Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG. Every one the National Weather Service has filed, by year and by state, with the deadliest and costliest.
The deadliest and costliest on the map
The deadliest and costliest thunderstorm wind episodes on record.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 575,569
- Deaths
- 1,292
- Injuries
- 12,277
- Damage
- $17 billion
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Every year
From 1996 the record holds 48 kinds of event with each office’s narrative; before that, tornadoes, hail and thunderstorm wind only, and before 1955 tornadoes alone.
Deaths each year
The deadliest
Deaths from this kind of event within each episode.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, July 19, 2018Severe storms impacted the region during the afternoon and evening of July 19, 2018.
- Damaging Winds in Alabama, July 7, 1984
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 17, 1986
- Damaging Wind in Georgia, October 5, 1995Hurricane Opal, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico, began threatening the Florida panhandle and Alabama on Tuesday October 3.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Texas, May 16, 2024On the evening of May 16, a derecho moved into SE TX. This resulted in extensive wind damage across much of the Greater Houston area, including much of Downtown Houston. Maximum wind gusts were estimated to have reached over 100 mph.
- Damaging Wind and High Wind in California, June 19 to 21, 2025A strong upper level low pressure impacted the area from June 19th through the 21st which brought significant winds for late June. This was combined with very low humidity which lead to several days of fire weather concerns.
- Flood and Hail in Indiana, August 13, 2011Thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front during the afternoon and evening of August 13. As these storms moved across central Indiana, they brought damaging winds and large hail to the area.
- Damaging Winds in Alabama, August 16, 1986
- Damaging Wind in Arizona, June 26, 1990
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, July 15, 1995A complex of severe thunderstorms raced across the area before sunrise on the 15th. Thunderstorm winds caused widespread damage, downing trees and wires. In North Syracuse, Onondaga County, a parked Boeing 727 at Syracuse Airport was blown into a parked Boeing 737.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Michigan, August 24, 2023Severe storms developed during the evening hours in an extremely unstable environment. Two tornadoes occurred. The first tornado touched down in west central Kent County from Alpine Township to Plainfield Township and was rated an EF-1.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Michigan, July 2 to 4, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, July 11, 2007A squall line with a LEWP develped just west of the state and spread east across the CSRA and Midlands producing widespread wind damage and some hail.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Tennessee, March 31, 2023A regional tornado outbreak occurred during the late afternoon of Friday, March 31, 2023, and continued into the early morning hours of Saturday, April 1, 2023.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, April 14 to 15, 2011A cold front and strong area of low pressure aloft approached Arkansas on the 14th. The result was an outbreak of severe weather from the evening of the 14th through the pre-dawn hours of the 15th. Several tornadoes occurred.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Louisiana, July 19 to 21, 2012A microburst affects one location and then lines of severe storms affect Southwest Louisiana two days in a row during late July. A pair of hot and humid days both gave way to lines of thunderstorms late in the day.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, September 7, 2012Severe thunderstorms developed ahead of and along a strong cold front that moved into the region during the early afternoon of the 7th. A couple of the storms evolved into supercell thunderstorms early in the event across southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Alabama, January 1 to 3, 2017Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms affected the region to start the year. Two day rainfall totals in excess of 8 inches were common across portions of the Florida panhandle with several roads flooded.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, June 29 to 30, 2012A strong upper-level disturbance passed through the region in a northwest flow aloft. Extremely hot and humid conditions caused high amounts of instability. The upper-level disturbance triggered a line of thunderstorms that moved through the area.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Kansas, October 31, 1984
- Tornado and Hail in North Carolina, July 1, 1990
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Idaho, June 1, 2015Much of southeast Idaho received severe thunderstorm winds and large hail on June 1st including a boating accident on Bear Lake with 4 fatalities from the severe thunderstorm winds capsizing a boat.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, July 7, 2012A cluster of thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours of July 7th. Thunderstorms for the most part, stayed below severe limits, with numerous reports of pea sized hail. However, two thunderstorm produced outflow winds in excess of 45 mph.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 27, 1992
- Tornadoes and Hail in Michigan, July 20, 1987
The costliest
Damage from this kind of event within each episode, in the dollars of its year.
