Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for July 20, in any year, each linked to its full record.
Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Corsica,la Bollene-Vesubie,venanson, France. It killed 650 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage. It caused a tsunami.
Tsunamis
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck Liguria-Cote D'Azur, France. It killed 650 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Gansu Province, China. It killed 480 people, destroyed 4,800 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Emily crossed the coast near San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico as a category 3 hurricane, 110 kt (125 mph), central pressure 944 mb. It killed 6 people in all, by the National Hurricane Center’s count. Hurricane Emily was an extremely rare and powerful tropical cyclone that became the first July Atlantic hurricane to reach Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It remained the only to have done so until Beryl of 2024.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Hennepin County, Minnesota and tracked 11.6 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 5 and injuring 40.
Volcanoes
Mayon, Philippines erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. It killed 49 people.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Cass County, Missouri and 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Raymore, MO.
Tornadoes
Heat and drought
A heat wave affected Southeast Pennsylvania from July 20th through the 23rd. Eleven persons died (Eight in Philadelphia and three in Montgomery County.) from the heat. They were usually discovered in homes with closed windows and inadequate ventilation.
Billion-dollar disasters
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.5 billion in 2024 dollars, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from July 20, 2009 to July 20, 2009.
Billion-dollar disasters
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.4 billion in 2024 dollars, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from July 20, 2010 to July 23, 2010.
Heat and drought
The last part of July was very hot and humid across the state with temperatures reaching into the 90s most days and above 100 for a few days. The dewpoints and overnight lows were in the 70s through much of the period.
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An F3 tornado touched down in Cass County, Missouri and 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Raymore, MO.
On July 20, 1931, a violent tornado struck the city of Lublin in the Republic of Poland. The damage from the tornado was consistent with those from an F4 on the Fujita scale.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F3 tornado touched down in Hennepin County, Minnesota and tracked 11.6 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 5 and injuring 40.
An F3 tornado touched down in Anderson, Allen, Crawford counties, Kansas and tracked 69.5 miles, 880 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Wallace County, Kansas and tracked 3.3 miles, 700 yards wide at its widest, injuring 4.
An F3 tornado touched down in Custer, Valley counties, Nebraska and tracked 32.8 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Sioux, Box Butte counties, Nebraska and tracked 53.2 miles, 23 yards wide at its widest.
Lightning struck a residence and caused a small fire on the roof and into the attic. The smoke and water damage was contained to the attic and roof.
A cluster of severe thunderstorms rumbled southeast across a portion of south-central Nebraska producing large hail and a brief tornado. The tornado was spotted by a deputy sheriff in southeast Gosper county.
A large supercell formed in Southwestern Phillips County and headed east across southern Valley County. The storm produced a tornado that crossed from Phillips County into Valley County.
Severe thunderstorms rolled south across areas of south-central Nebraska along and east of U.S. Highway 281. Initially, thunderstorms northeast of Grand Island spawned several funnels and at least one tornado.
A F1 tornado struck Calhoun county between 1:15 and 1:30 p.m. E.S.T. on July 20th, 2003. The tornado first touched down just west of Wattles road on Crosby road on the southeast side of Battle Creek. Several trees were uprooted or broken off.
Tornado touched down near the intersection of Zelda Drive and E Avenue Northwest. The tornado moved southeast for 0.25 miles across Peace Avenue and then lifted on Floral Avenue.
Tornado developed in a corn field about 0.5 miles north of Covington. The tornado moved South Southeast crossing North Glen and Michael Road in Covington and then lifted in another corn field just north of Ellis Road.
A severe thunderstorm produced damaging winds, large hail and very heavy rain across the western and southern suburbs of Denver. Widespread damage was observed in the cities of Arvada, Wheat Ridge and Lakewood.
An intense supercell developed in western Nebraska during the afternoon and moved south through the evening hours, producing golf ball to softball sized hail and damaging wind gusts to near 80 mph.
A cold front and associated upper level disturbance triggered widespread severe thunderstorms across central, south-central and southeast Kansas during the evening and overnight hours of July 20th. The following are some highlights from the event.
Showers and thunderstorms developed along a stalled frontal boundary draped across Lake Erie and the upper Ohio Valley. Locally heavy rainfall was reported across northern Ohio with reports of up 6 inches in Lake County.
A nearly stationary frontal zone was located just to the north of the area over far southern Ontario, Canada. A weak wave of low pressure tied to a cluster of thunderstorms moved east along this stalled frontal zone during the late morning and early afternoon.
