The severe wind outbreak of July 5, 2012
529 wind reportsNorth Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and 20 more states
529 damaging wind reports across 23 states between 1:00 AM and 12:50 AM the next day CDT, 14 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 91 mph in Butte County, SD. 85 hail reports and 1 tornado the same day. The 27th-most wind reports of any day since 1955.
Watch the day unfoldSevere wind day · July 5, 2012
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.
The day in numbers
- Wind reports
- 529
- 27th of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
- 75 mph or more
- 14
- 4 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
- Strongest measured gust
- 91 mph
- 79 knots, Butte County, SD
- Measured
- 21
- reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
- Killed by wind
- 3
- 11 injured
- Counties reporting
- 284
- in 23 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.
| 9:32 PM | Lawrence County AL | 115 mph | Estimated |
| 6:35 PM | Butte County SD | 91 mph | Measured |
| 2:06 PM | Knott County KY | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 2:25 PM | Lucas County OH | 89 mph | Measured |
| 3:54 PM | Lake County IN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 4:25 PM | Lake County IN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 6:10 PM | Campbell County WY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 6:41 PM | Platte County WY | 79 mph | Measured |
| 6:50 AM | Story County IA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 1:50 PM | Montgomery County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 1:56 PM | Lincoln County MS | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:50 PM | Henderson County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:22 PM | Gilmer County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 12:20 AM | Lowndes County MS | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 9:10 PM | Goshen County WY | 74 mph | Measured |
| 3:17 AM | Livingston County MI | 71 mph | Estimated |
| 8:33 PM | Las Animas County CO | 70 mph | Measured |
| 3:04 AM | Genesee County MI | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 3:15 PM | Cook County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 3:48 PM | Wood County OH | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:25 PM | Howard County TX | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:40 PM | Russell County VA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:00 PM | Washington County VA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:25 PM | Washington County VA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:30 PM | Sullivan County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:35 PM | Laurel County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:35 PM | Laurel County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:54 PM | Washington County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:55 PM | Pulaski County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:00 PM | Washington County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:15 PM | Sullivan County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:20 PM | Harlan County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:20 PM | Bell County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:30 PM | Hawkins County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:30 PM | Bell County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:35 PM | Lee County VA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:40 PM | Hawkins County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:40 PM | Greene County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:40 PM | Bell County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:45 PM | Wayne County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:45 PM | Simpson County MS | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:53 PM | McCreary County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:15 PM | Campbell County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:20 PM | Hawkins County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:20 PM | Hamblen County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:22 PM | Hamblen County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:25 PM | Union County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:27 PM | Lake County IN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:29 PM | Claiborne County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:30 PM | Hamblen County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:30 PM | Jefferson County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:30 PM | Muscogee County GA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:35 PM | Knox County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:40 PM | Scott County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:55 PM | Sevier County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 4:55 PM | Hamilton County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 PM | Sevier County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 PM | Knox County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 PM | Morgan County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 PM | Barnwell County SC | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:05 PM | Sevier County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:05 PM | Lancaster County SC | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:10 PM | Swain County NC | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:12 PM | Warren County MS | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:15 