The severe wind outbreak of April 4, 2011

763 wind reportsAlabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and 16 more states

763 damaging wind reports across 19 states between 1:15 AM and 12:58 AM the next day CDT, 49 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 68 mph in Trigg County, KY. 141 hail reports and 43 tornadoes the same day. The 6th-most wind reports of any day since 1955.

Watch the day unfold

Severe wind day · April 4, 2011

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 763 that day

Strongest gust—measured, so far

Largest hail—so far

The day’s milestones

Wind reportsLarger and brighter with speed; filled when measured, a ring when estimated

Hail and tornadoesHail reports as diamonds; the day's tornado paths in green

Counties reportingLit at their first report, brighter with a 65-knot gust or 2-inch hail

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database (wind, hail and tornado reports with their logged times and places). Each report is a damage or measurement report, not a separate storm; several can describe one gust front. Tornado paths are drawn at a typical forward speed of 35 mph. Times are Central Daylight Time.

The day in numbers

Wind reports: 763; 6th of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
75 mph or more: 49; 9 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
Strongest measured gust: 68 mph; 59 knots, Trigg County, KY
Measured: 24; reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
Killed by wind: 3; 14 injured
Counties reporting: 416; 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.

Strongest wind reports, April 4, 2011

8:00 AM	Little River County AR	105 mph	91	Estimated
8:10 AM	Little River County AR	96 mph	83	Estimated
8:42 AM	Hempstead County AR	96 mph	83	Estimated
8:41 AM	Hempstead County AR	90 mph	78	Estimated
9:36 AM	Columbia County AR	90 mph	78	Estimated
1:27 PM	Humphreys County TN	90 mph	78	Estimated
1:47 PM	Dickson County TN	90 mph	78	Estimated
1:52 PM	Cheatham County TN	90 mph	78	Estimated
11:50 PM	Alexander County NC	86 mph	75	Estimated
8:45 AM	Hempstead County AR	85 mph	74	Estimated
7:05 PM	Jones County MS	85 mph	74	Estimated
1:25 PM	Humphreys County TN	83 mph	72	Estimated
1:15 AM	Dodge County WI	81 mph	70	Estimated
1:21 AM	Washington County WI	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:48 AM	Nevada County AR	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:48 AM	Nevada County AR	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:48 AM	Nevada County AR	81 mph	70	Estimated
9:15 AM	Nevada County AR	81 mph	70	Estimated
2:46 PM	Monroe County KY	81 mph	70	Estimated
3:16 PM	Casey County KY	81 mph	70	Estimated
4:51 PM	Hinds County MS	81 mph	70	Estimated
5:55 PM	East Baton Rouge Parish LA	81 mph	70	Estimated
6:40 PM	Washington Parish LA	81 mph	70	Estimated
6:55 PM	Washington Parish LA	81 mph	70	Estimated
6:58 PM	Lamar County MS	81 mph	70	Estimated
7:00 PM	Jones County MS	81 mph	70	Estimated
7:15 PM	St. Tammany Parish LA	81 mph	70	Estimated
7:18 PM	St. Tammany Parish LA	81 mph	70	Estimated
7:22 PM	St. Tammany Parish LA	81 mph	70	Estimated
7:35 PM	Pearl River County MS	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:25 PM	Harrison County MS	81 mph	70	Estimated
2:05 PM	Maury County TN	79 mph	69	Estimated
12:02 PM	Christian County KY	78 mph	68	Estimated
4:10 PM	Warren County MS	78 mph	68	Estimated
5:13 PM	Copiah County MS	78 mph	68	Estimated
6:40 PM	Lamar County MS	76 mph	66	Estimated
4:10 AM	Kosciusko County IN	75 mph	65	Estimated
3:30 PM	Catahoula Parish LA	75 mph	65	Estimated
3:48 PM	Allen Parish LA	75 mph	65	Estimated
4:15 PM	Yazoo County MS	75 mph	65	Estimated
4:15 PM	Claiborne County MS	75 mph	65	Estimated
4:15 PM	Adams County MS	75 mph	65	Estimated
4:40 PM	Madison County MS	75 mph	65	Estimated
5:50 PM	Rankin County MS	75 mph	65	Estimated
11:51 PM	Rutherford County NC	75 mph	65	Estimated
12:03 AM	Cleveland County NC	75 mph	65	Estimated
12:21 AM	Lincoln County NC	75 mph	65	Estimated
12:24 AM	Gaston County NC	75 mph	65	Estimated
12:47 AM	Iredell County NC	75 mph	65	Estimated
12:25 PM	Bolivar County MS	72 mph	63	Estimated
12:50 PM	Henderson County TN	71 mph	62	Estimated
6:43 PM	Covington County MS	71 mph	62	Estimated
3:20 AM	Warren County IN	70 mph	61	Estimated
7:33 AM	Kaufman County TX	70 mph	61	Estimated
10:29 AM	McCracken County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated
10:35 AM	Massac County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
11:30 AM	Butler County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated
11:30 AM	Butler County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated
11:35 AM	Tunica County MS	70 mph	61	Estimated
11:36 AM	Tunica County MS	70 mph	61	Estimated
11:45 AM	DeSoto County MS	70 mph	61	Estimated
12:05 PM	Fayette County TN	70 mph	61	Estimated
12:37 PM	Madison County TN	70 mph	61	Estimated
12:39 PM	Butler County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated
1:05 PM	Decatur County TN	70 mph	61	Estimated
1:05 PM	Union County MS	70 mph	61	Estimated
1:12 PM	Hardin County TN	70 mph	61	Estimated
2:30 PM	Barren County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated
2:50 PM	Monroe County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated
3:05 PM	Monroe County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated
3:11 PM	Russell County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated
3:20 PM	Russell County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated
3:40 PM	Pulaski County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated
3:53 PM	Morgan County AL	70 mph	61	Estimated
4:24 PM	Warren County MS	70 mph	61	Estimated
4:45 PM	St. Landry Parish LA	70 mph	61	Estimated
5:26 PM	Lincoln County WV	70 mph	61	Estimated
5:30 PM	Simpson County MS	70 mph	61	Estimated
5:35 PM	Pike County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated
6:27 PM	Braxton County WV	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:05 PM	Floyd County GA	70 mph	61	Estimated
10:55 PM	Lee County AL	70 mph	61	Estimated
12:06 PM	Morehouse Parish LA	69 mph	60	Estimated
12:30 PM	Sunflower County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated
1:40 PM	Maury County TN	69 mph	60	Estimated
2:16 PM	Pickaway County OH	69 mph	60	Estimated
2:20 PM	Davidson County TN	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:04 PM	Clay County TN	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:10 PM	Maury County TN	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:30 PM	Pulaski County KY	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:35 PM	Pulaski County KY	69 mph	60	Estimated
4:10 PM	Knox County KY	69 mph	60	Estimated
4:13 PM	Knox County KY	69 mph	60	Estimated
4:30 PM	Hinds County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated
4:45 PM	Jefferson County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated
4:45 PM	Franklin County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated
5:04 PM	Knott County KY	69 mph	60	Estimated
5:15 PM	Floyd County KY	69 mph	60	Estimated
5:20 PM	Pike County KY	69 mph	60	Estimated
5:21 PM	West Feliciana Parish LA	69 mph	60	Estimated

