The severe wind outbreak of May 26, 2021

403 wind reportsPennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and 17 more states

403 damaging wind reports across 20 states between 11:00 AM and 12:55 AM the next day CDT, 11 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 85 mph in Lamb County, TX. 163 hail reports and 21 tornadoes the same day.

Watch the day unfold

Severe wind day · May 26, 2021

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 403 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: 403; 78th of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
75 mph or more: 11; 1 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
Strongest measured gust: 85 mph; 74 knots, Lamb County, TX
Measured: 36; reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
Killed by wind: 0; 4 injured
Counties reporting: 154; in 20 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, May 26, 2021

10:11 PM	Hale County TX	90 mph	78	Estimated
9:37 PM	Lamb County TX	85 mph	74	Measured
8:10 PM	Prince William County VA	83 mph	72	Measured
4:38 PM	Prince George's County MD	81 mph	70	Estimated
8:53 PM	Graham County KS	81 mph	70	Estimated
7:05 PM	Hansford County TX	77 mph	67	Measured
2:02 PM	Jefferson County WV	75 mph	65	Estimated
2:28 PM	Frederick County VA	75 mph	65	Estimated
6:31 PM	Loudoun County VA	75 mph	65	Estimated
7:06 PM	Fairfax County VA	75 mph	65	Estimated
12:54 AM	Jewell County KS	75 mph	65	Estimated
10:15 PM	Hockley County TX	71 mph	62	Measured
4:04 PM	Russell County KS	70 mph	61	Estimated
5:35 PM	Union County NJ	70 mph	61	Estimated
9:04 PM	Adams County NE	70 mph	61	Estimated
12:50 AM	Butler County KS	70 mph	61	Estimated
9:55 PM	Lamb County TX	69 mph	60	Measured
12:24 AM	Sedgwick County KS	69 mph	60	Measured
3:32 PM	Manassas VA	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:33 PM	Washington County VT	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:55 PM	Lehigh County PA	69 mph	60	Estimated
4:10 PM	Alexandria VA	69 mph	60	Estimated
5:20 PM	Harford County MD	69 mph	60	Estimated
6:45 PM	Carroll County MD	69 mph	60	Estimated
6:55 PM	Carroll County MD	69 mph	60	Estimated
7:20 PM	District of Columbia County DC	69 mph	60	Estimated
7:30 PM	Lamb County TX	68 mph	59	Measured
5:59 PM	Mitchell County KS	66 mph	57	Measured
9:05 PM	Woodward County OK	66 mph	57	Measured
10:00 PM	Woods County OK	66 mph	57	Measured
6:45 PM	Chaves County NM	64 mph	56	Measured
8:57 PM	Kearney County NE	64 mph	56	Measured
4:25 PM	Russell County KS	64 mph	56	Estimated
6:35 PM	Ellsworth County KS	64 mph	56	Estimated
7:02 PM	Saline County KS	64 mph	56	Estimated
7:33 PM	Saline County KS	64 mph	56	Estimated
12:08 AM	Marion County KS	64 mph	56	Estimated
12:20 AM	Marion County KS	64 mph	56	Estimated
12:31 AM	Butler County KS	64 mph	56	Estimated
6:52 PM	Cheyenne County NE	63 mph	55	Measured
10:56 PM	Barber County KS	63 mph	55	Measured
12:23 PM	Summit County OH	63 mph	55	Estimated
12:33 PM	Portage County OH	63 mph	55	Estimated
2:10 PM	Winchester VA	63 mph	55	Estimated
2:50 PM	Addison County VT	63 mph	55	Estimated
2:55 PM	Addison County VT	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:12 PM	Washington County VT	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:16 PM	Campbell County VA	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:20 PM	Prince William County VA	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:22 PM	Prince William County VA	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:27 PM	Washington County VT	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:28 PM	Washington County VT	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:35 PM	Berks County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:38 PM	Washington County VT	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:39 PM	Berks County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:48 PM	Berks County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:50 PM	Caledonia County VT	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:51 PM	Caledonia County VT	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:58 PM	Lehigh County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
4:00 PM	Caledonia County VT	63 mph	55	Estimated
4:05 PM	Montgomery County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
4:07 PM	Bucks County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
4:14 PM	Arlington County VA	63 mph	55	Estimated
4:35 PM	Prince George's County MD	63 mph	55	Estimated
5:12 PM	Prince George's County MD	63 mph	55	Estimated
5:14 PM	Morris County NJ	63 mph	55	Estimated
5:28 PM	Frederick County VA	63 mph	55	Estimated
5:53 PM	Jefferson County WV	63 mph	55	Estimated
6:06 PM	Loudoun County VA	63 mph	55	Estimated
7:10 PM	Baltimore County MD	63 mph	55	Estimated
7:15 PM	Montgomery County MD	63 mph	55	Estimated
7:22 PM	Montgomery County MD	63 mph	55	Estimated
7:23 PM	District of Columbia County DC	63 mph	55	Estimated
8:11 PM	Beaver County OK	62 mph	54	Measured
10:55 PM	Hale County TX	62 mph	54	Measured
11:40 PM	Sedgwick County KS	62 mph	54	Measured
8:09 PM	Fairfax County VA	61 mph	53	Measured
5:23 PM	Belknap County NH	60 mph	52	Measured
6:06 PM	Bergen County NJ	60 mph	52	Measured
6:43 PM	Dawes County NE	60 mph	52	Measured
6:56 PM	Potter County TX	60 mph	52	Measured
6:56 PM	Saline County KS	60 mph	52	Measured
7:10 PM	Roosevelt County NM	60 mph	52	Measured
9:55 PM	Woods County OK	60 mph	52	Measured
12:03 AM	Sedgwick County KS	60 mph	52	Measured
1:12 PM	Centre County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
1:30 PM	Perry County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
1:33 PM	Lycoming County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
1:35 PM	Mifflin County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
1:35 PM	Juniata County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
1:47 PM	Perry County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
1:49 PM	Dauphin County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
2:16 PM	Perry County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
2:20 PM	Dauphin County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
2:35 PM	Schuylkill County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
2:47 PM	Adams County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
2:50 PM	Adams County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
2:55 PM	Lebanon County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated
4:06 PM	Russell County KS	60 mph	52	Estimated
4:20 PM	Cumberland County PA	60 mph	52	Estimated

