The severe wind outbreak of August 12, 2023

446 wind reportsPennsylvania, New York, Tennessee and 20 more states

446 damaging wind reports across 23 states between 1:12 AM and 12:58 AM the next day CDT, 27 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 70 mph in Baca County, CO. 77 hail reports and 16 tornadoes the same day.

Watch the day unfold

Severe wind day · August 12, 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.

About this replay

Central time—Historical replay — logged report times

Wind reports—of 446 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: 446; 58th of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
75 mph or more: 27; 6 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
Strongest measured gust: 70 mph; 61 knots, Baca County, CO
Measured: 14; reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
Killed by wind: 0; 0 injured
Counties reporting: 202; 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.

Strongest wind reports, August 12, 2023

4:02 PM	Carroll County OH	90 mph	78	Estimated
4:04 PM	Carroll County OH	90 mph	78	Estimated
4:07 PM	Carroll County OH	90 mph	78	Estimated
5:00 PM	Bradford County PA	90 mph	78	Estimated
4:03 PM	Carroll County OH	86 mph	75	Estimated
4:12 PM	Carroll County OH	86 mph	75	Estimated
4:55 PM	Cimarron County OK	85 mph	74	Estimated
4:55 PM	Cimarron County OK	85 mph	74	Estimated
1:48 AM	Childress County TX	81 mph	70	Estimated
12:35 PM	Erie County OH	81 mph	70	Estimated
4:50 PM	Cimarron County OK	81 mph	70	Estimated
5:50 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	81 mph	70	Estimated
5:57 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	79 mph	69	Estimated
6:04 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	79 mph	69	Estimated
6:05 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	79 mph	69	Estimated
6:03 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	78 mph	68	Estimated
6:09 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	78 mph	68	Estimated
6:10 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	78 mph	68	Estimated
6:05 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	76 mph	66	Estimated
7:06 PM	Belmont County OH	76 mph	66	Estimated
7:10 PM	Belmont County OH	76 mph	66	Estimated
3:13 AM	Monroe County MO	75 mph	65	Estimated
12:34 PM	Erie County OH	75 mph	65	Estimated
4:24 PM	Harrison County OH	75 mph	65	Estimated
4:43 PM	Dallam County TX	75 mph	65	Estimated
6:33 PM	Washita County OK	75 mph	65	Estimated
7:01 PM	Belmont County OH	75 mph	65	Estimated
5:20 PM	Baca County CO	70 mph	61	Measured
1:12 AM	Marion County MO	70 mph	61	Estimated
4:07 PM	Harper County KS	70 mph	61	Estimated
4:45 PM	Custer County SD	70 mph	61	Estimated
6:40 PM	Comanche County OK	70 mph	61	Estimated
7:40 PM	Washington County PA	70 mph	61	Estimated
7:45 PM	Cambria County PA	70 mph	61	Estimated
7:55 PM	Cambria County PA	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:03 PM	Washington County PA	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:05 PM	Cambria County PA	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:08 PM	Cambria County PA	70 mph	61	Estimated
8:28 PM	Fayette County PA	70 mph	61	Estimated
1:51 AM	Pike County MO	69 mph	60	Estimated
12:35 PM	Erie County OH	69 mph	60	Estimated
12:41 PM	Erie County OH	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:15 PM	Union County NM	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:30 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:42 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	69 mph	60	Estimated
3:45 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	69 mph	60	Estimated
6:58 PM	Washington County PA	69 mph	60	Estimated
7:11 PM	Noble County OH	69 mph	60	Estimated
7:35 PM	Washington County PA	69 mph	60	Estimated
7:51 PM	Fairfield County CT	69 mph	60	Estimated
8:00 PM	Washington County PA	69 mph	60	Estimated
8:10 PM	Greene County PA	69 mph	60	Estimated
8:16 PM	Greene County PA	69 mph	60	Estimated
4:15 PM	Harper County KS	68 mph	59	Measured
7:52 PM	Greene County PA	68 mph	59	Estimated
8:26 PM	Greene County PA	68 mph	59	Estimated
8:32 PM	Greene County PA	68 mph	59	Estimated
3:55 PM	Clayton County GA	67 mph	58	Measured
3:55 PM	Jackson County OK	67 mph	58	Measured
5:52 PM	Washington County PA	67 mph	58	Estimated
1:55 AM	Pike County IL	64 mph	56	Estimated
2:40 AM	Pike County MO	64 mph	56	Estimated
3:31 AM	Audrain County MO	64 mph	56	Estimated
4:02 AM	Lincoln County MO	64 mph	56	Estimated
8:50 AM	New Madrid County MO	64 mph	56	Estimated
9:00 AM	Fulton County KY	64 mph	56	Estimated
9:06 AM	Hickman County KY	64 mph	56	Estimated
9:08 AM	Fulton County KY	64 mph	56	Estimated
9:15 AM	Graves County KY	64 mph	56	Estimated
3:23 PM	Jefferson County PA	64 mph	56	Estimated
3:55 PM	Fulton County GA	64 mph	56	Estimated
3:55 PM	Fulton County GA	64 mph	56	Estimated
4:05 PM	DeKalb County GA	64 mph	56	Estimated
4:35 PM	Polk County GA	64 mph	56	Estimated
5:00 PM	Walton County GA	64 mph	56	Estimated
5:39 PM	Washington County PA	64 mph	56	Estimated
6:00 PM	Westmoreland County PA	64 mph	56	Estimated
8:28 PM	Fayette County PA	64 mph	56	Estimated
8:28 PM	Fayette County PA	64 mph	56	Estimated
8:30 PM	Fayette County PA	64 mph	56	Estimated
11:52 AM	Cuyahoga County OH	63 mph	55	Estimated
12:29 PM	Erie County OH	63 mph	55	Estimated
12:39 PM	Huron County OH	63 mph	55	Estimated
12:57 PM	Crawford County OH	63 mph	55	Estimated
1:27 PM	Richland County OH	63 mph	55	Estimated
1:51 PM	Ashland County OH	63 mph	55	Estimated
2:03 PM	Crawford County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:24 PM	Portage County OH	63 mph	55	Estimated
3:52 PM	Mahoning County OH	63 mph	55	Estimated
4:02 PM	Mahoning County OH	63 mph	55	Estimated
4:57 PM	Houston County AL	63 mph	55	Estimated
5:15 PM	Allegheny County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
5:16 PM	Allegheny County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
5:42 PM	Allegheny County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
5:56 PM	Westmoreland County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
5:59 PM	Armstrong County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
6:01 PM	Westmoreland County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
7:15 PM	Orange County NY	63 mph	55	Estimated
7:32 PM	Allegheny County PA	63 mph	55	Estimated
7:55 PM	Fairfield County CT	63 mph	55	Estimated