Rounds of severe storms hammered southern Indiana and central Kentucky on Friday, July 20, 2018, bringing very large hail, wind damage, heavy rain, and 4 confirmed tornadoes.
Rounds of severe storms hammered southern Indiana and central Kentucky on Friday, July 20, 2018, bringing very large hail, wind damage, heavy rain, and 2 confirmed tornadoes in Indiana.
For the second consecutive day, a line of powerful thunderstorms moved across portions of central and east-central Wisconsin. The worst damage occurred from Wood/Portage counties eastward into the Fox Valley and lakeshore.
A large squall-line (Mesoscale Convective System) moved across mainly North and East-Central GA during the afternoon and early evening hours of July 20th.
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Hurricane Doreen reached its peak of 120 kt (140 mph) with a central pressure of 972 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Estelle reached its peak of 115 kt (130 mph), a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Imbudo reached its peak of 130 kt (150 mph) with a central pressure of 910 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Emily crossed the coast near San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico as a category 3 hurricane, 110 kt (125 mph), central pressure 944 mb. It killed 6 people in all, by the National Hurricane Center’s count. Hurricane Emily was an extremely rare and powerful tropical cyclone that became the first July Atlantic hurricane to reach Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It remained the only to have done so until Beryl of 2024.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tropical Depression Josie was a weak tropical system that impacted the Philippine archipelago of Luzon in late July 2018, bringing widespread flooding. The tropical depression was classified in the South China Sea on July 20, and steadily moved eastward while gradually intensifying.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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East central Kentucky saw widespread flooding as anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of rain fell over a 3 hour span. Numerous roads were closed due to high water across this area, and many basements were flooded as well.
Frontal induced severe thunderstorms downed trees and power lines over much of south-central and southeast Wisconsin during the evening hours.
Supercell thunderstorms developed in the evening hours and formed an organized cluster around Waterloo, Iowa.
Runoff from excessive rainfall on July 19th caused washes to flow across the Tucson Metro area. In addition, new thunderstorms developed later in the day across Cochise County.
Well south of a frontal boundary, a moist and unstable air mass resided over the Ohio Valley. The ground was already wetter than normal from previous rains. A southwest and west wind along with daytime heating formed showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon of the 20th.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain over the Schultz Fire burn area and produced flash flooding, ash, and debris flow. Numerous properties were impacted and roads were closed.
A pre-frontal trough moved into southern New England, providing lift for showers and thunderstorms to develop in a hot and humid atmosphere. In addition, CAPE up to 2000 J/kg and 30-40 kts of shear provided enough instability and shear for thunderstorms to become severe.
Increasing moisture brought scattered thunderstorms with heavy rain.
A severe thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 60 mph at Centennial Airport. A thunderstorm produced a flash flood in southern Jefferson and southwest Denver counties. The flooding was particularly bad on southbound I-25 near 6th Avenue.
A cold front moved down from the upper Great Lakes region and produced a broken line of strong to severe thunderstorms. These storms produced several reports of wind damage across northeast Ohio.
A deadly debris flow from the Cameron Peak burn area, struck Black Hollow Gulch west of Rustic on CO-14. The debris flow, estimated to be 5 to 8 feet deep, destroyed 6 homes and other structures. Four people were killed when their residence was swept away by the floodwaters.
It was another active monsoon day across northern and central New Mexico on July 20, 2021.
A surface low moved generally eastward from east-central Lower MI to the southeastern shore of Lake Huron during the evening of the 20th.
A very strong squall line made its way through Middle Tennessee during the morning and afternoon hours of July 20, 2023. Damaging straight-line winds were the primary threat associated with this line of thunderstorms with wind gusts of 65 to 80 mph common.
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Somewhat strong winds, gusting over 40 mph at times, blew down a large tree, which fell directly on a 4-year-old girl, killing her. The girl was playing outside her home in Haverhill. The falling tree also damaged the house and smashed a truck parked in the driveway.
300 to 500 people caught in hail storm. Over 100 vehicles damaged.
Large swath of hail damage across southern Redwood county.
High winds from a strong outflow boundary well ahead of a line of thunderstorms produced scattered damage in the county. A window was blown out of a shop in downtown Cleveland, several roofs received some damage, and some power lines were blown down.
Several trees and power lines were blown down. Some of the downed trees fell on houses.
