The severe wind outbreak of June 18, 2009
372 wind reportsGeorgia, Iowa, Illinois and 16 more states
372 damaging wind reports across 19 states between 1:00 AM and 12:58 AM the next day CDT, 9 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 79 mph in Otter Tail County, MN. 180 hail reports and 5 tornadoes the same day.
Watch the day unfoldSevere wind day · June 18, 2009
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
- 372
- on Thursday, June 18, 2009
- 75 mph or more
- 9
- 0 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
- Strongest measured gust
- 79 mph
- 69 knots, Otter Tail County, MN
- Measured
- 21
- reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
- Killed by wind
- 0
- 3 injured
- Counties reporting
- 221
- in 19 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.
| 5:45 PM | Richland County ND | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:52 PM | Richland County ND | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 6:03 PM | Richland County ND | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 6:48 PM | Otter Tail County MN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 6:55 PM | Otter Tail County MN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 7:03 PM | Gray County KS | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 6:45 PM | Otter Tail County MN | 79 mph | Measured |
| 8:25 AM | Greene County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 12:04 AM | Iowa County WI | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 2:14 AM | Polk County IA | 74 mph | Measured |
| 8:21 AM | Daviess County IN | 71 mph | Measured |
| 1:38 AM | Mahaska County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:53 AM | Boone County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:00 AM | Polk County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:10 AM | Polk County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:17 AM | Jasper County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:25 AM | Jasper County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:35 AM | Wapello County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 3:40 AM | Des Moines County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:04 AM | Knox County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:04 AM | Knox County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:15 AM | Holt County NE | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:20 AM | Boyd County NE | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:30 AM | Fulton County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:30 AM | Fulton County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:38 AM | Knox County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:46 AM | Peoria County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:50 AM | Peoria County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:52 AM | Peoria County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:05 AM | Tazewell County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:30 AM | Logan County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:50 AM | De Witt County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:52 AM | De Witt County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:58 AM | McLean County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:10 AM | Piatt County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 AM | Piatt County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 AM | De Witt County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:16 AM | Macon County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:30 AM | Piatt County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:35 AM | Douglas County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:40 AM | Douglas County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:40 AM | Douglas County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:57 AM | Edgar County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:05 AM | Cumberland County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:10 AM | Champaign County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:30 AM | Vermillion County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:38 AM | Edgar County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 8:00 AM | Greene County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 8:10 AM | Greene County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 9:50 AM | Jefferson County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 9:53 AM | Jefferson County KY | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 11:27 AM | Madison County KY | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 12:58 PM | Henry County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:15 PM | Henry County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 3:10 PM | McPherson County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 3:25 PM | Perkins County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:25 PM | LaMoure County ND | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 PM | Stearns County MN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:50 PM | Otter Tail County MN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 8:29 PM | Potter County TX | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 AM | Knox County NE | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 10:30 AM | Spencer County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 11:33 AM | Estill County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 12:24 PM | Leslie County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 12:25 PM | Scott County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 12:55 PM | Harlan County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 1:18 PM | Wise County VA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 1:30 PM | Hawkins County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 1:30 PM | Hancock County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 1:35 PM | Wise County VA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 1:54 PM | Loudon County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:10 PM | Sullivan County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:10 PM | Sullivan County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:15 PM | Greene County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:20 PM | Washington County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:20 PM | Greenwood County SC | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:20 PM | Laurens County SC | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:50 PM | Lincoln County GA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:21 PM | Lexington County SC | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:59 PM | McIntosh County GA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:40 PM | Terry County TX | 67 mph | Measured |
| 1:00 PM | Union County TN | 67 mph | Estimated |
| 1:48 PM | Knox County TN | 67 mph | Estimated |
| 2:30 PM | Loudon County TN | 67 mph | Estimated |
| 1:55 AM | Story County IA | 66 mph | Estimated |
| 2:00 AM | Story County IA | 66 mph | Estimated |
| 2:00 AM | Polk County IA | 66 mph | Estimated |
| 2:00 AM | Story County IA | 66 mph | Estimated |
| 2:00 AM | Story County IA | 66 mph | Estimated |
| 2:22 AM | Wapello County IA | 66 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | Richland County ND | 64 mph | Measured |
| 2:05 AM | Story County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:10 AM | Henry County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 AM | Knox County NE | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 5:45 AM | Dixon County NE | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 AM | Union County SD | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 7:13 AM | Buena Vista County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 7:45 AM | Vigo County IN | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 7:48 AM | Vigo County IN | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 7:54 AM | Vigo County IN | 64 mph | Estimated |
By state
| Georgia | 55 | 59 mph |
| Iowa | 43 | 74 mph |
| Illinois | 38 | 58 mph |
| Kentucky | 37 | — |
| South Carolina | 36 | 58 mph |
| Tennessee | 26 | — |
| Florida | 24 | — |
| Indiana | 24 | 71 mph |
| Nebraska | 15 | — |
| Minnesota | 14 | 79 mph |
| North Carolina | 14 | — |
| Texas | 10 | 67 mph |
| North Dakota | 9 | 64 mph |
| South Dakota | 8 | — |
| Wisconsin | 8 | — |
| Virginia | 8 | — |
| Kansas | 1 | — |
| Maryland | 1 | — |
| New Mexico | 1 | — |
| Colorado | 0 | — |
Counties with the most wind reports
- Polk CountyIA · 14 reports
- Otter Tail CountyMN · 7 reports
- Story CountyIA · 6 reports
- Vigo CountyIN · 5 reports
- Burke CountyGA · 4 reports
- De Witt CountyIL · 4 reports
- Boone CountyIA · 4 reports
- Jasper CountyIA · 4 reports
- Leslie CountyKY · 4 reports
- Harlan CountyKY · 4 reports
Hail and tornadoes that day
180 hail reports, 12 of 2 inches or more; 5 tornadoes.