- Tornado and Hail in Texas, May 5, 1995
- Flash Flood and Hail in Oklahoma, June 5, 2008
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Louisiana, May 10, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, June 5, 2013
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, May 8, 2009
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Minnesota, September 21, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 30, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, May 15, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, July 15, 1995
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Dakota, July 15, 2007
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, May 31, 1998
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, June 17 to 18, 2023
- Damaging Wind in Arizona, July 25, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, September 6 to 7, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Georgia, October 5, 1995
- Damaging Winds in Nebraska, July 9, 2021
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 2, 1993
- Damaging Wind in Arizona, August 14, 1996
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, July 1, 1994
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, July 20 to 21, 2003
- Flood and Hail in North Dakota, July 4, 1999
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, July 9 to 10, 2014
- Tornado and Hail in Nebraska, June 14 to 15, 2022
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Missouri, May 8, 2009
- Tornadoes and Hail in Mississippi, April 4, 2008
The strongest winds
The largest measurement in each episode, as filed. Early reports were often estimated.
- 175 kt: Hail and Damaging Winds in Alabama, June 29, 1994
- 175 kt: Damaging Wind in Michigan, September 11, 1996
- 175 kt: Damaging Wind in Kentucky, September 12, 1996
- 175 kt: Damaging Wind in Kentucky, June 13, 1997
- 150 kt: Damaging Wind in South Dakota, June 30, 1996
- 144 kt: Damaging Wind in Louisiana, April 22, 1997
- 139 kt: Tornado and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, June 11, 1984
- 131 kt: Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 24, 2011
- 130 kt: Damaging Wind in New Jersey, August 11, 1966
- 130 kt: Tornado and Damaging Winds in Illinois, June 29, 1990
- 130 kt: Tornado and Hail in Pennsylvania, May 24, 1995
- 126 kt: Tornadoes and Hail in New York, May 18, 2000
- 126 kt: Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, June 17, 2010
- 126 kt: Tornado and Hail in Iowa, August 10, 2020
- 125 kt: Hail and Damaging Wind in Colorado, May 20, 1987
- 124 kt: Damaging Winds in North Dakota, September 1 to 16, 1997
- 123 kt: Tornado and Flash Flood in South Dakota, June 16 to 17, 2010
- 122 kt: Damaging Wind in Montana, July 30, 1957
- 120 kt: Damaging Winds in Texas, October 29, 2019
- 117 kt: Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, February 10, 1998
- 114 kt: Tornado and Flood in South Dakota, June 29, 2026
- 113 kt: Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, April 29, 1955
- 113 kt: Tornado and Hail in Tennessee, November 14, 2007
- 113 kt: Flash Flooding and Hail in North Dakota, June 28 to 29, 2018
- 113 kt: Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Texas, March 13, 2020
By state
| State or waters | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 36,939 | 107 | 937 | $3.1 billion |
| Kansas | 26,021 | 19 | 401 | $444 million |
| Georgia | 24,657 | 62 | 482 | $484 million |
