The severe wind outbreak of April 27, 2011

386 wind reportsTennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and 13 more states

386 damaging wind reports across 16 states between 1:00 AM and 12:55 AM the next day CDT, 46 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 81 mph in Ouachita Parish, LA. 202 hail reports and 210 tornadoes the same day.

Watch the day unfold

Severe wind day · April 27, 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 386 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: 386; 94th of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
75 mph or more: 46; 11 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
Strongest measured gust: 81 mph; 70 knots, Ouachita Parish, LA
Measured: 18; reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
Killed by wind: 5; 10 injured
Counties reporting: 216; in 16 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 27, 2011

1:03 AM	Grant Parish LA	100 mph	87	Estimated	0
12:45 AM	Tompkins County NY	100 mph	87	Estimated	0
1:00 AM	Natchitoches Parish LA	90 mph	78	Estimated	0
6:03 AM	St. Clair County AL	90 mph	78	Estimated	0
6:03 AM	Blount County AL	90 mph	78	Estimated	0
6:04 AM	St. Clair County AL	90 mph	78	Estimated	1
6:05 AM	Jefferson County AL	90 mph	78	Estimated	0
6:13 AM	Blount County AL	90 mph	78	Estimated	0
6:15 AM	St. Clair County AL	90 mph	78	Estimated	1
5:40 AM	Wilson County TN	87 mph	76	Estimated	0
1:02 AM	Humphreys County MS	86 mph	75	Estimated	0
2:30 AM	Lafayette County MS	85 mph	74	Estimated	0
6:20 AM	DeKalb County TN	82 mph	71	Estimated	0
1:02 AM	Ouachita Parish LA	81 mph	70	Measured	0
4:47 PM	Madison County AL	81 mph	70	Measured	0
1:40 AM	Carroll County MS	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
2:54 AM	Union County MS	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
3:10 AM	Lee County MS	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
5:30 AM	Wilson County TN	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
6:26 AM	Talladega County AL	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
6:30 AM	St. Clair County AL	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
6:40 AM	Calhoun County AL	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
6:44 AM	Calhoun County AL	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
6:45 AM	Jackson County AL	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
6:55 AM	Cherokee County AL	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
2:06 PM	Walker County AL	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
2:06 PM	Walker County AL	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
3:35 PM	Chickasaw County MS	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
4:10 PM	Cape Girardeau County MO	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
4:21 PM	Franklin County AL	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
6:48 PM	Tioga County PA	81 mph	70	Estimated	0
5:04 AM	Tuscaloosa County AL	78 mph	68	Measured	0
1:50 AM	Franklin Parish LA	78 mph	68	Estimated	0
2:30 AM	Choctaw County MS	78 mph	68	Estimated	1
1:05 AM	Ouachita Parish LA	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
1:10 AM	Franklin Parish LA	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
1:33 AM	Madison Parish LA	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
1:43 AM	Grenada County MS	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
2:20 AM	Franklin Parish LA	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
4:17 AM	Lauderdale County MS	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
5:50 AM	Shelby County AL	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
5:50 AM	Shelby County AL	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
6:12 AM	Talladega County AL	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
4:23 PM	Franklin County AL	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
4:26 PM	Franklin County AL	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
9:45 PM	Madison County NC	75 mph	65	Estimated	0
5:57 AM	Rutherford County TN	74 mph	64	Estimated	0
1:31 AM	Carroll County MS	72 mph	63	Measured	0
5:02 AM	Tuscaloosa County AL	71 mph	62	Measured	0
6:31 AM	Smith County TN	70 mph	61	Measured	0
8:04 AM	Lincoln County KY	70 mph	61	Estimated	0
8:52 AM	Clark County OH	70 mph	61	Estimated	0
11:08 AM	Marshall County TN	70 mph	61	Estimated	0
11:45 AM	Wayne County OH	70 mph	61	Estimated	0
1:30 PM	Dade County GA	70 mph	61	Estimated	0
2:05 PM	Jackson County AR	70 mph	61	Estimated	0
7:19 PM	Knox County TN	70 mph	61	Estimated	0
8:50 PM	Polk County GA	70 mph	61	Estimated	0
10:45 PM	Randolph County WV	70 mph	61	Estimated	0
1:30 AM	Leflore County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
1:56 AM	Grenada County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
2:25 AM	Yazoo County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
2:30 AM	Madison County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
2:45 AM	Hinds County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
3:10 AM	Rankin County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
3:20 AM	Lowndes County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
3:35 AM	Neshoba County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
3:45 AM	Newton County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:05 AM	Lamar County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:20 AM	Marion County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:22 AM	Kemper County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:28 AM	Pickens County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:30 AM	Sumter County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:32 AM	Lauderdale County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:42 AM	Sumter County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:43 AM	Greene County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:44 AM	Sumter County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:48 AM	Marion County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:50 AM	Greene County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
4:55 AM	Lawrence County TN	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:03 AM	Hale County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:17 AM	Walker County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:21 AM	Hale County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:21 AM	Walker County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:30 AM	Walker County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:40 AM	Jefferson County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:40 AM	Jefferson County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:46 AM	Shelby County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:49 AM	Bibb County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:50 AM	Shelby County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:50 AM	Jefferson County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:50 AM	Jefferson County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:55 AM	Jefferson County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
5:56 AM	Rutherford County TN	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
6:00 AM	Shelby County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
6:00 AM	Jefferson County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
6:02 AM	Jefferson County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
6:15 AM	Wilson County TN	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
6:21 AM	Etowah County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0
6:31 AM	Talladega County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated	0

