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The severe wind outbreak of August 5, 2010

463 wind reportsVirginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and 23 more states

463 damaging wind reports across 26 states between 5:15 AM and 8:50 PM CDT, 11 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 78 mph in White County, TN. 38 hail reports the same day.

Watch the day unfold

Severe wind day · August 5, 2010

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 463 that day
Strongest gust—measured, so far
Largest hail—so far

The day in numbers

Wind reports
463
50th of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
75 mph or more
11
4 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
Strongest measured gust
78 mph
68 knots, White County, TN
Measured
25
reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
Killed by wind
1
15 injured
Counties reporting
249
in 26 states

Hour by hour

Damaging wind reports in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Wind reports per hour, August 5, 2010 5 AM: 6 6 AM: 4 7 AM: 1 8 AM: 1 9 AM: 3 10 AM: 6 11 AM: 6 Noon: 21 1 PM: 53 2 PM: 114 114 3 PM: 65 4 PM: 92 5 PM: 43 6 PM: 29 7 PM: 8 8 PM: 11 5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 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, August 5, 2010
2:40 PMAlexandria VA90 mph78Estimated0
2:40 PMAlexandria VA90 mph78Estimated0
2:40 PMAlexandria VA86 mph75Estimated0
2:40 PMAlexandria VA86 mph75Estimated0
2:46 PMPrince George's County MD81 mph70Estimated0
2:48 PMPrince George's County MD81 mph70Estimated0
2:50 PMPrince George's County MD81 mph70Estimated0
2:00 PMWhite County TN78 mph68Measured0
10:25 AMMason County KY75 mph65Estimated0
1:51 PMMarion County AL75 mph65Estimated0
2:44 PMDistrict of Columbia County DC75 mph65Estimated0
8:43 PMBroadwater County MT71 mph62Estimated0
6:29 AMDistrict of Columbia County DC70 mph61Estimated0
6:30 AMDistrict of Columbia County DC70 mph61Estimated0
2:40 PMArlington County VA70 mph61Estimated0
2:45 PMDistrict of Columbia County DC70 mph61Estimated0
2:53 PMPrince George's County MD70 mph61Estimated0
3:15 PMLimestone County AL70 mph61Estimated0
3:20 PMCalvert County MD70 mph61Estimated0
4:49 PMBuffalo County NE70 mph61Estimated0
2:38 PMArlington County VA69 mph60Measured0
2:41 PMArlington County VA69 mph60Measured0
10:25 AMFleming County KY69 mph60Estimated0
12:30 PMAdair County KY69 mph60Estimated0
2:32 PMGreenbrier County WV69 mph60Estimated0
2:35 PMPerry County KY69 mph60Estimated0
2:40 PMPerry County KY69 mph60Estimated0
2:40 PMPittsylvania County VA69 mph60Estimated0
2:52 PMBedford County VA69 mph60Estimated0
2:55 PMMorgan County TN69 mph60Estimated0
3:00 PMJefferson County TN69 mph60Estimated0
3:18 PMBradley County TN69 mph60Estimated0
3:33 PMUnicoi County TN69 mph60Estimated0
3:41 PMFranklin County VA69 mph60Estimated0
4:18 PMCarter County TN69 mph60Estimated0
4:45 PMSpartanburg County SC69 mph60Estimated0
5:00 PMFrontier County NE69 mph60Estimated0
8:05 PMTooele County UT68 mph59Measured0
6:29 AMDistrict of Columbia County DC67 mph58Measured0
2:42 PMAlexandria VA67 mph58Measured0
5:15 PMSomerset County MD67 mph58Measured0
12:45 PMSullivan County TN67 mph58Estimated0
2:24 PMJefferson County TN67 mph58Estimated0
3:35 PMPolk County TN67 mph58Estimated0
4:15 PMSequatchie County TN67 mph58Estimated0
2:42 PMArlington County VA66 mph57Measured0
4:39 PMNewport News VA66 mph57Measured0
2:00 PMGrayson County VA64 mph56Measured0
5:15 PMAmelia County VA64 mph56Measured0
6:51 PMLemhi County ID64 mph56Measured0
5:38 AMJefferson County MO64 mph56Estimated0
5:42 AMRandolph County IL64 mph56Estimated0
5:50 AMRandolph County IL64 mph56Estimated0
5:53 AMRandolph County IL64 mph56Estimated0
6:20 AMRandolph County IL64 mph56Estimated0
1:58 PMCulpeper County VA64 mph56Estimated0
2:18 PMFairfax County VA64 mph56Estimated0
2:32 PMArlington County VA64 mph56Estimated0
2:35 PMArlington County VA64 mph56Estimated0
3:19 PMCalvert County MD64 mph56Estimated0
3:20 PMNelson County VA64 mph56Estimated0
4:05 PMDeKalb County AL64 mph56Estimated0
4:20 PMCharlottesville VA64 mph56Estimated0
4:22 PMCharlottesville VA64 mph56Estimated0
7:50 PMColbert County AL64 mph56Estimated0
8:00 PMColbert County AL64 mph56Estimated0
8:00 PMColbert County AL64 mph56Estimated0
12:48 PMKanawha County WV63 mph55Measured0
1:06 PMThomas County NE63 mph55Measured0
10:15 AMMason County KY63 mph55Estimated0
11:35 AMSumner County TN63 mph55Estimated0
12:00 PMBledsoe County TN63 mph55Estimated0
12:29 PMBreathitt County KY63 mph55Estimated0
12:40 PMSumner County TN63 mph55Estimated0
12:40 PMMorgan County TN63 mph55Estimated0
1:00 PMSimpson County MS63 mph55Estimated0
1:10 PMBuncombe County NC63 mph55Estimated0
1:10 PMWilson County TN63 mph55Estimated0
1:12 PMPulaski County KY63 mph55Estimated0
1:13 PMWilkes County NC63 mph55Estimated0
1:20 PMLawrence County TN63 mph55Estimated0
1:20 PMBristol VA63 mph55Estimated0
1:25 PMWayne County KY63 mph55Estimated0
1:27 PMJackson County TN63 mph55Estimated0
1:29 PMJackson County KY63 mph55Estimated0
1:30 PMCaldwell County NC63 mph55Estimated0
1:30 PMSmith County TN63 mph55Estimated0
1:32 PMWilkes County NC63 mph55Estimated0
1:32 PMWashington County VA63 mph55Estimated0
1:40 PMDickson County TN63 mph55Estimated0
1:47 PMRockbridge County VA63 mph55Estimated0
1:50 PMWhite County TN63 mph55Estimated0
1:55 PMPike County KY63 mph55Estimated0
1:55 PMClay County KY63 mph55Estimated0
1:59 PMPutnam County TN63 mph55Estimated0
2:00 PMRutherford County TN63 mph55Estimated0
2:00 PMSurry County NC63 mph55Estimated0
2:00 PMClay County KY63 mph55Estimated0
2:05 PMAlexander County NC63 mph55Estimated0
2:15 PMGreenbrier County WV63 mph55Estimated0

