The severe wind outbreak of July 20, 2023
484 wind reportsGeorgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and 16 more states
484 damaging wind reports across 19 states between 8:30 AM and 12:55 AM the next day CDT, 48 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 71 mph in Cassia County, ID. 133 hail reports and 3 tornadoes the same day.
Watch the day unfoldSevere wind day · July 20, 2023
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
- 484
- 38th of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
- 75 mph or more
- 48
- 10 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
- Strongest measured gust
- 71 mph
- 62 knots, Cassia County, ID
- Measured
- 34
- reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
- Killed by wind
- 1
- 1 injured
- Counties reporting
- 197
- 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.
| 2:41 PM | Wallace County KS | 115 mph | Estimated |
| 9:20 PM | Wichita County KS | 105 mph | Estimated |
| 2:36 PM | Wallace County KS | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 2:54 PM | Logan County KS | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 3:22 PM | Wichita County KS | 96 mph | Estimated |
| 4:40 PM | Forsyth County GA | 96 mph | Estimated |
| 2:41 PM | Wallace County KS | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 3:17 PM | Wichita County KS | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 4:30 PM | Cherokee County GA | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 12:34 AM | Beaver County OK | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 2:41 PM | Wallace County KS | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 3:28 PM | Wichita County KS | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 6:48 PM | Lincoln County GA | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 12:55 PM | Sumner County TN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 1:00 PM | Sumner County TN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 1:01 PM | Sumner County TN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 1:01 PM | Wilson County TN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 1:10 PM | Wilson County TN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 1:10 PM | Wilson County TN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 1:12 PM | Wilson County TN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 1:12 PM | Wilson County TN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 4:20 PM | Pickens County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 4:40 PM | Forsyth County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 4:47 PM | Allen County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:13 PM | Chautauqua County NY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:25 PM | Warren County PA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:25 PM | Warren County PA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:35 PM | Warren County PA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:38 PM | Lincoln County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:45 PM | McDuffie County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:52 PM | McCormick County SC | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:59 PM | Warren County PA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:00 PM | Columbia County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:01 PM | Columbia County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:04 PM | McCormick County SC | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:06 PM | Columbia County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:10 PM | McCormick County SC | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:10 PM | Columbia County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:11 PM | Columbia County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:20 PM | Edgefield County SC | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:21 PM | Columbia County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:21 PM | Columbia County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:22 PM | Columbia County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:25 PM | Richmond County GA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:25 PM | Aiken County SC | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:07 PM | Barnwell County SC | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:18 PM | Barnwell County SC | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:39 PM | Orangeburg County SC | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 4:47 PM | Cassia County ID | 71 mph | Measured |
| 8:25 PM | Clinton County OH | 71 mph | Measured |
| 12:45 AM | Ford County KS | 71 mph | Measured |
| 6:26 PM | Ford County KS | 70 mph | Measured |
| 12:25 AM | Seward County KS | 70 mph | Measured |
| 12:40 PM | Robertson County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 12:45 PM | Robertson County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 12:51 PM | Davidson County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 12:54 PM | Robertson County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:20 PM | Davidson County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:25 PM | Davidson County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:30 PM | Rutherford County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:38 PM | Rutherford County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:42 PM | Cannon County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:48 PM | Cannon County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:52 PM | Cannon County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:53 PM | Cannon County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:57 PM | Cannon County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 1:58 PM | DeKalb County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:05 PM | White County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:21 PM | Warren County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:38 PM | Warren County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:43 PM | Bedford County TN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 2:46 PM | Elkhart County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 3:33 PM | Noble County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:07 PM | Williams County OH | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:10 PM | Pickens County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:15 PM | Pickens County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:25 PM | Cherokee County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:32 PM | Dawson County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:37 PM | Allen County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:44 PM | Forsyth County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:47 PM | Allen County IN | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:50 PM | Dawson County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:03 PM | Denver County CO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:05 PM | Denver County CO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:05 PM | Hall County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:24 PM | Van Wert County OH | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:40 PM | Clarke County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:45 PM | Van Wert County OH | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:50 PM | Clarke County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:50 PM | Clarke County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:50 PM | Clarke County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:00 PM | Clarke County GA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | Ford County KS | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:29 PM | Warren County PA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 6:40 PM | Warren County PA | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:18 PM | Bent County CO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 7:45 PM | Lincoln County CO | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 10:12 PM | Greeley County KS | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 5:54 PM | Clarke County GA | 69 mph | Measured |
| 10:26 AM | McCracken County KY | 69 mph | Estimated |
By state
| Georgia | 136 | 69 mph |
| Pennsylvania | 72 | — |
| Ohio | 60 | 71 mph |
| New York | 52 | — |
| Tennessee | 41 | — |
| Kansas | 27 | 71 mph |
| South Carolina | 25 | 54 mph |
| Michigan | 22 | 62 mph |
| Indiana | 14 | — |
| Colorado | 6 | 60 mph |
| Idaho | 5 | 71 mph |
| Illinois | 4 | — |
| Kentucky | 4 | — |
| Missouri | 4 | — |
| West Virginia | 4 | — |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 62 mph |
| Alabama | 2 | — |
| Maryland | 2 | — |
| Arizona | 1 | 66 mph |
Counties with the most wind reports
- Cattaraugus CountyNY · 15 reports
- Chautauqua CountyNY · 13 reports
- Bartow CountyGA · 12 reports
- Columbia CountyGA · 10 reports
- Paulding CountyGA · 9 reports
- Erie CountyNY · 9 reports
- Allen CountyIN · 8 reports
- Clarke CountyGA · 8 reports
- Forsyth CountyGA · 8 reports
- Warren CountyPA · 7 reports
Hail and tornadoes that day
133 hail reports, 19 of 2 inches or more; 3 tornadoes.