Several trees and power lines were knocked down.
For the second night in a row a large line of severe thunderstorms move out of Kansas into Oklahoma during the overnight hours.
The Catoosa county Sheriff's office reported to the Rome News Tribune that numerous trees and powerlines were blown down countywide. Trees fell on power lines, and blocked roads in many instances. There was also one report of a tree falling on and damaging a vehicle.
Bass boat would not start as thunderstorm approached and was taken under tow by a pontoon boat. Bass boat filled with water and sank. Victim could not be located due to low visibility, wind and waves. Victim was not wearing a life jacket.
Supercell thunderstorms developed in the evening hours and formed an organized cluster around Waterloo, Iowa.
Three of four 44,000 bushel grain bins were blown over at the Crete Elevator complex. The fourth, which was full of grain, remained standing. Eight 40,000 bushel grains bins were also damaged and one 40,000 bushel grain bin was blown down.
Ping-pong ball to baseball size hail struck the east side of town. Hail damaged the bodies of nearly every vehicle and broke some windshields at an auto dealership and in residential areas on the east side of North Platte.
A home near 48th Place and Whitcomb Street in Calumet Township was struck by lightning, which started a fire on the second floor. Two bedrooms, a bathroom and the attic were gutted.
A surface pressure ridge axis extended across southern Florida and the west coast sea breeze front was most active from Tampa through Fort Myers.
An unusually strong late July cold front and northwest flow aloft combined with a moist and unstable atmosphere to produce one of the most widespread outbreaks of severe weather seen across the Peachtree City forecast area since mid-April.
Thunderstorms produced damaging winds in a few locations in northwest Iowa from a little before to just after midnight on the night of July 20th and 21st. The greatest damage was in and near Sioux City.
A shortwave trough and a warm, humid, unstable atmosphere combined to produce showers and thunderstorms across southern New England. These storms produced damaging wind and lots of lightning.
A thunderstorm produced wind gusts at Coldbrook Reservoir on the north side of Hot Springs.
Severe thunderstorms developed across northeast Wisconsin as a weak surface boundary encountered an unstable air mass.
The last night of the unusual prolonged heat wave brought another round of severe thunderstorms. Surface dew point temperatures continued in the oppressive 70F to 80F range. With the extreme heat, mid level temperatures also remained quite warm.
A thunderstorm became severe west of Rapid City and moved east-northeast, dropping large hail over the western, central, and northern portions of the city and causing extensive property damage. It weakened as it moved onto the plains.
A cluster of thunderstorms developed over eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota the evening of Wednesday July 20th.
Scattered thunderstorms developed, but struggled to organize with mainly 30 to 50 mph wind gusts. Boundary interactions allowed for 2 storms to briefly produce wet microbursts.
The atmosphere was juiced so to speak ahead of a cold front sliding into the region. MUCAPE values very quickly approached and exceeded 4000 J/kg by mid-morning.
A combination of squall line thunderstorms tied to a strong cold front and pre-frontal supercells brought severe weather to parts of Southeast Michigan Thursday afternoon and early evening on July 20,2023.
On the morning of July 20th, a warm front moved north through the forecast area, followed by a cold front in the late afternoon. Scattered supercells developed ahead of the cold front near the Indiana-Michigan Stateline.
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A 81 year old woman was found dead on August 3. The probable cause of death was hyperthermia. Temperatures the weekend of 7/19 - 20 had been in the mid to upper 90s. She had last been seen on 7/13/97.
A heat wave affected Southeast Pennsylvania from July 20th through the 23rd. Eleven persons died (Eight in Philadelphia and three in Montgomery County.) from the heat. They were usually discovered in homes with closed windows and inadequate ventilation.
After an unusually pleasant start to the month, a singular heat wave affected much of Maryland west of the Chesapeake Bay during the climatological peak of highest annual temperatures.
A blistering heat wave struck the south-central part of the nation in July 1998, including much of western and northwestern Arkansas. The second half of the month also saw little, if any, rainfall in northwest Arkansas.
A 78 year-old woman died in her house in Duncan due to the excessive heat.
The last part of July was very hot and humid across the state with temperatures reaching into the 90s most days and above 100 for a few days. The dewpoints and overnight lows were in the 70s through much of the period.
The excessive heat wave began on the 20th of July and continued for most of the area through the 26th. Temperatures were in the lower to middle 90s with heat index values in the 105 to 110 degree range each day.
