM CDT, 34 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 115 mph in Grant County, SD. 29 hail reports the same day.
Watch the day unfoldSevere wind day · July 31, 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
- 260
- on Thursday, July 31, 2008
- 75 mph or more
- 34
- 18 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
- Strongest measured gust
- 115 mph
- 100 knots, Grant County, SD
- Measured
- 33
- reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
- Killed by wind
- 0
- 13 injured
- Counties reporting
- 128
- in 21 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.
| 4:40 AM | Day County SD | 120 mph | Estimated |
| 4:47 AM | Day County SD | 120 mph | Estimated |
| 5:05 AM | Grant County SD | 115 mph | Measured |
| 4:00 AM | Brown County SD | 110 mph | Estimated |
| 4:13 AM | Brown County SD | 110 mph | Estimated |
| 4:16 AM | Brown County SD | 110 mph | Estimated |
| 4:50 AM | Day County SD | 110 mph | Estimated |
| 3:53 AM | Brown County SD | 101 mph | Measured |
| 4:00 AM | Brown County SD | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 4:08 AM | Brown County SD | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 4:10 AM | Brown County SD | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 4:47 AM | Day County SD | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 4:55 AM | Day County SD | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 5:40 AM | Grant County SD | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 3:53 AM | Brown County SD | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 4:25 AM | Day County SD | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 5:05 AM | Day County SD | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 6:13 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 86 mph | Measured |
| 5:00 AM | Day County SD | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 8:07 AM | Le Sueur County MN | 84 mph | Measured |
| 3:00 AM | Dickey County ND | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 4:00 AM | Brown County SD | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 4:30 AM | Marshall County SD | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 4:45 AM | Day County SD | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:20 AM | Big Stone County MN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 4:02 AM | Brown County SD | 79 mph | Measured |
| 7:23 AM | Renville County MN | 75 mph | Measured |
| 6:10 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:10 AM | Swift County MN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:37 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:45 AM | Yellow Medicine County MN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:00 AM | Swift County MN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 2:55 PM | Lake County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:40 AM | Chippewa County MN | 74 mph | Estimated |
| 8:40 AM | Steele County MN | 74 mph | Estimated |
| 3:04 AM | McPherson County SD | 72 mph | Measured |
| 8:35 AM | Steele County MN | 72 mph | Measured |
| 6:15 AM | Chippewa County MN | 72 mph | Estimated |
| 6:50 AM | Renville County MN | 71 mph | Estimated |
| 8:25 AM | Rice County MN | 71 mph | Estimated |
| 8:30 AM | Steele County MN | 71 mph | Estimated |
| 5:50 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 70 mph | Measured |
| 4:02 AM | Spink County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:15 AM | Spink County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:50 AM | Marshall County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 AM | Swift County MN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 10:45 AM | Clayton County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 12:29 PM | Stephenson County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 12:35 PM | Stephenson County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 3:03 PM | Lake County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 AM | Chippewa County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:25 AM | Chippewa County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:50 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:03 AM | Kandiyohi County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:11 AM | Kandiyohi County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:13 AM | Kandiyohi County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:16 AM | Chippewa County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:16 AM | Kandiyohi County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:30 AM | Le Sueur County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:54 AM | Brown County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:15 AM | Faribault County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:23 AM | Rice County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:36 AM | Rice County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:40 AM | Rice County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:41 AM | Rice County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:45 AM | Rice County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 1:12 PM | Ogle County IL | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:05 PM | Spartanburg County SC | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:30 AM | McPherson County SD | 68 mph | Measured |
