The severe wind outbreak of August 20, 2019
320 wind reportsIllinois, Virginia, Ohio and 20 more states
320 damaging wind reports across 23 states between 1:35 AM and 12:47 AM the next day CDT, 7 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 91 mph in Scotts Bluff County, NE. 49 hail reports and 3 tornadoes the same day.
Watch the day unfoldSevere wind day · August 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
- 320
- on Tuesday, August 20, 2019
- 75 mph or more
- 7
- 2 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
- Strongest measured gust
- 91 mph
- 79 knots, Scotts Bluff County, NE
- Measured
- 21
- reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
- Killed by wind
- 0
- 2 injured
- Counties reporting
- 185
- 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.
| 11:33 PM | Scotts Bluff County NE | 91 mph | Measured |
| 12:26 AM | Scotts Bluff County NE | 91 mph | Measured |
| 2:44 AM | Ida County IA | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:15 PM | Pittsburg County OK | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:27 AM | Warren County IA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:00 AM | Warren County IA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:30 PM | Kiowa County KS | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 1:43 PM | Marion County IN | 72 mph | Measured |
| 11:48 PM | Scotts Bluff County NE | 72 mph | Measured |
| 7:44 AM | Henry County IA | 70 mph | Measured |
| 1:44 PM | Marion County IN | 70 mph | Measured |
| 2:25 AM | Shelby County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:39 AM | Ida County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:50 AM | Dallas County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:13 AM | Guthrie County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:14 AM | Guthrie County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:59 AM | Warren County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:01 AM | Warren County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:10 AM | Lucas County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:30 AM | Poweshiek County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:44 AM | Louisa County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:55 AM | Des Moines County IA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:20 PM | White County IL | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:00 PM | St. Francois County MO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:25 PM | St. Francois County MO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:33 PM | Crawford County MO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:50 PM | Madison County MO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 3:10 PM | Crawford County MO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:07 PM | Shenandoah County VA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 PM | St. Mary's County MD | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:15 PM | Fulton County AR | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 11:27 PM | Scotts Bluff County NE | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 11:34 PM | Scotts Bluff County NE | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:25 AM | Becker County MN | 69 mph | Estimated |
| 2:32 AM | Woodbury County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 2:58 AM | Ida County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 3:36 AM | Ida County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 5:15 AM | Adair County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 5:29 AM | Polk County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 5:30 AM | Polk County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 6:18 AM | Marion County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 6:50 AM | Keokuk County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 7:55 AM | Des Moines County IA | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 8:20 AM | Warren County IL | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 8:25 AM | Warren County IL | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 8:48 AM | Rock Island County IL | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 9:00 AM | Lewis County MO | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 9:00 AM | Wright County MN | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 1:06 PM | Andrew County MO | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 1:47 PM | Randolph County IL | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 1:48 PM | Johnson County IN | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 2:23 PM | Perry County MO | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 2:45 PM | Iron County MO | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 12:28 AM | Scotts Bluff County NE | 64 mph | Estimated |
| 4:15 AM | Norman County MN | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 4:52 AM | Becker County MN | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 5:05 AM | Becker County MN | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 1:24 PM | Hendricks County IN | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 1:45 PM | Marion County IN | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 2:05 PM | Marion County IN | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 2:21 PM | Dubois County IN | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 3:13 PM | Davidson County TN | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 3:50 PM | Breckinridge County KY | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 10:38 PM | McCormick County SC | 63 mph | Estimated |
