The severe wind outbreak of June 21, 2011

624 wind reportsIllinois, Alabama, Texas and 18 more states

624 damaging wind reports across 21 states between 1:00 AM and 12:59 AM the next day CDT, 55 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 81 mph in Cook County, IL. 144 hail reports and 10 tornadoes the same day. The 13th-most wind reports of any day since 1955.

Watch the day unfold

Severe wind day · June 21, 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 624 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: 624; 13th of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
75 mph or more: 55; 2 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
Strongest measured gust: 81 mph; 70 knots, Cook County, IL
Measured: 36; reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
Killed by wind: 1; 14 injured
Counties reporting: 276; in 21 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, June 21, 2011

2:50 PM	Waukesha County WI	110 mph	96	Estimated
4:30 PM	Franklin County IL	90 mph	78	Estimated
8:54 PM	Cook County IL	81 mph	70	Measured
1:37 AM	Wise County TX	81 mph	70	Estimated
4:14 PM	Madison County AL	81 mph	70	Estimated
6:10 PM	San Augustine County TX	81 mph	70	Estimated
6:10 PM	Nacogdoches County TX	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:34 PM	Cook County IL	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:36 PM	DuPage County IL	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:37 PM	DuPage County IL	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:43 PM	DuPage County IL	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:43 PM	Saginaw County MI	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:46 PM	Cook County IL	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:55 PM	Cook County IL	81 mph	70	Estimated
2:54 PM	Waukesha County WI	79 mph	69	Measured
1:30 AM	Black Hawk County IA	79 mph	69	Estimated
2:35 AM	Denton County TX	75 mph	65	Measured
6:50 PM	LaSalle County IL	75 mph	65	Measured
1:45 AM	Wise County TX	75 mph	65	Estimated
2:04 AM	Parker County TX	75 mph	65	Estimated
2:35 AM	Denton County TX	75 mph	65	Estimated
2:35 AM	Denton County TX	75 mph	65	Estimated
2:45 AM	Denton County TX	75 mph	65	Estimated
3:40 PM	Marshall County AL	75 mph	65	Estimated
4:06 PM	Morgan County AL	75 mph	65	Estimated
4:06 PM	Morgan County AL	75 mph	65	Estimated
4:13 PM	Madison County AL	75 mph	65	Estimated
4:23 PM	Madison County AL	75 mph	65	Estimated
4:32 PM	Madison County AL	75 mph	65	Estimated
5:15 PM	Jackson County OH	75 mph	65	Estimated
6:03 PM	Hart County GA	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:18 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:28 PM	DuPage County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:37 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:37 PM	DuPage County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:38 PM	DuPage County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:39 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:39 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:41 PM	DuPage County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:43 PM	DuPage County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:47 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:47 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:47 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:48 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:48 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:49 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:50 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:50 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:50 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:52 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:55 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:57 PM	Cook County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
8:59 PM	Lake County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
9:00 PM	Lake County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
9:02 PM	Lake County IL	75 mph	65	Estimated
1:40 AM	Wise County TX	74 mph	64	Measured
7:20 PM	Livingston County IL	71 mph	62	Measured
8:30 PM	Will County IL	71 mph	62	Measured
8:37 PM	DuPage County IL	71 mph	62	Measured
9:19 PM	Hamilton County TX	71 mph	62	Measured
8:47 PM	Cook County IL	70 mph	61	Measured
2:45 AM	Denton County TX	70 mph	61	Estimated
3:20 PM	Colbert County AL	70 mph	61	Estimated
3:28 PM	Jefferson County AL	70 mph	61	Estimated
3:35 PM	Jefferson County AL	70 mph	61	Estimated
3:48 PM	Washington County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
4:02 PM	Marshall County AL	70 mph	61	Estimated
5:00 PM	Jasper County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
5:28 PM	Muskegon County MI	70 mph	61	Estimated
6:10 PM	Macon County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
6:45 PM	Bureau County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
6:45 PM	Putnam County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
6:53 PM	Bureau County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:20 PM	Ingham County MI	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:45 PM	DuPage County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:45 PM	Cook County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:50 PM	Cook County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:50 PM	Cook County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:51 PM	Cook County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:54 PM	Waukesha County WI	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:54 PM	Cook County IL	70 mph	61	Estimated
9:24 PM	Hamilton County TX	70 mph	61	Estimated
10:45 PM	Bosque County TX	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:45 PM	Cook County IL	69 mph	60	Measured
1:40 PM	Lowndes County MS	69 mph	60	Estimated
2:43 PM	Jackson County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:08 PM	Wilkes County NC	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:10 PM	Pointe Coupee Parish LA	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:40 PM	St. Clair County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:48 PM	Madison County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated
4:30 PM	Madison County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated
4:37 PM	DeKalb County AL	69 mph	60	Estimated
5:20 PM	Marion County TN	69 mph	60	Estimated
5:30 PM	Washington Parish LA	69 mph	60	Estimated
5:31 PM	Ross County OH	69 mph	60	Estimated
5:32 PM	Franklin County VA	69 mph	60	Estimated
5:40 PM	Sequatchie County TN	69 mph	60	Estimated
6:40 PM	Monroe County TN	69 mph	60	Estimated
6:48 PM	Monroe County WV	69 mph	60	Estimated
6:48 PM	Monroe County WV	69 mph	60	Estimated

