The severe wind outbreak of May 26, 2024
757 wind reportsKentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and 14 more states
757 damaging wind reports across 17 states between 1:02 AM and 12:58 AM the next day CDT, 96 of them 65 knots (75 mph) or stronger; the strongest measured gust was 87 mph in Fentress County, TN. 253 hail reports and 70 tornadoes the same day. The 7th-most wind reports of any day since 1955.
Watch the day unfoldSevere wind day · May 26, 2024
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
- 757
- 7th of 15,807 days with wind reports since 1955
- 75 mph or more
- 96
- 19 of 86 mph (75 knots) or more
- Strongest measured gust
- 87 mph
- 76 knots, Fentress County, TN
- Measured
- 21
- reports with an instrument reading; the rest are estimates from damage
- Killed by wind
- 5
- 4 injured
- Counties reporting
- 345
- in 17 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.
| 4:23 PM | Fayette County WV | 110 mph | Estimated |
| 5:57 AM | Sharp County AR | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 7:07 AM | Stoddard County MO | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 8:10 AM | McCracken County KY | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 8:13 AM | Graves County KY | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 9:15 PM | Hopkins County KY | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 11:03 PM | Barren County KY | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 11:15 PM | Barren County KY | 100 mph | Estimated |
| 1:45 AM | Benton County AR | 96 mph | Estimated |
| 1:40 AM | Tom Green County TX | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 1:58 AM | Benton County AR | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 2:09 AM | Benton County AR | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 8:16 AM | Graves County KY | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 12:00 PM | Scott County TN | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 6:57 PM | Carter County MO | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 7:55 PM | Williamson County IL | 90 mph | Estimated |
| 11:40 AM | Fentress County TN | 87 mph | Measured |
| 5:53 AM | Sharp County AR | 86 mph | Measured |
| 5:21 PM | St. Louis County MO | 86 mph | Estimated |
| 1:45 AM | Tom Green County TX | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 2:01 AM | Benton County AR | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 2:05 AM | Benton County AR | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 2:12 AM | Benton County AR | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 2:20 AM | Madison County AR | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 2:41 AM | Madison County AR | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 6:34 AM | Ripley County MO | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 10:15 AM | Grayson County KY | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 11:26 AM | Pickett County TN | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 8:55 PM | Gibson County IN | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 10:50 PM | Simpson County KY | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 11:36 PM | Mercer County KY | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 11:48 PM | Garrard County KY | 85 mph | Estimated |
| 6:04 PM | St. Clair County IL | 81 mph | Measured |
| 1:02 AM | Benton County AR | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 1:18 AM | Montgomery County KS | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 2:47 AM | Ottawa County OK | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 3:38 AM | Barry County MO | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 6:51 AM | Butler County MO | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 7:01 AM | Clinton County IL | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 7:48 AM | Ballard County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 7:56 AM | Carlisle County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:44 AM | Caldwell County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:48 AM | Stewart County TN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:54 AM | Stewart County TN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:55 AM | Trigg County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 9:00 AM | Trigg County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 11:16 AM | Jefferson County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 11:48 AM | Woodford County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 12:40 PM | Whitley County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 3:25 PM | Putnam County WV | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 5:45 PM | Jefferson County MO | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 7:11 PM | Madison County MO | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 7:55 PM | Franklin County IL | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:10 PM | Williamson County IL | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 8:27 PM | Gallatin County IL | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 9:24 PM | Martin County IN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 9:38 PM | Muhlenberg County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 9:46 PM | Lawrence County IN | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 9:49 PM | Muhlenberg County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 10:10 PM | Meade County KY | 81 mph | Estimated |
| 7:55 AM | Fulton County KY | 75 mph | Measured |
