The severe wind outbreak of July 20, 2019
405 wind reportsNew York, Iowa, Wisconsin and 16 more states
405 damaging wind reports across 19 states between 1:18 AM and 9:55 PM CDT, 19 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 86 mph in Portage County, WI. 24 hail reports and 9 tornadoes the same day.
Watch the day unfoldSevere wind day · July 20, 2019
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
- 405
- 75th of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
- 75 mph or more
- 19
- 1 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
- Strongest measured gust
- 86 mph
- 75 knots, Portage County, WI
- Measured
- 89
- reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
- Killed by wind
- 0
- 15 injured
- Counties reporting
- 174
- in 19 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.
| 10:29 AM | Portage County WI | 86 mph | Measured |
| 9:50 PM | Hamilton County KS | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 4:26 AM | Hyde County SD | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 6:45 AM | Hamlin County SD | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 4:35 AM | Hughes County SD | 79 mph | Measured |
| 3:19 AM | Potter County SD | 76 mph | Measured |
| 5:43 AM | Beadle County SD | 75 mph | Measured |
| 6:39 AM | Sanborn County SD | 75 mph | Measured |
| 7:33 AM | Brookings County SD | 75 mph | Measured |
| 9:37 AM | Cottonwood County MN | 75 mph | Measured |
| 4:09 AM | Sully County SD | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:53 AM | Trumbull County OH | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:16 AM | Aurora County SD | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:32 AM | McCook County SD | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:35 AM | Lake County SD | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 10:26 AM | Portage County WI | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 10:38 AM | Portage County WI | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 10:40 AM | Portage County WI | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 10:44 AM | Portage County WI | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:38 AM | Kingsbury County SD | 74 mph | Measured |
| 7:14 AM | Hanson County SD | 74 mph | Measured |
| 7:59 AM | Minnehaha County SD | 74 mph | Measured |
| 8:57 AM | Olmsted County MN | 74 mph | Measured |
| 11:01 AM | Marathon County WI | 74 mph | Measured |
| 2:48 AM | Dewey County SD | 72 mph | Measured |
| 5:54 AM | Beadle County SD | 72 mph | Measured |
| 6:54 AM | Aurora County SD | 72 mph | Measured |
| 7:19 AM | Lake County SD | 72 mph | Measured |
| 7:54 AM | McCook County SD | 72 mph | Measured |
| 4:55 PM | Lapeer County MI | 72 mph | Measured |
| 8:12 AM | Pipestone County MN | 71 mph | Measured |
| 11:42 AM | Olmsted County MN | 71 mph | Measured |
| 3:44 AM | Sully County SD | 70 mph | Measured |
| 7:57 AM | Davison County SD | 70 mph | Measured |
| 7:59 AM | Moody County SD | 70 mph | Measured |
| 5:37 PM | El Paso County CO | 70 mph | Measured |
| 2:00 AM | Perkins County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:25 AM | Hand County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:54 AM | Jerauld County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:15 AM | Aurora County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:38 AM | McCook County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:57 AM | Moody County SD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 9:15 AM | Sioux County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 9:30 AM | Osceola County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 9:34 AM | Cherokee County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 10:43 AM | Portage County WI | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 10:45 AM | Portage County WI | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 10:55 AM | Freeborn County MN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 11:00 AM | Waupaca County WI | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:07 PM | Lafayette County WI | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:02 PM | Dallas County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:17 PM | Lapeer County MI | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:10 PM | Guthrie County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:21 PM | Guthrie County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 8:05 PM | Fauquier County VA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:11 AM | Stanley County SD | 69 mph | Measured |
| 5:45 AM | Hand County SD | 69 mph | Measured |
