The severe wind outbreak of July 26, 2012
440 wind reportsPennsylvania, New York, Ohio and 19 more states
440 damaging wind reports across 22 states between 1:15 AM and 11:19 PM CDT, 17 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 75 mph in Athens County, OH. 55 hail reports and 8 tornadoes the same day.
Watch the day unfoldSevere wind day · July 26, 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
- 440
- 61st of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
- 75 mph or more
- 17
- 4 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
- Strongest measured gust
- 75 mph
- 65 knots, Athens County, OH
- Measured
- 28
- reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
- Killed by wind
- 2
- 10 injured
- Counties reporting
- 240
- in 22 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.
| 3:14 PM | Tioga County NY | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 1:30 PM | Venango County PA | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 1:40 PM | McKean County PA | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 2:10 PM | Potter County PA | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 2:31 PM | Benton County AR | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 3:25 PM | Washington County AR | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 3:26 PM | Washington County AR | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 4:34 PM | Crawford County AR | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:11 PM | Sebastian County AR | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:20 PM | Franklin County AR | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:25 PM | Lebanon County PA | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:30 PM | Le Flore County OK | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 7:32 PM | Okmulgee County OK | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 7:50 PM | Choctaw County OK | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:15 PM | Athens County OH | 75 mph | Measured |
| 5:15 PM | Woodford County KY | 75 mph | Measured |
| 4:49 PM | Sebastian County AR | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 4:30 PM | Indiana County PA | 74 mph | Measured |
| 5:46 PM | Bryan County OK | 72 mph | Measured |
| 1:39 AM | Cook County IL | 70 mph | Measured |
| 5:55 PM | Bryan County OK | 70 mph | Measured |
| 6:30 PM | Fairfield County CT | 70 mph | Measured |
| 1:30 AM | Waukesha County WI | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:40 AM | Waukesha County WI | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:50 PM | Washington County AR | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 3:10 PM | Muskogee County OK | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 3:35 PM | Washington County AR | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 3:57 PM | Haskell County OK | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:40 PM | Le Flore County OK | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:48 PM | Pope County AR | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:10 PM | Wayne County MO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:55 PM | Stoddard County MO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:07 PM | Bergen County NJ | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:56 PM | Pittsburg County OK | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:40 PM | Steuben County NY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:42 PM | Steuben County NY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:45 PM | Steuben County NY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:20 PM | Tioga County NY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:30 PM | Taney County MO | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:40 PM | Hampton County SC | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 3:53 PM | Wyoming County PA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:12 PM | Ulster County NY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:15 PM | Athens County OH | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:24 PM | Ulster County NY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:36 PM | Dutchess County NY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 5:38 PM | Dutchess County NY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:30 PM | Montgomery County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:00 PM | Choctaw County OK | 68 mph | Measured |
| 1:16 AM | Jefferson County WI | 66 mph | Estimated |
| 5:15 PM | Cascade County MT | 66 mph | Estimated |
| 7:45 PM | Fergus County MT | 66 mph | Estimated |
| 3:20 PM | Clinton County PA | 64 mph | Measured |
| 3:58 PM | Jackson County FL | 64 mph | Measured |
| 6:04 PM | Chester County PA | 64 mph | Measured |
| 7:59 PM | Randall County TX | 64 mph | Measured |
| 8:13 PM | Jackson County AR | 64 mph | Measured |
| 1:15 AM | Fond du Lac County WI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 1:40 AM | Jefferson County WI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 1:53 AM | Waukesha County WI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:30 PM | Cape Girardeau County MO | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 4:00 PM | Scott County MO | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 4:01 PM | Montague County TX | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 5:05 PM | Izard County AR | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 5:25 PM | Hughes County OK | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 5:45 PM | Bryan County OK | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 7:10 PM | Pike County IL | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 7:32 PM | Latimer County OK | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 7:55 PM | McIntosh County OK | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 1:30 AM | Jefferson County WI | 63 mph | Measured |