| 1:50 PM | Genesee County MI | 2.75 |
| 1:37 PM | Genesee County MI | 2.50 |
| 2:00 PM | Genesee County MI | 2.50 |
| 2:30 PM | St. Joseph County IN | 2.50 |
| 2:46 PM | Wallace County KS | 2.50 |
| 3:05 PM | Wichita County KS | 2.50 |
| 3:28 PM | El Paso County CO | 2.50 |
| 3:43 PM | Scott County KS | 2.50 |
| 4:48 PM | Finney County KS | 2.50 |
| 5:56 PM | Warren County PA | 2.50 |
| 2:18 PM | St. Joseph County IN | 2.00 |
| 2:30 PM | Elkhart County IN | 2.00 |
| 2:45 PM | Wallace County KS | 2.00 |
| 2:50 PM | Wallace County KS | 2.00 |
| 3:04 PM | Washtenaw County MI | 2.00 |
| 4:45 PM | El Paso County CO | 2.00 |
| 5:23 PM | Lincoln County CO | 2.00 |
| 5:29 PM | Erie County PA | 2.00 |
| 6:03 PM | Cuyahoga County OH | 2.00 |
| 1:47 PM | Genesee County MI | 1.75 |
| 2:42 PM | St. Clair County MI | 1.75 |
| 3:05 PM | Macomb County MI | 1.75 |
| 3:15 PM | Elbert County CO | 1.75 |
| 3:24 PM | El Paso County CO | 1.75 |
| 3:29 PM | Wichita County KS | 1.75 |
| 3:45 PM | Scott County KS | 1.75 |
| 3:50 PM | Elbert County CO | 1.75 |
| 4:24 PM | Elbert County CO | 1.75 |
| 4:43 PM | Elbert County CO | 1.75 |
| 5:42 PM | Otero County CO | 1.75 |
| 6:11 PM | Warren County PA | 1.75 |
| 6:18 PM | Cuyahoga County OH | 1.75 |
| 8:00 PM | DeKalb County AL | 1.75 |
| 1:57 PM | Lapeer County MI | 1.50 |
| 2:04 PM | St. Joseph County IN | 1.50 |
| 2:10 PM | Wayne County MI | 1.50 |
| 2:10 PM | St. Joseph County IN | 1.50 |
| 2:14 PM | St. Joseph County IN | 1.50 |
| 2:20 PM | St. Joseph County IN | 1.50 |
| 2:30 PM | Elkhart County IN | 1.50 |
| 2:40 PM | Macomb County MI | 1.50 |
| 2:48 PM | Elkhart County IN | 1.50 |
| 3:13 PM | Washtenaw County MI | 1.50 |
| 3:16 PM | Elbert County CO | 1.50 |
| 3:19 PM | El Paso County CO | 1.50 |
| 3:38 PM | El Paso County CO | 1.50 |
| 3:45 PM | El Paso County CO | 1.50 |
| 4:31 PM | Erie County PA | 1.50 |
| 5:37 PM | Fremont County CO | 1.50 |
| 5:46 PM | Hardin County OH | 1.50 |
- EF1 tornado3:00 PM CDT
- EF0 tornado4:13 PM CDT
- EF1 tornado4:23 PM CDT
2023 · 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.