PM | Blount County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:20 PM | Blount County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:30 PM | Blount County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:30 PM | Blount County AL | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:30 PM | Blount County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:33 PM | Allen County IN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:40 PM | Loudon County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:40 PM | Roane County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:00 PM | Morgan County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:00 PM | Blount County AL | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 PM | Meigs County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 PM | Polk County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:20 PM | Rhea County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:24 PM | McMinn County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:30 PM | Polk County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:38 PM | Hamilton County TN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:55 PM | Edgefield County SC | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:55 PM | Bartow County GA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 8:24 PM | Jenkins County GA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 9:35 PM | Goshen County WY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 12:50 AM | Oktibbeha County MS | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:02 AM | Prince William County VA | 68 mph | Measured |
| 2:35 AM | Shiawassee County MI | 68 mph | Estimated |
| 2:45 AM | Saginaw County MI | 68 mph | Estimated |
| 3:28 AM | Lapeer County MI | 67 mph | Estimated |
| 3:23 AM | Genesee County MI | 64 mph | Measured |
| 3:35 AM | Oakland County MI | 64 mph | Measured |
| 2:40 PM | Knott County KY | 64 mph | Measured |
| 2:47 AM | Charles County MD | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:14 AM | Livingston County MI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:20 AM | Genesee County MI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:30 AM | Oakland County MI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:38 AM | Washtenaw County MI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:45 AM | Watonwan County MN | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:50 AM | Oakland County MI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 4:03 AM | Macomb County MI | 64 mph | Estimated |
By state
| North Carolina | 77 | 59 mph |
| Tennessee | 71 | — |
| Kentucky | 70 | 64 mph |
| Alabama | 51 | 59 mph |
| Michigan | 51 | 64 mph |
| South Carolina | 41 | — |
| Georgia | 38 | — |
| Ohio | 28 | 89 mph |
| West Virginia | 22 | 59 mph |
| Virginia | 20 | 68 mph |
| Wyoming | 9 | 79 mph |
| Mississippi | 9 | — |
| Indiana | 8 | — |
| Maryland | 8 | — |
| South Dakota | 7 | 91 mph |
| Louisiana | 5 | — |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | — |
| Colorado | 2 | 70 mph |
| Illinois | 2 | — |
| Minnesota | 2 | — |
| Texas | 2 | — |
| Arkansas | 1 | — |
| Iowa | 1 | — |
| New Mexico | 0 | — |
Counties with the most wind reports
- Oakland CountyMI · 13 reports
- Cherokee CountyAL · 6 reports
- St. Clair CountyAL · 6 reports
- Blount CountyAL · 6 reports
- Rutherford CountyTN · 5 reports
- Allen CountyIN · 5 reports
- Kanawha CountyWV · 5 reports
- Robeson CountyNC · 5 reports
- Laurel CountyKY · 5 reports
- Bulloch CountyGA · 5 reports
Hail and tornadoes that day
85 hail reports, 1 of 2 inches or more; 1 tornado.
| 4:43 PM | Lawrence County TN | 2.00 |
| 4:15 PM | Lawrence County TN | 1.75 |
| 6:00 PM | Blount County AL | 1.75 |
| 6:40 PM | Floyd County GA | 1.75 |
| 7:10 PM | Custer County SD | 1.75 |
| 7:20 PM | Chilton County AL | 1.75 |
| 6:54 PM | Shelby County AL | 1.50 |
| 1:34 AM | Licking County OH | 1.25 |
| 5:50 PM | Greenville County SC | 1.25 |
| 7:10 PM | Weston County WY | 1.25 |
| 1:08 AM | Marion County WV | 1.00 |
| 1:20 AM | Delaware County OH | 1.00 |
| 2:11 AM | Charles County MD | 1.00 |
| 10:25 AM | Wythe County VA | 1.00 |
| 12:00 PM | Surry County NC | 1.00 |
| 12:05 PM | Surry County NC | 1.00 |
| 12:20 PM | Hamilton County OH | 1.00 |
| 1:25 PM | Madison County MS | 1.00 |
| 3:21 PM | Pittsylvania County VA | 1.00 |
| 3:35 PM | Appomattox County VA | 1.00 |
| 3:52 PM | Horry County SC | 1.00 |
| 3:59 PM | Horry County SC | 1.00 |
| 4:25 PM | Scioto County OH | 1.00 |
| 4:34 PM | Madison County AL | 1.00 |
| 4:35 PM | Pittsylvania County VA | 1.00 |
| 4:38 PM | Russell County AL | 1.00 |
| 4:40 PM | Macon County NC | 1.00 |
| 5:04 PM | Jackson County NC | 1.00 |
| 5:05 PM | Union County NC | 1.00 |
| 5:15 PM | Aiken County SC | 1.00 |
| 5:27 PM | Madison County AL | 1.00 |
| 5:29 PM | Madison County AL | 1.00 |
| 5:42 PM | Albany County WY | 1.00 |
| 5:45 PM | Aiken County SC | 1.00 |
| 5:48 PM | Barnwell County SC | 1.00 |
| 5:52 PM | Lee County AL | 1.00 |
| 6:11 PM | St. Clair County AL | 1.00 |
| 6:15 PM | Greenville County SC | 1.00 |
| 6:30 PM | Rutherford County TN | 1.00 |
| 6:38 PM | St. Clair County AL | 1.00 |
| 6:49 PM | Shelby County AL | 1.00 |
| 6:50 PM | Franklin Parish LA | 1.00 |
| 6:55 PM | Custer County SD | 1.00 |
| 7:00 PM | Shelby County AL | 1.00 |
| 7:03 PM | Platte County WY | 1.00 |
| 7:05 PM | Rutherford County TN | 1.00 |
| 7:07 PM | Richmond County GA | 1.00 |
| 7:48 PM | Spalding County GA | 1.00 |
| 8:20 PM | Burke County GA | 1.00 |
| 5:23 AM | Lorain County OH | 0.88 |
- EF0 tornado4:36 PM CDT
2012 · 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.