| 7:34 AM | Brown County MN | 68 mph | Measured |
| 8:38 AM | Rice County MN | 68 mph | Measured |
| 7:42 AM | Sibley County MN | 67 mph | Measured |
| 6:15 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 67 mph | Estimated |
| 7:10 AM | Redwood County MN | 67 mph | Estimated |
| 8:36 AM | Blue Earth County MN | 67 mph | Estimated |
| 11:39 AM | Grant County WI | 67 mph | Estimated |
| 1:17 PM | Ogle County IL | 66 mph | Measured |
| 3:35 PM | Jefferson County AR | 66 mph | Measured |
| 6:08 AM | Lincoln County MN | 66 mph | Estimated |
| 8:04 AM | Le Sueur County MN | 64 mph | Measured |
| 6:17 PM | Graham County AZ | 64 mph | Measured |
| 6:15 AM | Swift County MN | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 7:15 AM | Renville County MN | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 8:14 AM | Blue Earth County MN | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 11:45 AM | Iowa County WI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 11:45 AM | Lafayette County WI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 12:05 PM | Jo Daviess County IL | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 12:15 PM | Jo Daviess County IL | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 12:33 PM | Green County WI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 12:40 PM | Carroll County IL | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 12:55 PM | Rock County WI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:16 PM | Lake County IN | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:55 PM | Cullman County AL | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 8:10 PM | Sierra County NM | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 8:55 AM | Dodge County MN | 63 mph | Measured |
| 6:00 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 6:16 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 12:45 PM | Danville VA | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 12:51 PM | Danville VA | 63 mph | Estimated |
By state
| Minnesota | 68 | 86 mph |
| North Carolina | 37 | — |
| South Carolina | 35 | — |
| South Dakota | 32 | 115 mph |
| Illinois | 19 | 66 mph |
| Alabama | 11 | — |
| Arkansas | 9 | 66 mph |
| Mississippi | 9 | — |
| Virginia | 8 | — |
| Wisconsin | 8 | 60 mph |
| Indiana | 5 | — |
| Tennessee | 4 | — |
| Texas | 4 | — |
| North Dakota | 3 | — |
| New Mexico | 2 | 58 mph |
| Arizona | 1 | 64 mph |
| Connecticut | 1 | — |
| Georgia | 1 | — |
| Iowa | 1 | — |
| Massachusetts | 1 | — |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | — |
| New Hampshire | 0 | — |
| Louisiana | 0 | — |
| Maine | 0 | — |
Counties with the most wind reports
- Dillon CountySC · 13 reports
- Rice CountyMN · 10 reports
- Brown CountySD · 10 reports
- Lac qui Parle CountyMN · 9 reports
- Day CountySD · 9 reports
- Kandiyohi CountyMN · 6 reports
- Chippewa CountyMN · 6 reports
- Steele CountyMN · 5 reports
- Caswell CountyNC · 5 reports
- Allendale CountySC · 4 reports
Hail and tornadoes that day
29 hail reports, 0 of 2 inches or more; no tornadoes.
| 5:20 AM | Chippewa County MN | 1.75 |
| 6:10 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 1.75 |
| 5:15 AM | Day County SD | 1.50 |
| 6:15 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 1.25 |
| 2:40 AM | Corson County SD | 1.00 |
| 3:40 AM | McPherson County SD | 1.00 |
| 4:15 AM | Marshall County SD | 1.00 |
| 6:15 AM | Renville County MN | 1.00 |
| 6:20 AM | Renville County MN | 1.00 |
| 6:50 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 1.00 |
| 2:42 PM | Pulaski County AR | 1.00 |
| 1:50 AM | Grant County ND | 0.88 |
| 11:35 AM | Patrick County VA | 0.88 |
| 6:17 PM | Columbus County NC | 0.88 |
| 7:50 PM | Koochiching County MN | 0.88 |
| 4:00 AM | Sargent County ND | 0.75 |
| 5:55 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 0.75 |
| 6:02 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 0.75 |
| 6:10 AM | Lac qui Parle County MN | 0.75 |
| 6:27 AM | Lyon County MN | 0.75 |
| 6:30 AM | Lyon County MN | 0.75 |
| 8:30 AM | Freeborn County MN | 0.75 |
| 12:35 PM | Stephenson County IL | 0.75 |
| 2:45 PM | Pulaski County AR | 0.75 |
| 4:25 PM | York County ME | 0.75 |
| 5:20 PM | Robeson County NC | 0.75 |
| 5:27 PM | Merrimack County NH | 0.75 |
| 5:32 PM | West Carroll Parish LA | 0.75 |
| 5:35 PM | Rockingham County NH | 0.75 |
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.