| 3:31 AM | Barry County MO | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 5:45 AM | Reynolds County MO | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:13 AM | Stoddard County MO | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:30 AM | New Madrid County MO | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:52 AM | Carlisle County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:12 AM | Fulton County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:15 AM | Graves County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:20 AM | Graves County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:36 AM | Calloway County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 9:03 AM | Hopkins County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 9:34 AM | Daviess County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 9:57 AM | Sumner County TN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 11:13 AM | Jefferson County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 11:14 AM | Jefferson County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 11:15 AM | Jefferson County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 11:15 AM | Jefferson County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 11:44 AM | Fentress County TN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 4:37 PM | Benton County AR | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 5:10 PM | Franklin County MO | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:01 PM | Monroe County IL | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:04 PM | Rockbridge County VA | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:05 PM | St. Louis MO | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 6:37 PM | Clinton County IL | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:18 PM | Ste. Genevieve County MO | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:30 PM | Bollinger County MO | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 7:41 PM | Wayne County MO | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:02 PM | Cape Girardeau County MO | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:12 PM | Hamilton County IL | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:15 PM | Hamilton County IL | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:25 PM | Gallatin County IL | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:47 PM | Gibson County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:59 PM | Gibson County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 9:00 PM | Pike County IN | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 9:00 PM | Hopkins County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 9:20 PM | Daviess County KY | 75 mph | Estimated |
| 8:00 AM | Hickman County KY | 70 mph | Measured |
| 1:10 AM | Osage County OK | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:00 AM | Carroll County AR | 70 mph | Estimated |
| 4:26 AM | Baxter County AR | 70 mph | Estimated |
By state
| Kentucky | 232 | 75 mph |
| West Virginia | 119 | 61 mph |
| Virginia | 82 | 59 mph |
| Ohio | 62 | — |
| Tennessee | 52 | 87 mph |
| Missouri | 45 | 60 mph |
| North Carolina | 42 | — |
| Illinois | 37 | 81 mph |
| Arkansas | 33 | 86 mph |
| Indiana | 21 | — |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | — |
| Maryland | 6 | — |
| South Carolina | 3 | — |
| Michigan | 3 | — |
| Oklahoma | 2 | — |
| Texas | 2 | — |
| Kansas | 1 | — |
| South Dakota | 0 | — |
| Georgia | 0 | — |
| Iowa | 0 | — |
Counties with the most wind reports
- Bell CountyKY · 19 reports
- Lewis CountyWV · 14 reports
- Upshur CountyWV · 13 reports
- Randolph CountyNC · 12 reports
- Pike CountyKY · 12 reports
- Jefferson CountyKY · 11 reports
- Benton CountyAR · 10 reports
- Barry CountyMO · 10 reports
- Clay CountyIL · 9 reports
- Raleigh CountyWV · 8 reports
Hail and tornadoes that day
253 hail reports, 47 of 2 inches or more; 70 tornadoes.
| 4:15 PM | Webster County MO | 4.00 |
| 3:05 PM | Williamson County TN | 3.00 |
| 3:51 PM | Greene County MO | 3.00 |
| 4:12 PM | Webster County MO | 3.00 |
| 4:15 PM | Webster County MO | 3.00 |
| 10:33 PM | Macon County MO | 3.00 |
| 4:22 AM | Laclede County MO | 2.75 |
| 3:22 PM | Henry County MO | 2.75 |
| 4:16 PM | Webster County MO | 2.75 |
| 4:22 PM | Laclede County MO | 2.75 |
| 5:03 PM | St. Charles County MO | 2.75 |
| 5:03 PM | St. Charles County MO | 2.75 |
| 5:10 PM | Wright County MO | 2.75 |
| 1:32 AM | Montgomery County KS | 2.50 |
| 1:58 AM | Benton County AR | 2.50 |
| 3:54 AM | Barry County MO | 2.50 |
| 4:19 AM | Boone County AR | 2.50 |
| 3:45 PM | Benton County MO | 2.50 |
| 4:02 PM | Morgan County MO | 2.50 |
| 4:40 PM | St. Clair County MO | 2.50 |
| 5:00 PM | St. Charles County MO | 2.50 |
| 5:30 PM | St. Louis County MO | 2.50 |
| 8:24 PM | Caldwell County KY | 2.50 |
| 4:36 PM | Henrico County VA | 2.40 |
| 4:15 AM | Taney County MO | 2.25 |
| 2:38 PM | Hickman County TN | 2.25 |
| 3:02 PM | Williamson County TN | 2.25 |
| 4:05 PM | Gasconade County MO | 2.25 |
| 2:02 AM | Benton County AR | 2.00 |
| 2:02 AM | Benton County AR | 2.00 |
| 2:54 AM | Ottawa County OK | 2.00 |
| 2:58 AM | Newton County MO | 2.00 |
| 2:46 PM | Williamson County TN | 2.00 |
| 3:06 PM | Nowata County OK | 2.00 |
| 3:27 PM | Smyth County VA | 2.00 |
| 3:28 PM | Williamson County TN | 2.00 |
| 3:33 PM | Henry County MO | 2.00 |
| 4:25 PM | Camden County MO | 2.00 |
| 4:30 PM | Franklin County MO | 2.00 |
| 4:59 PM | St. Charles County MO | 2.00 |
| 5:18 PM | Macoupin County IL | 2.00 |
| 6:04 PM | St. Louis MO | 2.00 |
| 6:12 PM | Iron County MO | 2.00 |
| 7:02 PM | Williamson County IL | 2.00 |
| 7:09 PM | Lawrence County MO | 2.00 |
| 9:11 PM | Mercer County MO | 2.00 |
| 9:51 PM | Sullivan County MO | 2.00 |
| 1:10 AM | Montgomery County KS | 1.75 |
| 1:14 AM | Osage County OK | 1.75 |
| 1:19 AM | Montgomery County KS | 1.75 |
The tornado outbreak of May 26, 2024: 70 tornadoes, each with its touchdown time and path.
2024 · 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.