By state

Severe weather reports by state, August 12, 2023

Pennsylvania	89	—	24	3.00
New York	66	58 mph	6	1.50
Tennessee	66	60 mph	1	1.00
Georgia	53	67 mph	0	—
Ohio	39	—	12	1.75
Alabama	22	—	0	—
West Virginia	21	—	1	1.75
North Carolina	17	—	2	1.75
Missouri	14	61 mph	1	0.75
New Jersey	11	—	0	—
Connecticut	9	—	0	—
Oklahoma	8	67 mph	2	1.25
Kentucky	7	—	0	—
South Carolina	6	—	0	—
Kansas	5	68 mph	0	—
Texas	3	58 mph	1	0.88
South Dakota	2	61 mph	23	2.00
New Mexico	2	—	0	—
Vermont	2	—	0	—
Indiana	1	—	1	1.00
Colorado	1	70 mph	0	—
Florida	1	—	0	—
Illinois	1	—	0	—
Wyoming	0	—	3	1.75

Counties with the most wind reports

Montgomery CountyPA · 13 reports
Paulding CountyGA · 11 reports
Tuscarawas CountyOH · 11 reports
Berks CountyPA · 9 reports
Oneida CountyNY · 9 reports
Fulton CountyGA · 9 reports
Fayette CountyPA · 9 reports
Oswego CountyNY · 8 reports
Ulster CountyNY · 8 reports
Cambria CountyPA · 7 reports

Hail and tornadoes that day

77 hail reports, 8 of 2 inches or more; 16 tornadoes.

Largest hail, August 12, 2023

7:14 PM	Washington County PA	3.00
7:08 PM	Washington County PA	2.50
4:00 PM	Pennington County SD	2.00
5:05 PM	Custer County SD	2.00
7:08 PM	Washington County PA	2.00
7:12 PM	Washington County PA	2.00
8:10 PM	Oglala Lakota County SD	2.00
8:18 PM	Oglala Lakota County SD	2.00
12:34 PM	Erie County OH	1.75
12:35 PM	Erie County OH	1.75
3:19 PM	Portage County OH	1.75
3:34 PM	Mahoning County OH	1.75
3:50 PM	Henderson County NC	1.75
3:58 PM	Carroll County OH	1.75
4:10 PM	Pennington County SD	1.75
5:05 PM	Custer County SD	1.75
6:35 PM	Crook County WY	1.75
6:41 PM	Brooke County WV	1.75
7:18 PM	Washington County PA	1.75
11:30 PM	Oglala Lakota County SD	1.75
3:20 PM	Pennington County SD	1.50
3:28 PM	Portage County OH	1.50
5:50 PM	Custer County SD	1.50
6:10 PM	Oneida County NY	1.50
6:25 PM	Crook County WY	1.50
6:45 PM	Custer County SD	1.50
6:55 PM	Custer County SD	1.50
2:55 PM	Lawrence County SD	1.25
3:31 PM	Mahoning County OH	1.25
4:05 PM	Carroll County OH	1.25
4:14 PM	Comanche County OK	1.25
5:45 PM	Westmoreland County PA	1.25
5:48 PM	Westmoreland County PA	1.25
6:51 PM	Custer County SD	1.25
7:00 PM	Washington County PA	1.25
7:15 PM	Washington County PA	1.25
8:17 AM	Bartholomew County IN	1.00
1:23 PM	Richland County OH	1.00
1:51 PM	Ashland County OH	1.00
2:02 PM	Knox County TN	1.00
2:24 PM	Tompkins County NY	1.00
2:46 PM	Venango County PA	1.00
2:48 PM	Venango County PA	1.00
2:50 PM	Columbia County PA	1.00
3:01 PM	Venango County PA	1.00
3:20 PM	Pennington County SD	1.00
3:28 PM	Tuscarawas County OH	1.00
4:12 PM	Comanche County OK	1.00
4:17 PM	Pennington County SD	1.00
4:50 PM	Jefferson County OH	1.00

EF0 tornado3:34 AM CDT
EF1 tornado8:56 AM CDT
EF1 tornado9:13 AM CDT
EF1 tornado11:46 AM CDT
EF0 tornado11:47 AM CDT
EF1 tornado12:13 PM CDT
EF0 tornado12:24 PM CDT
EF0 tornado2:20 PM CDT
EF1 tornado3:32 PM CDT
EF0 tornado5:05 PM CDT
EF1 tornado6:33 PM CDT
EF1 tornado7:08 PM CDT
EF1 tornado7:13 PM CDT
EF1 tornado7:49 PM CDT
EF0 tornado7:55 PM CDT
EF0 tornado8:00 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.