| 8:57 AM | Trempealeau County WI | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 9:00 AM | Trempealeau County WI | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 11:45 AM | Outagamie County WI | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 12:10 PM | Bremer County IA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 12:15 PM | Burke County NC | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 12:18 PM | Bremer County IA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 12:28 PM | Bremer County IA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 1:34 PM | Caldwell County NC | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:10 PM | Sussex County NJ | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 PM | Guthrie County IA | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 7:04 AM | Davison County SD | 68 mph | Measured |
| 8:30 AM | Hennepin County MN | 68 mph | Measured |
| 6:15 PM | Marion County IA | 68 mph | Measured |
| 9:55 PM | Hamilton County KS | 68 mph | Measured |
| 4:41 PM | Shiawassee County MI | 68 mph | Estimated |
| 11:25 AM | Outagamie County WI | 67 mph | Measured |
| 11:44 AM | Brown County WI | 67 mph | Measured |
| 6:07 AM | Beadle County SD | 66 mph | Measured |
| 7:31 AM | McCook County SD | 66 mph | Measured |
| 8:16 AM | Minnehaha County SD | 66 mph | Measured |
| 9:43 AM | Clay County IA | 66 mph | Measured |
| 6:21 PM | Marion County IA | 66 mph | Measured |
| 6:28 PM | Schenectady County NY | 66 mph | Measured |
| 7:58 PM | Otero County CO | 66 mph | Measured |
| 5:28 AM | Hand County SD | 64 mph | Measured |
| 6:09 AM | Lyman County SD | 64 mph | Measured |
| 6:29 AM | Buffalo County SD | 64 mph | Measured |
| 6:47 AM | Davison County SD | 64 mph | Measured |
| 9:00 AM | Nobles County MN | 64 mph | Measured |
| 9:30 AM | Jackson County MN | 64 mph | Measured |
| 9:49 AM | Washington County MN | 64 mph | Measured |
| 10:01 AM | Emmet County IA | 64 mph | Measured |
| 10:03 AM | Emmet County IA | 64 mph | Measured |
| 10:04 AM | Martin County MN | 64 mph | Measured |
| 10:11 AM | Wood County WI | 64 mph | Measured |
| 11:34 AM | Olmsted County MN | 64 mph | Measured |
| 4:30 PM | Herkimer County NY | 64 mph | Measured |
| 6:00 AM | Beadle County SD | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 9:01 AM | Trempealeau County WI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 9:06 AM | Sioux County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 9:35 AM | Dickinson County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 10:25 AM | Wood County WI | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 10:25 AM | Wood County WI | 64 mph | Estimated |
By state
| New York | 72 | 66 mph |
| Iowa | 70 | 68 mph |
| Wisconsin | 65 | 86 mph |
| South Dakota | 62 | 79 mph |
| Minnesota | 39 | 75 mph |
| Michigan | 34 | 72 mph |
| Pennsylvania | 14 | — |
| Illinois | 11 | — |
| Colorado | 10 | 70 mph |
| Ohio | 7 | — |
| North Carolina | 5 | — |
| Virginia | 4 | — |
| Kansas | 3 | 68 mph |
| Indiana | 2 | — |
| Maryland | 2 | — |
| New Jersey | 2 | — |
| Georgia | 1 | — |
| Massachusetts | 1 | — |
| Vermont | 1 | — |
| Florida | 0 | — |
| Wyoming | 0 | — |
Counties with the most wind reports
- Herkimer CountyNY · 16 reports
- Oneida CountyNY · 12 reports
- Dallas CountyIA · 10 reports
- Rensselaer CountyNY · 8 reports
- Montgomery CountyNY · 8 reports
- Lawrence CountyPA · 8 reports
- Portage CountyWI · 8 reports
- Olmsted CountyMN · 7 reports
- Lapeer CountyMI · 7 reports
- Polk CountyIA · 7 reports
Hail and tornadoes that day
24 hail reports, 1 of 2 inches or more; 9 tornadoes.
| 2:00 AM | Perkins County SD | 2.00 |
| 2:00 AM | Perkins County SD | 1.50 |
| 5:52 PM | Pueblo County CO | 1.25 |
| 3:05 AM | Dewey County SD | 1.00 |
| 3:10 AM | Walworth County SD | 1.00 |
| 4:11 AM | Potter County SD | 1.00 |
| 1:35 PM | Caldwell County NC | 1.00 |
| 3:47 PM | Pasco County FL | 1.00 |
| 5:30 PM | El Paso County CO | 1.00 |
| 5:45 PM | Pueblo County CO | 1.00 |
| 5:47 PM | Pueblo County CO | 1.00 |
| 5:52 PM | Pueblo County CO | 1.00 |
| 5:55 PM | Pueblo County CO | 1.00 |
| 5:57 PM | Pueblo County CO | 1.00 |
| 5:58 PM | Pueblo County CO | 1.00 |
| 6:00 PM | Pueblo County CO | 1.00 |
| 6:03 PM | Pueblo County CO | 1.00 |
| 7:49 PM | Albany County WY | 1.00 |
| 12:05 PM | Dickinson County IA | 0.88 |
| 1:30 PM | Caldwell County NC | 0.88 |
| 10:30 AM | Minnehaha County SD | 0.75 |
| 10:42 AM | Minnehaha County SD | 0.75 |
| 11:33 AM | Olmsted County MN | 0.75 |
| 5:20 PM | Polk County IA | 0.75 |
- EF0 tornado9:10 AM CDT
- EF0 tornado9:14 AM CDT
- EF1 tornado10:55 AM CDT
- EF0 tornado11:00 AM CDT
- EF0 tornado11:09 AM CDT
- EF1 tornado11:10 AM CDT
- EF1 tornado11:18 AM CDT
- EF0 tornado11:22 AM CDT
- EF0 tornado11:36 AM CDT
2019 · 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.