| 8:45 PM | Tooele County UT | 63 mph | Measured |
| 1:40 AM | Cook County IL | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 3:30 PM | Licking County OH | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 6:10 PM | Bath County KY | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 7:20 PM | Bibb County GA | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 2:14 PM | Okaloosa County FL | 62 mph | Measured |
| 5:13 PM | Northampton County PA | 62 mph | Measured |
| 7:55 PM | McCurtain County OK | 62 mph | Estimated |
| 8:30 PM | McCurtain County OK | 62 mph | Estimated |
| 5:42 PM | Bryan County OK | 61 mph | Measured |
| 4:47 PM | Sebastian County AR | 60 mph | Measured |
| 5:50 PM | Bucks County PA | 60 mph | Measured |
| 5:59 PM | Westchester County NY | 60 mph | Measured |
| 6:34 PM | Philadelphia County PA | 60 mph | Measured |
| 6:35 PM | Philadelphia County PA | 60 mph | Measured |
| 1:53 AM | Washington County WI | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 12:10 PM | Erie County PA | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 3:03 PM | Wright County MO | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 3:19 PM | Bradford County PA | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 3:35 PM | Johnston County OK | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 3:50 PM | Broome County NY | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 3:50 PM | Reynolds County MO | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 3:53 PM | Cape Girardeau County MO | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 4:08 PM | Howell County MO | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 4:10 PM | Howell County MO | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 4:10 PM | Spencer County KY | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 4:14 PM | Saline County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 4:20 PM | Saline County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 4:30 PM | Gallatin County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 4:36 PM | Saline County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 4:41 PM | Bureau County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
By state
| Pennsylvania | 115 | 74 mph |
| New York | 64 | 60 mph |
| Ohio | 63 | 75 mph |
| Kentucky | 40 | 75 mph |
| Oklahoma | 22 | 72 mph |
| West Virginia | 21 | — |
| Arkansas | 20 | 64 mph |
| Georgia | 20 | 58 mph |
| New Jersey | 14 | — |
| Illinois | 13 | 70 mph |
| Missouri | 11 | — |
| Wisconsin | 10 | 63 mph |
| Connecticut | 8 | 70 mph |
| Maryland | 5 | — |
| Texas | 4 | 64 mph |
| Florida | 3 | 64 mph |
| Montana | 2 | — |
| Iowa | 1 | 58 mph |
| Nebraska | 1 | — |
| Indiana | 1 | — |
| South Carolina | 1 | — |
| Utah | 1 | 63 mph |
Counties with the most wind reports
- Cattaraugus CountyNY · 9 reports
- Broome CountyNY · 9 reports
- Allegany CountyNY · 7 reports
- Montgomery CountyKY · 7 reports
- Steuben CountyNY · 6 reports
- Jefferson CountyPA · 6 reports
- Westmoreland CountyPA · 6 reports
- Lycoming CountyPA · 6 reports
- Lancaster CountyPA · 5 reports
- Tioga CountyNY · 5 reports
Hail and tornadoes that day
55 hail reports, 1 of 2 inches or more; 8 tornadoes.
| 2:15 PM | Montgomery County OH | 2.00 |
| 2:20 PM | Montgomery County OH | 1.75 |
| 4:47 PM | Crawford County AR | 1.75 |
| 4:53 PM | Montgomery County IA | 1.75 |
| 5:35 PM | Le Flore County OK | 1.75 |
| 9:00 PM | Glacier County MT | 1.75 |
| 10:08 PM | Shawano County WI | 1.75 |
| 3:05 PM | Franklin County OH | 1.50 |
| 9:30 PM | Toole County MT | 1.50 |
| 2:26 PM | Montgomery County OH | 1.25 |
| 4:15 PM | Pottawattamie County IA | 1.25 |
| 4:32 PM | Gallatin County IL | 1.25 |
| 1:29 PM | Mahoning County OH | 1.00 |
| 1:35 PM | Mahoning County OH | 1.00 |
| 1:35 PM | Mahoning County OH | 1.00 |
| 1:55 PM | Tuscarawas County OH | 1.00 |
| 2:23 PM | Hamilton County OH | 1.00 |
| 2:26 PM | Clark County OH | 1.00 |
| 2:30 PM | Clark County OH | 1.00 |
| 2:35 PM | Montgomery County OH | 1.00 |
| 3:00 PM | Clermont County OH | 1.00 |
| 3:08 PM | Washington County AR | 1.00 |
| 3:08 PM | Washington County AR | 1.00 |
| 3:17 PM | Washington County AR | 1.00 |
| 3:32 PM | Brown County OH | 1.00 |
| 3:34 PM | Jackson County IL | 1.00 |
| 3:54 PM | Susquehanna County PA | 1.00 |
| 4:05 PM | Westmoreland County PA | 1.00 |
| 4:15 PM | Columbia County PA | 1.00 |
| 4:35 PM | Le Flore County OK | 1.00 |
| 4:55 PM | Montgomery County IA | 1.00 |
| 5:12 PM | Montgomery County IA | 1.00 |
| 5:41 PM | Page County IA | 1.00 |
| 6:00 PM | Putnam County NY | 1.00 |
| 6:25 PM | Peach County GA | 1.00 |
| 7:50 PM | Seward County NE | 1.00 |
| 8:06 PM | Lancaster County NE | 1.00 |
| 1:51 PM | Tuscarawas County OH | 0.88 |
| 2:02 PM | Logan County OH | 0.88 |
| 2:25 PM | Montgomery County OH | 0.88 |
| 2:59 PM | Campbell County KY | 0.88 |
| 3:35 PM | Washington County AR | 0.88 |
| 3:50 PM | Reynolds County MO | 0.88 |
| 5:55 PM | Clark County IN | 0.88 |
| 7:45 PM | Seward County NE | 0.88 |
| 2:38 PM | Montgomery County OH | 0.75 |
| 2:45 PM | Kenton County KY | 0.75 |
| 4:24 PM | Luzerne County PA | 0.75 |
| 4:37 PM | Sequoyah County OK | 0.75 |
| 4:44 PM | Le Flore County OK | 0.75 |
- EF0 tornado2:15 PM CDT
- EF1 tornado2:38 PM CDT
- EF1 tornado2:44 PM CDT
- EF1 tornado3:00 PM CDT
- EF1 tornado3:01 PM CDT
- EF0 tornado3:52 PM CDT
- EF1 tornado4:00 PM CDT
- EF1 tornado4:44 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.