By state

Severe weather reports by state, April 4, 2011

Alabama	160	61 mph	22	1.75
Tennessee	103	64 mph	7	1.00
Kentucky	103	68 mph	6	1.75
Mississippi	80	—	15	1.75
Georgia	73	64 mph	14	2.75
Louisiana	73	61 mph	6	1.75
Arkansas	51	60 mph	10	1.75
North Carolina	31	—	8	1.25
South Carolina	16	—	2	1.00
West Virginia	15	60 mph	3	1.00
Texas	11	—	27	1.75
Ohio	11	66 mph	6	1.00
Florida	11	—	1	0.75
Virginia	8	—	2	1.00
Indiana	7	61 mph	1	0.75
Missouri	3	64 mph	4	1.75
Illinois	3	64 mph	1	0.75
Pennsylvania	2	—	6	1.75
Wisconsin	2	—	0	—

Counties with the most wind reports

Lauderdale CountyAL · 20 reports
Henry CountyAL · 17 reports
Laurel CountyKY · 17 reports
Pike CountyKY · 16 reports
Whitley CountyKY · 12 reports
St. Tammany ParishLA · 10 reports
Davidson CountyTN · 9 reports
Limestone CountyAL · 9 reports
Clarke CountyAL · 9 reports
Kanawha CountyWV · 8 reports

Hail and tornadoes that day

141 hail reports, 1 of 2 inches or more; 43 tornadoes.

Largest hail, April 4, 2011

8:09 PM	Gordon County GA	2.75
6:46 AM	Searcy County AR	1.75
7:11 AM	Red River County TX	1.75
8:08 AM	Smith County TX	1.75
8:10 AM	Henderson County TX	1.75
9:30 AM	Dunklin County MO	1.75
10:30 AM	Tippah County MS	1.75
12:30 PM	Benton County MS	1.75
1:02 PM	Hart County KY	1.75
2:13 PM	Morehouse Parish LA	1.75
2:47 PM	Washington County PA	1.75
4:15 PM	Lamar County AL	1.75
4:20 PM	Lamar County AL	1.75
10:08 PM	Paulding County GA	1.75
10:26 PM	Coweta County GA	1.75
11:15 PM	Henry County GA	1.75
12:50 AM	Lee County GA	1.75
3:40 AM	Tarrant County TX	1.50
4:05 AM	Franklin County MO	1.50
3:20 PM	East Carroll Parish LA	1.50
4:17 PM	Lamar County AL	1.50
4:27 PM	Lamar County AL	1.50
5:25 PM	Neshoba County MS	1.50
5:40 PM	Morgan County AL	1.50
3:50 AM	Tarrant County TX	1.25
12:33 AM	Cleveland County NC	1.25
3:51 AM	Franklin County MO	1.00
4:08 AM	Tarrant County TX	1.00
4:49 AM	Johnson County TX	1.00
4:54 AM	Conway County AR	1.00
4:56 AM	Dallas County TX	1.00
5:50 AM	Tarrant County TX	1.00
7:15 AM	Williamson County TX	1.00
7:20 AM	Searcy County AR	1.00
7:35 AM	Williamson County TX	1.00
7:57 AM	Randolph County AR	1.00
8:01 AM	Smith County TX	1.00
8:04 AM	Montgomery County OH	1.00
8:09 AM	Bowie County TX	1.00
8:35 AM	Leon County TX	1.00
8:36 AM	Columbia County AR	1.00
8:48 AM	Robertson County TX	1.00
9:10 AM	Greene County AR	1.00
9:41 AM	Grant County AR	1.00
10:05 AM	Lauderdale County TN	1.00
10:40 AM	Arkansas County AR	1.00
11:28 AM	Ashley County AR	1.00
12:20 PM	Washington County MS	1.00
12:51 PM	Lafayette County MS	1.00
1:03 PM	Hart County KY	1.00

The tornado outbreak of April 4, 2011: 43 tornadoes, each with its touchdown time and path.

2011 · 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.