| 5:24 PM | Richland County ND | 2.75 |
| 5:55 PM | Taylor County FL | 2.75 |
| 11:20 PM | Dane County WI | 2.75 |
| 5:00 AM | Knox County NE | 2.50 |
| 1:40 PM | Otter Tail County MN | 2.50 |
| 5:30 PM | Benton County MN | 2.50 |
| 12:02 AM | Iowa County WI | 2.50 |
| 6:05 AM | Crawford County IL | 2.00 |
| 4:50 PM | Richland County ND | 2.00 |
| 5:35 PM | Richland County ND | 2.00 |
| 8:54 PM | Kingsbury County SD | 2.00 |
| 12:23 AM | Iowa County WI | 2.00 |
| 1:20 AM | Keith County NE | 1.75 |
| 3:05 AM | Union County KY | 1.75 |
| 3:50 AM | Rock County NE | 1.75 |
| 4:22 AM | Fulton County IL | 1.75 |
| 9:11 AM | Story County IA | 1.75 |
| 12:20 PM | Rock Island County IL | 1.75 |
| 12:28 PM | Rock Island County IL | 1.75 |
| 12:50 PM | Henry County IL | 1.75 |
| 1:21 PM | Stark County IL | 1.75 |
| 1:22 PM | Stark County IL | 1.75 |
| 1:25 PM | Gilchrist County FL | 1.75 |
| 1:25 PM | Stark County IL | 1.75 |
| 2:32 PM | Douglas County MN | 1.75 |
| 3:20 PM | Pickens County SC | 1.75 |
| 4:00 PM | Rutherford County NC | 1.75 |
| 5:04 PM | Stearns County MN | 1.75 |
| 5:17 PM | Hodgeman County KS | 1.75 |
| 5:30 PM | Richland County ND | 1.75 |
| 5:30 PM | Richland County ND | 1.75 |
| 5:35 PM | Richland County ND | 1.75 |
| 5:46 PM | Hodgeman County KS | 1.75 |
| 5:58 PM | Taylor County FL | 1.75 |
| 9:00 PM | Stearns County MN | 1.75 |
| 11:25 PM | Grant County WI | 1.75 |
| 11:45 PM | Phillips County CO | 1.75 |
| 12:00 AM | Iowa County WI | 1.75 |
| 12:45 AM | Perkins County NE | 1.75 |
| 12:32 PM | Rock Island County IL | 1.50 |
| 1:25 PM | Douglas County MN | 1.50 |
| 1:33 PM | Spotsylvania County VA | 1.50 |
| 4:45 PM | Stearns County MN | 1.50 |
| 5:28 PM | Morrison County MN | 1.50 |
| 7:52 PM | Suffolk VA | 1.50 |
| 8:41 PM | Kingsbury County SD | 1.50 |
| 9:18 PM | Stearns County MN | 1.50 |
| 2:54 PM | Pembina County ND | 1.25 |
| 3:15 PM | Campbell County SD | 1.25 |
| 3:55 PM | Edmunds County SD | 1.25 |
- EF1 tornado6:04 PM CDT
- EF0 tornado6:50 PM CDT
- EF1 tornado7:15 PM CDT
- EF0 tornado9:11 PM CDT
- EF0 tornado11:27 PM CDT
2009 · 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.