The most intense hot and dry weather to affect Iowa in the last four years occurred during the last half of July. A large sub-tropical ridge of high pressure developed over the central U.S. as the drought that was widespread over the southern and eastern U.S. expanded northwest.
High temperatures in the 90s to low 100s combined with high relative humidities to produce heat indices of 100 to 110 degrees over north and central Georgia the last 10 days or so of July. Only on the 24th was there any significant rainfall during this stretch.
A heat wave caused many to require hospital treatment in Columbus County and in neighboring counties in Southeast North Carolina. A farm worker died of heat stroke after hospitalization.
The latter part of July was excessively hot across northern Kentucky with nearly every day above 90 and a few days above 100. Dewpoints and overnight lows through the period were in the 70s. One heat related death occurred in northern Kentucky.
A man died after fishing on Lake Stanley (in Stanley) during warm and humid weather. According to the cooperative observer in Stanley, the maximum temperature on the 20th was 85.
High temperatures reached the lower 90s. Heat related death of a man, found inside residence where the temperature was 100 degrees.
High temperatures climbed into the middle to upper 90's with the Heat Indices from 105 to near 115 degrees. St. Louis hit 100 degrees on July 22.
The truck a man and a woman were riding in became stuck near the Twentynine Palms Air-Ground Combat Center. They tried to walk for help, but were overcome by the heat and died.
Triple digit temperatures occurred across portions of Oklahoma. In Oklahoma City temperatures reached 106 degrees with higher heat indices. There was one heat related death in the city.
The second heat wave of a relatively cool summer hit the region from July 20 - 22. High temperatures were in the lower to middle 90's with the Heat Index ranging from 105 to 110 degrees.
The first significant heat wave in several years struck all of central, eastern, northeast, and southeast Missouri. Columbia recorded 6 straight days of 100 plus temperatures with the highest being 105 degrees on the 23rd and 24th. St.
The first significant heat wave of several years hit all of west central, southwest, and south central Illinois. Quincy hit 100 degrees or higher 4 times during the period and had a Heat Index reading of 121 degrees on July 23rd. The Metro East area of St.
A migrant worker collapsed and died from heat stroke on Harnett County near Erwin. The man collapsed on a tobacco farm and was transported to UNC Hospital where he later died.
Very hot weather settled upon the Santa Clara Valley - yielding an extended period of high temperatures over 100 degrees and lows in the 70s. Some areas in the Southern Santa Clara Valley reached 115 degrees during the day and fell only to around 80 at night.
Hot and humid conditions prevailed as a large upper-level ridge of high pressure covered the south central United States. On the 21st, the heat index peaked between 105 and 110 degrees for a few hours at Henderson and Owensboro.
A heat wave produced temperatures near or above 100 degrees during the late part of July. Those temperatures combined with high humidity produced heat index values of over 100 degrees during this time frame as well.
The first excessive heat of the summer hit on July 20th to 21st. High temperatures across the region ranged from 97 to 99 degrees. However the humid air produced Heat Index readings from 105 to 110 degrees.
A large upper-level ridge of high pressure brought oppressively hot and humid conditions to central Illinois from July 17th through July 24th. Afternoon high temperatures reached the middle to upper 90s, while heat index readings climbed into the 105 to 115 degree range.
The summer of 2011 brought brutal heat and exceptional drought to Oklahoma and western north Texas. The average temperature during the month of July at Oklahoma City was 89.3 degrees which is 7.2 degrees above average. This makes July 2011 the warmest of any months, since temperature records began in the early 1890s.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
A dome of hot and humid air over the southern and central Plains built northward into the Upper Midwest and affected different parts of Wisconsin on different days during the period of July 17th through July 21st. Heat index values reached 100 to 110 in this heat event.
A three-year-old boy was found inside a day care van during the afternoon hours and died shorty later. The child was left inside the van for at least two hours, and temperatures at the time were near 106 degrees.
A large upper level high pressure system centered over the Southern Plains brought hot and humid conditions to the Mid-South. The combination of temperatures in the mid 90s and dewpoints in the upper 70s produced heat index values above 105 degrees in the Memphis area.
With high pressure firmly over the area, heat indices ranged from 99 to 107 degrees between the 20th and the 26th. The Emergency Medical Services Authority reported 49 calls for heat related injuries over this period.
Eight people died of heat related causes in Las Vegas.