By state

Severe weather reports by state, August 5, 2010
Virginia15769 mph71.25
North Carolina68—31.00
Tennessee4278 mph41.75
Kentucky37—0—
Mississippi29—10.75
West Virginia2663 mph0—
Maryland1567 mph0—
Arkansas14—41.75
Louisiana13—0—
Alabama10—11.25
Georgia8—0—
South Carolina8—0—
Idaho664 mph21.00
District of Columbia667 mph0—
Illinois5—0—
Nebraska363 mph91.75
Montana360 mph21.50
Massachusetts2—0—
Missouri2—0—
Ohio2—0—
Utah268 mph0—
Arizona1—0—
Connecticut1—0—
Delaware1—0—
Rhode Island1—0—
Texas160 mph0—
Oregon0—31.75
Colorado0—11.00
New Mexico0—10.88

Counties with the most wind reports

Hail and tornadoes that day

38 hail reports, 0 of 2 inches or more; no tornadoes.

Largest hail, August 5, 2010
1:20 PMThomas County NE1.75
1:50 PMWhite County TN1.75
3:32 PMPope County AR1.75
8:06 PMWallowa County OR1.75
3:30 PMJohnson County AR1.50
7:07 PMRavalli County MT1.50
2:10 PMYell County AR1.25
3:22 PMSpotsylvania County VA1.25
5:13 PMChoctaw County AL1.25
12:44 PMRutherford County NC1.00
1:15 PMRockingham County VA1.00
1:30 PMCaldwell County NC1.00
1:55 PMBlaine County NE1.00
2:14 PMIredell County NC1.00
3:10 PMSpotsylvania County VA1.00
3:10 PMLogan County AR1.00
3:28 PMSpotsylvania County VA1.00
3:30 PMSpotsylvania County VA1.00
3:42 PMDickson County TN1.00
4:24 PMSherman County NE1.00
4:29 PMPowhatan County VA1.00
5:00 PMFrontier County NE1.00
6:01 PMGreensville County VA1.00
6:50 PMUnion County OR1.00
8:40 PMYuma County CO1.00
9:56 PMIdaho County ID1.00
1:28 PMCibola County NM0.88
2:25 PMLogan County NE0.88
3:22 PMLincoln County NE0.88
4:17 PMMacon County TN0.88
4:49 PMBuffalo County NE0.88
8:30 PMGranite County MT0.88
9:15 PMIdaho County ID0.88
1:03 PMThomas County NE0.75
1:20 PMLawrence County TN0.75
1:55 PMRankin County MS0.75
5:24 PMBuffalo County NE0.75
7:55 PMWallowa County OR0.75

2010 · 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.