By state

Severe weather reports by state, June 21, 2011

Illinois	135	81 mph	6	1.00
Alabama	101	66 mph	0	—
Texas	52	75 mph	40	2.00
Kentucky	46	61 mph	3	3.00
Virginia	43	62 mph	13	1.75
South Carolina	42	—	6	1.00
North Carolina	40	—	28	1.75
Ohio	37	62 mph	17	1.75
Michigan	33	62 mph	7	2.00
Tennessee	25	—	0	—
Mississippi	13	—	0	—
Indiana	12	—	0	—
West Virginia	11	—	8	1.25
Georgia	11	—	3	1.00
Wisconsin	7	79 mph	2	1.25
Louisiana	5	—	0	—
Iowa	4	—	1	0.88
Missouri	3	60 mph	4	1.00
Arkansas	2	—	2	1.00
Maryland	1	—	0	—
New York	1	60 mph	0	—
Pennsylvania	0	—	3	1.00
Florida	0	—	1	0.75

Counties with the most wind reports

Cook CountyIL · 34 reports
Marshall CountyAL · 23 reports
Colbert CountyAL · 19 reports
Madison CountyAL · 16 reports
DuPage CountyIL · 16 reports
Pittsylvania CountyVA · 14 reports
Denton CountyTX · 12 reports
DeKalb CountyAL · 11 reports
Lake CountyIL · 9 reports
Wise CountyTX · 8 reports

Hail and tornadoes that day

144 hail reports, 4 of 2 inches or more; 10 tornadoes.

Largest hail, June 21, 2011

3:47 PM	Pike County KY	3.00
4:45 PM	Muskegon County MI	2.00
4:58 PM	Van Buren County MI	2.00
6:20 PM	Coleman County TX	2.00
2:39 AM	Denton County TX	1.75
2:42 AM	Denton County TX	1.75
4:06 PM	Panola County TX	1.75
5:00 PM	Sampson County NC	1.75
5:40 PM	Shelby County TX	1.75
6:00 PM	Pittsylvania County VA	1.75
6:30 PM	Eastland County TX	1.75
6:30 PM	Nolan County TX	1.75
6:58 PM	Cumberland County NC	1.75
7:00 PM	Washington County OH	1.75
7:05 PM	Glasscock County TX	1.75
8:16 PM	Parker County TX	1.75
8:50 PM	Henderson County TX	1.75
8:50 PM	Upton County TX	1.75
2:45 AM	Denton County TX	1.50
4:55 PM	Franklin County VA	1.50
5:00 PM	Franklin County VA	1.50
6:38 PM	Rockingham County NC	1.50
8:02 PM	San Saba County TX	1.50
8:30 PM	Glasscock County TX	1.50
12:56 PM	Buncombe County NC	1.25
4:00 PM	Ottawa County MI	1.25
4:01 PM	Caldwell County NC	1.25
5:17 PM	Berkeley County WV	1.25
6:56 PM	Brown County TX	1.25
6:58 PM	Brown County TX	1.25
7:00 PM	Washington County OH	1.25
7:03 PM	Racine County WI	1.25
8:29 PM	Summit County OH	1.25
2:32 AM	Tarrant County TX	1.00
2:35 AM	Denton County TX	1.00
2:45 AM	Denton County TX	1.00
3:03 AM	Denton County TX	1.00
3:36 AM	Dallas County TX	1.00
5:37 AM	Pittsylvania County VA	1.00
1:05 PM	Buncombe County NC	1.00
1:13 PM	Rabun County GA	1.00
1:15 PM	Madison County NC	1.00
1:32 PM	Watauga County NC	1.00
2:04 PM	Howell County MO	1.00
2:10 PM	Washington County MO	1.00
2:40 PM	Jefferson County MO	1.00
2:42 PM	McDowell County NC	1.00
2:44 PM	Watauga County NC	1.00
2:55 PM	Monroe County IL	1.00
3:30 PM	Carroll County VA	1.00

EF0 tornado1:15 AM CDT
EF0 tornado3:12 PM CDT
EF1 tornado3:21 PM CDT
EF1 tornado3:31 PM CDT
EF1 tornado3:36 PM CDT
EF1 tornado3:38 PM CDT
EF0 tornado3:55 PM CDT
EF0 tornado5:00 PM CDT
EF1 tornado8:31 PM CDT
EF1 tornado8:48 PM CDT

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.