Five people died in Las Vegas of heat related causes.
An area of high pressure centered over the Texas Panhandle allowed for temperatures to climb to dangerous levels on the 20th. Four heat-associated fatalities (one direct and three indirect) were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
Temperatures from the mid 90s to the lower 100s combined with dew points near 70 degrees to create dangerously high heat index values.
Upper level high pressure prevailed across the Mid-South. Heat and humidity combined to create dangerous conditions with heat index values of 105 degrees or greater across the Delta region.
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Glendive recorded 117°F, Montana’s all-time maximum temperature, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it (a tie with an earlier value).
Keokuk No. 2 recorded 118°F, Iowa’s all-time maximum temperature, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
Edgerton recorded 18.18 inches, Missouri’s all-time greatest 24-hour precipitation, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
John Martin Dam recorded 115°F, Colorado’s all-time maximum temperature, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
6E Fountain recorded 12.92 inches, Michigan’s all-time greatest 24-hour precipitation, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
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The Butte Fire started on July 20, 1985, in Idaho, and burned 28,560 acres.
The Cedardraw Fire started on July 20, 1985, in Idaho, and burned 5,152 acres.
The Bryans Run Fire started on July 20, 1986, in Idaho, and burned 5,585 acres.
The Star Butte Fire started on July 20, 1989, in Idaho, and burned 8,299 acres.
The Johnson Butte Fire started on July 20, 1989, in Idaho, and burned 7,516 acres.
The Hsl W 37 Fire started on July 20, 1990, in Alaska, and burned 5,711 acres.
The Fire 331653 was discovered on July 20, 1993, in Alaska, and burned 4,800 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Deadwood Fire was discovered on July 20, 1997, in Alaska, and burned 5,500 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Topliff Fire was discovered on July 20, 1998, in Utah, and burned 13,926 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Cedar Butte Fire was discovered on July 20, 1999, in Butte County, Idaho, and burned 49,364 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Dry Fire was discovered on July 20, 1999, in Washoe County, Nevada, and burned 10,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
Erratic winds pushed a brush fire close to State Route 94 and threatened four homes before fire fighters beat it back. Near the origin of the blaze, a burned body was found. It was estimated that it had been a middle-aged male
The Bircher Fire was discovered on July 20, 2000, in Colorado, and burned 23,220 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The John Hansen Lake Fire was discovered on July 20, 2002, in Alaska, and burned 25,752 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Chilcoot Complex was discovered on July 20, 2003, in Plumas County, California, and burned 5,635 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Cramer Fire was discovered on July 20, 2003, in Idaho, and burned 5,614 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Del Puerto Fire was discovered on July 20, 2003, in California, and burned 5,018 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Lake Todatonten Fire was discovered on July 20, 2004, in Alaska, and burned 12,377 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Crown Complex (Crown) Fire was discovered on July 20, 2004, in California, and burned 11,966 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Black Water Fire was discovered on July 20, 2005, in Alaska, and burned 22,964 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Dammeron Complex (Mill Creek) Fire was discovered on July 20, 2005, in Washington County, Utah, and burned 7,892 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Twitchell Canyon Fire was discovered on July 20, 2010, in Beaver County, Utah, and burned 44,892 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Acrey Fire was discovered on July 20, 2011, in New Mexico, and burned 18,835 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
High based thunderstorms moved southeast July 20th to produce dry lightning that ignited a wildfire. The drought conditions were extreme that allowed brittle grass and timbers to create rapid fire growth in northwest Brown County.
The Region 24 Complex was discovered on July 20, 2012, in Nebraska, and burned 66,745 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Sunnyside Turnoff Fire was discovered on July 20, 2013, in Oregon, and burned 53,000 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Hardluck Fire was discovered on July 20, 2013, in Park County, Wyoming, and burned 24,515 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Lodgepole Fire was discovered on July 20, 2013, in Custer County, Idaho, and burned 22,825 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Baathbakdizuni Creek Fire was reported on July 20, 2015, in Yukon-Koyukuk County, Alaska, and burned 32,328 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Blue Creek Fire was reported on July 20, 2015, in Walla Walla County, Washington, and burned 5,992 acres.
The Lodgepole Complex was reported on July 20, 2017, in Garfield County, Montana, and burned 270,743 acres.
The 400 Fire was reported on July 20, 2017, in Yakima County, Washington, and burned 24,650 acres.
