Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

The severe wind outbreak of May 23, 2011

351 wind reportsOhio, Indiana, Kentucky and 14 more states

351 damaging wind reports across 17 states between 1:15 AM and 10:46 PM CDT, 18 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 84 mph in Madison County, IL. 226 hail reports and 18 tornadoes the same day.

Watch the day unfold

Severe wind day · May 23, 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 351 that day
Strongest gust—measured, so far
Largest hail—so far

The day in numbers

Wind reports
351
on Monday, May 23, 2011
75 mph or more
18
2 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
Strongest measured gust
84 mph
73 knots, Madison County, IL
Measured
37
reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
Killed by wind
0
1 injured
Counties reporting
186
in 17 states

Hour by hour

Damaging wind reports in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Wind reports per hour, May 23, 2011 1 AM: 1 2 AM: 4 3 AM: 7 4 AM: 10 5 AM: 10 6 AM: 0 7 AM: 4 8 AM: 2 9 AM: 1 10 AM: 2 11 AM: 9 Noon: 18 1 PM: 11 2 PM: 26 3 PM: 30 4 PM: 30 5 PM: 44 6 PM: 48 48 7 PM: 37 8 PM: 29 9 PM: 18 10 PM: 10 1 AM4 AM7 AM10 AM1 PM4 PM7 PM10 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, May 23, 2011
5:38 PMSchuylkill County PA96 mph83Estimated0
5:18 PMDecatur County IN92 mph80Estimated0
12:42 PMMadison County IL84 mph73Measured0
2:50 AMWilson County TN81 mph70Estimated0
2:55 AMSumner County TN81 mph70Estimated0
3:34 PMButler County MO81 mph70Estimated0
4:18 PMMonroe County IN81 mph70Estimated0
5:15 PMDecatur County IN81 mph70Estimated0
5:25 PMGallatin County IL81 mph70Estimated0
5:57 PMPreble County OH81 mph70Estimated0
5:57 PMUnion County IN81 mph70Estimated0
5:03 AMLaurel County KY77 mph67Measured0
6:50 PMShelby County OH77 mph67Measured0
3:58 AMShelby County KY75 mph65Estimated0
3:47 PMDaviess County IN75 mph65Estimated0
4:28 PMLawrence County IN75 mph65Estimated0
4:30 PMMonroe County IN75 mph65Estimated0
4:30 PMMississippi County MO75 mph65Estimated0
6:12 PMHamilton County OH70 mph61Measured0
1:15 AMCalloway County KY70 mph61Estimated0
4:05 AMShelby County KY70 mph61Estimated0
7:30 AMNowata County OK70 mph61Estimated0
12:10 PMFranklin County MO70 mph61Estimated0
3:28 PMKnox County IN70 mph61Estimated0
3:45 PMDaviess County IN70 mph61Estimated0
3:45 PMVigo County IN70 mph61Estimated0
3:53 PMCape Girardeau County MO70 mph61Estimated0
4:25 PMNew Madrid County MO70 mph61Estimated0
4:27 PMMontgomery County IN70 mph61Estimated0
4:45 PMWashington County IN70 mph61Estimated0
5:10 PMFloyd County IN70 mph61Estimated0
5:18 PMJefferson County KY70 mph61Estimated0
5:20 PMRush County IN70 mph61Estimated0
5:24 PMJefferson County IN70 mph61Estimated0
5:34 PMDelaware County IN70 mph61Estimated0
5:47 PMDelaware County IN70 mph61Estimated0
7:02 PMMiami County OH70 mph61Estimated0
8:00 PMScioto County OH70 mph61Estimated0
8:12 PMCherokee County OK70 mph61Estimated0
9:25 PMLe Flore County OK70 mph61Estimated0
9:28 PMLe Flore County OK70 mph61Estimated0
9:35 PMSebastian County AR70 mph61Estimated0
9:55 PMCrawford County AR70 mph61Estimated0
10:05 PMCrawford County AR70 mph61Estimated0
10:10 PMFranklin County AR70 mph61Estimated0
10:15 PMFranklin County AR70 mph61Estimated0
10:25 PMFranklin County AR70 mph61Estimated0
1:41 PMHowell County MO69 mph60Estimated0
2:53 PMWilkes County NC69 mph60Estimated0
2:54 PMWayne County MI69 mph60Estimated0
2:55 PMWilkes County NC69 mph60Estimated0
6:28 PMDarke County OH69 mph60Estimated0
6:29 PMDarke County OH69 mph60Estimated0
6:46 PMGreene County OH69 mph60Estimated0
6:58 PMBrown County OH69 mph60Estimated0
7:11 PMClark County OH69 mph60Estimated0
12:05 PMWarren County MO68 mph59Measured0
7:20 PMNorthampton County PA68 mph59Measured0
6:00 PMWeakley County TN66 mph57Measured0
8:46 PMPayne County OK66 mph57Measured0
6:12 PMHamilton County OH64 mph56Measured0
7:53 PMFranklin County OH64 mph56Measured0
2:00 AMChristian County KY64 mph56Estimated0
4:31 AMOwen County KY64 mph56Estimated0
8:56 AMVernon County MO64 mph56Estimated0
11:30 AMGasconade County MO64 mph56Estimated0
11:50 AMFranklin County MO64 mph56Estimated0
12:15 PMSt. Louis County MO64 mph56Estimated0
12:20 PMSt. Louis County MO64 mph56Estimated0
1:10 PMMacoupin County IL64 mph56Estimated0
2:04 PMSharp County AR64 mph56Estimated0
2:06 PMSharp County AR64 mph56Estimated0
3:15 PMMacomb County MI64 mph56Estimated0
3:29 PMKnox County IN64 mph56Estimated0
3:36 PMVigo County IN64 mph56Estimated0
3:44 PMVigo County IN64 mph56Estimated0
4:13 PMOttawa County OH64 mph56Estimated0
4:26 PMLawrence County IN64 mph56Estimated0
4:35 PMMontgomery County IN64 mph56Estimated0
4:45 PMBrown County IN64 mph56Estimated0
5:00 PMJohnson County IN64 mph56Estimated0
5:00 PMJackson County IN64 mph56Estimated0
5:18 PMSaline County IL64 mph56Estimated0
5:47 PMHenry County KY64 mph56Estimated0
5:51 PMDearborn County IN64 mph56Estimated0
6:38 PMMontgomery County OH64 mph56Estimated0
6:40 PMLehigh County PA64 mph56Estimated0
7:17 PMWayne County MI64 mph56Estimated0
9:22 PMCrawford County AR64 mph56Estimated0
9:24 PMCrawford County AR64 mph56Estimated0
9:30 PMCrawford County AR64 mph56Estimated0
9:48 PMCrawford County AR64 mph56Estimated0
3:34 PMVigo County IN63 mph55Measured0
4:26 PMMarion County IN63 mph55Measured0
5:08 PMBartholomew County IN63 mph55Measured0
6:38 PMButler County OH63 mph55Measured0
7:28 PMFayette County OH63 mph55Measured0
3:32 PMWabash County IN63 mph55Estimated0
6:42 PMMontgomery County OH63 mph55Estimated0
7:10 PMHighland County OH63 mph55Estimated0