By state

Severe weather reports by state, May 26, 2021

Pennsylvania	108	58 mph	8	1.00
New York	67	—	1	0.75
New Jersey	49	60 mph	0	—
Kansas	28	69 mph	94	4.00
Virginia	26	83 mph	3	1.00
Maryland	22	—	1	1.75
Vermont	19	—	0	—
New Hampshire	18	60 mph	0	—
Connecticut	12	—	0	—
Nebraska	10	64 mph	36	2.75
Texas	9	85 mph	14	3.00
Massachusetts	8	—	0	—
Oklahoma	6	66 mph	2	1.25
Maine	6	—	0	—
West Virginia	5	—	0	—
New Mexico	3	64 mph	0	—
Wyoming	2	58 mph	3	1.75
District of Columbia	2	—	0	—
Ohio	2	—	0	—
Missouri	1	—	0	—
Colorado	0	—	1	1.00

Counties with the most wind reports

Berks CountyPA · 26 reports
Montgomery CountyPA · 10 reports
Litchfield CountyCT · 9 reports
Dutchess CountyNY · 9 reports
Morris CountyNJ · 8 reports
Westmoreland CountyPA · 8 reports
Chester CountyPA · 8 reports
Lewis CountyNY · 8 reports
Lehigh CountyPA · 7 reports
Sedgwick CountyKS · 7 reports

Hail and tornadoes that day

163 hail reports, 27 of 2 inches or more; 21 tornadoes.

Largest hail, May 26, 2021

2:30 PM	Ellis County KS	4.00
2:30 PM	Ellis County KS	3.00
6:28 PM	Hansford County TX	3.00
2:08 PM	Ellis County KS	2.75
5:58 PM	Hayes County NE	2.75
6:15 PM	Cheyenne County NE	2.75
6:30 PM	Cheyenne County NE	2.75
6:33 PM	Hansford County TX	2.75
8:17 PM	Hitchcock County NE	2.75
8:50 PM	McPherson County KS	2.75
10:18 AM	Sherman County KS	2.50
11:10 AM	Thomas County KS	2.50
4:35 PM	Russell County KS	2.50
5:08 PM	Dundy County NE	2.50
6:30 PM	Cheyenne County NE	2.50
6:49 PM	Carson County TX	2.50
7:39 PM	Carson County TX	2.50
8:20 PM	Ochiltree County TX	2.50
1:40 PM	Ellis County KS	2.25
7:57 PM	Rawlins County KS	2.25
6:28 PM	Box Butte County NE	2.14
2:13 PM	Ellis County KS	2.00
3:23 PM	Ellis County KS	2.00
6:40 PM	Carson County TX	2.00
7:05 PM	Rice County KS	2.00
7:23 PM	Rice County KS	2.00
7:57 PM	Rawlins County KS	2.00
1:37 PM	Ellis County KS	1.75
2:13 PM	Ellis County KS	1.75
2:41 PM	Ellis County KS	1.75
2:56 PM	Ellis County KS	1.75
4:42 PM	Howard County MD	1.75
4:45 PM	Russell County KS	1.75
5:16 PM	Weston County WY	1.75
5:40 PM	Rawlins County KS	1.75
6:00 PM	Red Willow County NE	1.75
6:12 PM	Decatur County KS	1.75
6:54 PM	Rice County KS	1.75
6:56 PM	Rice County KS	1.75
6:57 PM	Rice County KS	1.75
6:58 PM	Sheridan County KS	1.75
7:52 PM	Rawlins County KS	1.75
7:55 PM	Rawlins County KS	1.75
7:58 PM	Rawlins County KS	1.75
8:05 PM	Decatur County KS	1.75
8:21 PM	Norton County KS	1.75
8:36 PM	Norton County KS	1.75
8:40 PM	Hale County TX	1.75
8:43 PM	McPherson County KS	1.75
8:47 PM	McPherson County KS	1.75

EFU tornado2:57 PM CDT
EF0 tornado3:22 PM CDT
EFU tornado4:20 PM CDT
EF0 tornado4:25 PM CDT
EF2 tornado4:39 PM CDT
EFU tornado4:49 PM CDT
EFU tornado4:54 PM CDT
EFU tornado5:01 PM CDT
EFU tornado5:10 PM CDT
EFU tornado5:19 PM CDT
EFU tornado5:23 PM CDT
EF1 tornado5:29 PM CDT
EFU tornado5:43 PM CDT
EFU tornado5:45 PM CDT
EFU tornado5:56 PM CDT
EFU tornado6:14 PM CDT
EFU tornado6:41 PM CDT
EF0 tornado6:49 PM CDT
EFU tornado7:34 PM CDT
EF0 tornado8:14 PM CDT
EFU tornado9:32 PM CDT

2021 · 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.