By state

Severe weather reports by state, April 27, 2011

Tennessee	81	70 mph	52	2.75
Alabama	64	81 mph	22	4.00
Mississippi	54	72 mph	21	4.00
Kentucky	38	—	5	1.00
Georgia	25	—	8	2.50
Virginia	21	63 mph	40	2.50
West Virginia	21	63 mph	6	1.25
Ohio	20	60 mph	1	2.00
New York	17	59 mph	1	0.88
Pennsylvania	15	—	3	1.25
Louisiana	12	81 mph	1	0.75
North Carolina	6	—	10	1.00
Arkansas	4	—	20	2.75
Missouri	4	60 mph	8	1.75
Maryland	2	—	0	—
New Jersey	2	—	0	—
Illinois	0	—	2	1.00
Oklahoma	0	—	1	0.88
Texas	0	—	1	1.75

Counties with the most wind reports

Rutherford CountyTN · 11 reports
Jefferson CountyAL · 9 reports
Wilson CountyTN · 6 reports
Franklin CountyAL · 6 reports
Walker CountyAL · 5 reports
Cherokee CountyAL · 5 reports
Shelby CountyAL · 5 reports
St. Clair CountyAL · 4 reports
Wayne CountyKY · 4 reports
Hinds CountyMS · 4 reports

Hail and tornadoes that day

202 hail reports, 22 of 2 inches or more; 210 tornadoes.

Largest hail, April 27, 2011

1:10 PM	Panola County MS	4.00
3:38 PM	Marion County AL	4.00
3:35 PM	Chickasaw County MS	3.00
12:35 PM	Randolph County AR	2.75
4:19 PM	Smith County MS	2.75
4:48 PM	Walker County AL	2.75
5:21 PM	Marion County TN	2.75
7:15 PM	Knox County TN	2.75
8:25 PM	Sullivan County TN	2.75
9:06 PM	Sullivan County TN	2.75
9:58 PM	Sullivan County TN	2.75
10:06 PM	Sullivan County TN	2.75
4:45 PM	Dade County GA	2.50
12:15 AM	Giles County VA	2.50
9:15 AM	Clark County OH	2.00
3:23 PM	Hinds County MS	2.00
3:36 PM	Rankin County MS	2.00
6:25 PM	Pittsylvania County VA	2.00
7:05 PM	Knox County TN	2.00
7:48 PM	Jefferson County TN	2.00
8:45 PM	Washington County VA	2.00
12:05 AM	Giles County VA	2.00
3:21 AM	McMinn County TN	1.75
5:00 AM	Morris County TX	1.75
8:28 AM	Marion County AL	1.75
9:32 AM	Johnson County AR	1.75
9:38 AM	Johnson County AR	1.75
9:50 AM	Madison County AL	1.75
10:23 AM	Shelby County TN	1.75
10:32 AM	Newton County AR	1.75
12:18 PM	Van Buren County AR	1.75
12:53 PM	Butler County MO	1.75
1:25 PM	Marion County TN	1.75
1:40 PM	Lafayette County MS	1.75
1:50 PM	Cape Girardeau County MO	1.75
2:05 PM	Independence County AR	1.75
2:09 PM	Independence County AR	1.75
2:13 PM	Claiborne County MS	1.75
2:20 PM	Bradley County TN	1.75
2:29 PM	Bradley County TN	1.75
2:50 PM	Calhoun County MS	1.75
3:40 PM	Itawamba County MS	1.75
3:45 PM	Lawrence County AL	1.75
5:03 PM	Prince Edward County VA	1.75
5:10 PM	Limestone County AL	1.75
5:15 PM	Hamilton County TN	1.75
5:19 PM	Hamilton County TN	1.75
5:20 PM	Henry County VA	1.75
5:28 PM	Madison County AL	1.75
5:30 PM	Marion County TN	1.75

The tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011: 210 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.