| Pennsylvania | 23,711 | 51 | 501 | $293 million |
| Oklahoma | 22,248 | 23 | 371 | $1.2 billion |
| Illinois | 22,068 | 37 | 703 | $763 million |
| Ohio | 21,955 | 55 | 415 | $367 million |
| Virginia | 20,677 | 36 | 284 | $239 million |
| Alabama | 20,476 | 60 | 561 | $198 million |
| North Carolina | 20,476 | 46 | 355 | $149 million |
| Missouri | 20,293 | 46 | 509 | $322 million |
| Tennessee | 20,119 | 42 | 334 | $326 million |
| New York | 19,988 | 46 | 398 | $524 million |
| Kentucky | 19,621 | 27 | 452 | $345 million |
| Mississippi | 18,161 | 45 | 347 | $466 million |
| Iowa | 17,986 | 21 | 549 | $563 million |
| Indiana | 16,768 | 53 | 377 | $238 million |
| Arkansas | 16,540 | 39 | 287 | $220 million |
| South Carolina | 16,518 | 29 | 300 | $76 million |
| Florida | 15,159 | 40 | 331 | $180 million |
| Minnesota | 13,697 | 22 | 158 | $1.0 billion |
| Nebraska | 13,616 | 7 | 138 | $1.2 billion |
| Michigan | 13,171 | 62 | 388 | $597 million |
| Wisconsin | 13,005 | 20 | 254 | $366 million |
| South Dakota | 12,755 | 15 | 139 | $104 million |
| Louisiana | 12,655 | 46 | 316 | $894 million |
| Maryland | 8,467 | 19 | 162 | $142 million |
| West Virginia | 8,453 | 19 | 175 | $113 million |
| North Dakota | 6,888 | 5 | 74 | $520 million |
| Montana | 6,635 | 12 | 56 | $66 million |
| New Jersey | 6,055 | 24 | 283 | $108 million |
| Colorado | 4,650 | 15 | 108 | $45 million |
| Massachusetts | 4,575 | 13 | 134 | $54 million |
| Arizona | 4,106 | 14 | 231 | $574 million |
| Maine | 3,024 | 5 | 24 | $3.2 million |
| Wyoming | 2,840 | 1 | 67 | $7.6 million |
| Idaho | 2,672 | 19 | 184 | $22 million |
| Utah | 2,483 | 8 | 43 | $69 million |
| Connecticut | 2,455 | 12 | 77 | $20 million |
| New Mexico | 2,403 | 4 | 45 | $49 million |
| New Hampshire | 2,368 | 11 | 82 | $15 million |
| Vermont | 2,342 | 8 | 38 | $28 million |
| California | 1,337 | 23 | 51 | $136 million |
| Delaware | 1,109 | 2 | 21 | $6.5 million |
| Nevada | 1,061 | 7 | 24 | $65 million |
| Washington | 626 | 5 | 35 | $26 million |
| Oregon | 592 | 4 | 17 | $6.5 million |
| Puerto Rico | 369 | 1 | 14 | $19 million |
| Rhode Island | 346 | 0 | 2 | $3.4 million |
| District of Columbia | 344 | 3 | 43 | $31 million |
| Hawaii | 39 | 1 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 18 | 0 | 0 | $81,000 |
| Alaska | 15 | 0 | 0 | $556,000 |
| American Samoa | 11 | 0 | 0 | $577,000 |
| Guam | 6 | 1 | 0 | $298,000 |
Every kind of event
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Hail
- Flash Flood
- High Wind
- Winter Storm
- Drought
- Winter Weather
- Tornado
- Heavy Snow
- Flood
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind
- Heat
- Heavy Rain
- Strong Wind
- Excessive Heat
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Lightning
- Dense Fog
- Blizzard
- Frost/Freeze
- Ice Storm
- High Surf
- Funnel Cloud
- Wildfire
- Tropical Storm
- Waterspout
- Coastal Flood
- Lake-Effect Snow
- Debris Flow
- Hurricane (Typhoon)
- Dust Storm
- Rip Current
- Storm Surge/Tide
- Marine High Wind
- Sleet
- Avalanche
- Marine Hail
- Astronomical Low Tide
- Marine Tropical Storm
- Tropical Depression
- Freezing Fog
- Lakeshore Flood
- Dust Devil
- Marine Strong Wind
- Dense Smoke
- Marine Hurricane/Typhoon
- Volcanic Ashfall
- Seiche
- Sneakerwave
- Volcanic Ash
- Tsunami
- Marine Tropical Depression
- Marine Dense Fog
- Northern Lights
- Marine Lightning
- Hurricane
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.