| 2:56 PM | Cape Girardeau County MO | 62 mph | Measured |
| 12:41 AM | Morrill County NE | 62 mph | Measured |
| 12:08 PM | Warren County IN | 62 mph | Estimated |
| 1:58 PM | Rush County IN | 62 mph | Estimated |
| 2:07 PM | Johnson County IN | 62 mph | Estimated |
| 2:07 PM | Casey County KY | 62 mph | Estimated |
| 2:46 PM | Decatur County IN | 62 mph | Estimated |
| 3:44 PM | Jefferson County KY | 62 mph | Estimated |
| 3:50 PM | Shenandoah County VA | 61 mph | Measured |
| 3:00 PM | Crawford County IN | 61 mph | Estimated |
| 3:45 PM | Ohio County KY | 61 mph | Estimated |
| 3:58 PM | Shelby County KY | 61 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 PM | Hart County KY | 61 mph | Estimated |
| 5:00 PM | Warren County KY | 61 mph | Estimated |
| 5:25 PM | Taylor County KY | 61 mph | Estimated |
| 5:20 AM | Guthrie County IA | 60 mph | Measured |
| 1:54 PM | Brown County IN | 60 mph | Measured |
| 4:54 PM | Warren County KY | 60 mph | Measured |
| 6:02 PM | Armstrong County TX | 60 mph | Measured |
| 12:30 AM | Ellis County KS | 60 mph | Measured |
| 12:44 AM | Box Butte County NE | 60 mph | Measured |
| 2:30 AM | Shelby County IA | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 7:50 AM | Des Moines County IA | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 8:45 AM | Knox County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 8:50 AM | Knox County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 8:55 AM | Fulton County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 9:00 AM | Schuyler County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 9:10 AM | Fulton County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 9:25 AM | Peoria County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 9:25 AM | Tazewell County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 9:26 AM | Mason County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 9:30 AM | Tazewell County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 9:35 AM | Woodford County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 9:35 AM | Tazewell County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 9:40 AM | Tazewell County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
| 10:05 AM | Logan County IL | 60 mph | Estimated |
By state
| Illinois | 44 | — |
| Virginia | 41 | 61 mph |
| Ohio | 40 | — |
| Indiana | 38 | 72 mph |
| Iowa | 30 | 70 mph |
| Kentucky | 25 | 60 mph |
| Missouri | 22 | 62 mph |
| West Virginia | 17 | — |
| Maryland | 13 | 58 mph |
| Nebraska | 11 | 91 mph |
| Tennessee | 10 | — |
| Minnesota | 7 | — |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | — |
| District of Columbia | 3 | — |
| North Carolina | 3 | — |
| Michigan | 3 | — |
| Kansas | 2 | 60 mph |
| North Dakota | 1 | — |
| Alabama | 1 | — |
| Arkansas | 1 | — |
| Oklahoma | 1 | — |
| South Carolina | 1 | — |
| Texas | 1 | 60 mph |
| Wyoming | 0 | — |
| Colorado | 0 | — |
Counties with the most wind reports
- Scotts Bluff CountyNE · 8 reports
- Harrison CountyWV · 7 reports
- Vermilion CountyIL · 7 reports
- Marion CountyIN · 5 reports
- Richland CountyOH · 5 reports
- King George CountyVA · 5 reports
- Harrison CountyOH · 5 reports
- Champaign CountyIL · 4 reports
- Sangamon CountyIL · 4 reports
- Davidson CountyTN · 4 reports
Hail and tornadoes that day
49 hail reports, 1 of 2 inches or more; 3 tornadoes.
| 7:34 PM | Platte County WY | 2.50 |
| 3:42 PM | District of Columbia County DC | 1.75 |
| 5:18 PM | Weld County CO | 1.75 |
| 6:15 PM | Gove County KS | 1.75 |
| 12:40 AM | Buffalo County NE | 1.75 |
| 2:54 AM | Traill County ND | 1.50 |
| 9:10 AM | Kossuth County IA | 1.50 |
| 4:44 PM | District of Columbia County DC | 1.50 |
| 5:10 PM | Weld County CO | 1.50 |
| 5:40 PM | Weld County CO | 1.50 |
| 6:40 PM | Platte County WY | 1.50 |
| 7:04 PM | Weld County CO | 1.50 |
| 7:40 PM | Platte County WY | 1.50 |
| 4:00 AM | Norman County MN | 1.25 |
| 11:45 AM | Holt County MO | 1.25 |
| 4:06 PM | Prince George's County MD | 1.25 |
| 7:00 PM | Platte County WY | 1.25 |
| 12:00 AM | Laramie County WY | 1.25 |
| 3:30 AM | Norman County MN | 1.00 |
| 3:50 AM | Dickinson County IA | 1.00 |
| 4:30 AM | Norman County MN | 1.00 |
| 5:48 AM | Becker County MN | 1.00 |
| 6:00 AM | Otter Tail County MN | 1.00 |
| 6:30 AM | Wadena County MN | 1.00 |
| 8:43 AM | Putnam County MO | 1.00 |
| 1:08 PM | Greene County OH | 1.00 |
| 1:20 PM | Pulaski County VA | 1.00 |
| 2:55 PM | Phelps County MO | 1.00 |
| 4:22 PM | Fairfax County VA | 1.00 |
| 5:26 PM | Bristol VA | 1.00 |
| 5:46 PM | Weld County CO | 1.00 |
| 6:00 PM | Currituck County NC | 1.00 |
| 6:15 PM | Gove County KS | 1.00 |
| 6:23 PM | Laramie County WY | 1.00 |
| 6:43 PM | Weld County CO | 1.00 |
| 6:47 PM | Converse County WY | 1.00 |
| 7:00 PM | Platte County WY | 1.00 |
| 7:45 PM | Adams County CO | 1.00 |
| 2:40 PM | Crawford County MO | 0.88 |
| 4:50 PM | Montgomery County MD | 0.88 |
| 5:12 PM | Stone County MO | 0.88 |
| 5:25 PM | Ford County KS | 0.88 |
| 6:03 PM | Gove County KS | 0.88 |
| 5:28 AM | Dallas County IA | 0.75 |
| 6:36 AM | Wadena County MN | 0.75 |
| 12:52 PM | Greene County OH | 0.75 |
| 1:10 PM | Greene County OH | 0.75 |
| 6:22 PM | Converse County WY | 0.75 |
| 11:34 PM | Scotts Bluff County NE | 0.75 |
- EF1 tornado5:21 AM CDT
- EF3 tornado5:55 AM CDT
- EF1 tornado6:21 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.