By state

Severe weather reports by state, May 23, 2011
Ohio8877 mph111.75
Indiana5763 mph251.75
Kentucky4577 mph71.00
Arkansas3460 mph101.00
Missouri3268 mph61.00
Illinois2684 mph61.75
Michigan18—81.50
Pennsylvania1468 mph31.00
Oklahoma1166 mph656.00
North Carolina5—212.50
Virginia5—31.00
Tennessee466 mph21.00
New York460 mph0—
Kansas362 mph212.75
West Virginia3—0—
Florida1—0—
New Jersey1—0—
Texas0—252.75
Nebraska0—61.75
Colorado0—51.00
Maryland0—21.75

Counties with the most wind reports

Hail and tornadoes that day

226 hail reports, 21 of 2 inches or more; 18 tornadoes.

Largest hail, May 23, 2011
6:32 PMKiowa County OK6.00
5:24 PMKiowa County OK3.50
6:30 PMCaddo County OK3.50
4:29 PMMajor County OK3.00
5:35 PMKiowa County OK3.00
9:44 PMKingfisher County OK3.00
4:33 PMSumner County KS2.75
5:45 PMBaylor County TX2.75
9:44 PMCanadian County OK2.75
4:15 PMDavie County NC2.50
4:20 PMMajor County OK2.50
5:18 PMKiowa County OK2.50
5:43 PMWilbarger County TX2.50
6:13 PMCanadian County OK2.50
10:45 PMCanadian County OK2.50
4:37 PMKay County OK2.00
8:25 PMKingfisher County OK2.00
8:31 PMKingfisher County OK2.00
10:20 PMCanadian County OK2.00
10:27 PMCanadian County OK2.00
10:45 PMOklahoma County OK2.00
10:44 AMTarrant County TX1.75
2:47 PMRichland County IL1.75
2:57 PMWilkes County NC1.75
3:01 PMWilkes County NC1.75
3:07 PMWilkes County NC1.75
3:27 PMWilkes County NC1.75
3:44 PMIredell County NC1.75
4:00 PMDubois County IN1.75
4:01 PMDavie County NC1.75
4:24 PMMajor County OK1.75
4:24 PMMajor County OK1.75
4:33 PMWashita County OK1.75
4:33 PMWashita County OK1.75
4:35 PMKay County OK1.75
4:45 PMWashita County OK1.75
4:54 PMGarfield County OK1.75
4:54 PMHarrison County IN1.75
5:18 PMKiowa County OK1.75
5:36 PMLorain County OH1.75
5:40 PMNorthampton County NC1.75
5:45 PMKiowa County OK1.75
6:10 PMCaddo County OK1.75
6:12 PMCanadian County OK1.75
6:15 PMCuyahoga County OH1.75
6:23 PMComanche County OK1.75
6:25 PMCuyahoga County OH1.75
6:31 PMKingfisher County OK1.75
6:39 PMRawlins County KS1.75
6:44 PMCaddo County OK1.75
  • EF0 tornado1:45 PM CDT
  • EF0 tornado3:54 PM CDT
  • EF2 tornado4:23 PM CDT
  • EF0 tornado4:26 PM CDT
  • EF0 tornado4:32 PM CDT
  • EF1 tornado4:39 PM CDT
  • EF0 tornado5:15 PM CDT
  • EF1 tornado5:25 PM CDT
  • EF1 tornado5:37 PM CDT
  • EF0 tornado5:43 PM CDT
  • EF0 tornado5:52 PM CDT
  • EF1 tornado5:56 PM CDT
  • EF0 tornado6:25 PM CDT
  • EF0 tornado6:43 PM CDT
  • EF2 tornado6:52 PM CDT
  • EF1 tornado6:55 PM CDT
  • EF1 tornado7:10 PM CDT
  • EF2 tornado7:10 PM CDT

2011 · 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.