The Wildcat Fire was reported on July 20, 2017, in Box Elder County, Utah, and burned 13,177 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Yooper Fire was reported on July 20, 2017, in Richland County, Montana, and burned 7,817 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Microwave Fire was reported on July 20, 2017, in Big Horn County, Montana, and burned 6,039 acres.
The Indian Valley Fire was reported on July 20, 2018, in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, and burned 6,310 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Bacon Rind Fire was reported on July 20, 2018, in Gallatin County, Montana, and burned 5,232 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Cornucopia Complex was reported on July 20, 2019, in Yukon-Koyukuk County, Alaska, and burned 95,335 acres.
The Oglesby Fire was reported on July 20, 2019, in Schleicher County, Texas, and burned 5,097 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Gold Fire was a wildfire that burned during the 2020 California wildfire season south of Adin along Highway 139 in Lassen County, California in the United States. Igniting on Monday, July 20, on the east side of Highway 139 in rural landscape, the fire expanded to 21,870 acres (8,850 ha) and destroyed thirteen structures while also damaging an additional five.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Gold Fire was reported on July 20, 2020, in Lassen County, California, and burned 22,634 acres.
The Bowles Creek Fire was reported on July 20, 2023, in Granite County, Montana, and burned 6,988 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Rock Fire was reported on July 20, 2026, in Inyo County, California, and burned 12,008 acres.
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A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck N. Kagoshima Bay, Japan. With the tsunami it caused, it killed many people (about 101 to 1,000).
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Verona, Italy. It killed some people (about 51 to 100).
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Corsica,la Bollene-Vesubie,venanson, France. It killed 650 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Sanriku, Japan. With the tsunami it caused, it killed many people (about 101 to 1,000) and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Bagneres, Gripp, Lourdes, Arges, France.
An earthquake struck Lonthor Island, Indonesia. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck SW of Lake Bay, Manila, Philippines. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Gansu Province, China. It killed 480 people, destroyed 4,800 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Massawa, Muncullo, Eritrea. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Vassilikon, Central, Greece. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Colombia-Ecuador. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Bougainville, Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Buin, Boku, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Hualien, Su-Hua, Taiwan. It killed 1 person and injured 1.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Tekes, Xinjiang, China. It destroyed 2,120 houses.
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck Montclair, California, United States.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Farsinaj, Iran. It killed 1 person and injured 32.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Jiangsu Province, China. It killed 1 person and injured 2.
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Kos, Bodrum, Datca, Greece, Turkey. It killed 2 people and injured 500. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. It caused a tsunami.
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Aira, Japan erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. It killed many people (about 101 to 1,000). The eruption caused a tsunami and was accompanied by an earthquake.
Kelud, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed few people (about 1 to 50).
Mayon, Philippines erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. It killed 49 people.
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A tsunami with a source recorded as volcano struck N. Kagoshima Bay, Japan. It killed many people (about 101 to 1,000).
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck Liguria-Cote D'Azur, France. It killed 650 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Bay of Naples, Italy.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Sanriku, Japan, with a maximum water height of 5 meters. It killed many people (about 101 to 1,000) and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami with a source recorded as landslide struck Sanriku, Japan, with a maximum water height of 2 meters.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Lontor Island, Banda Sea, Indonesia.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Offshore Massawa, Eritrea.
A tsunami with a source recorded as meteorological struck South England, United Kingdom, with a maximum water height of 6 meters. It killed 2 people.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Central Greece (Euripus Strait).
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Solomon Sea, Papua New Guinea, with a maximum water height of 2 meters. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami with a source recorded as landslide struck Xiaowan Reservoir, Yunnan Province, China, with a maximum water height of 30 meters. It killed 2 people and left 12 missing.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Gulf of Gökova, Turkey, with a maximum water height of 1.9 meters. It killed 2 people and injured 500.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, with a maximum water height of 1.53 meters.
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A G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm began July 20, 1947, reached Kp 5+ and lasted 3 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 31; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 58 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began July 20, 1952, reached Kp 6 and lasted 33 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 48; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 55 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm began July 20, 1960, reached Kp 5 and lasted 3 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 26; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 60 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began July 20, 1961, reached Kp 6- and lasted 12 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 35; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 57 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm began July 20, 1977, reached Kp 5 and lasted 3 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 29; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 60 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began July 20, 2000, reached Kp 6 and lasted 9 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 37; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 55 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
2 on July 20, oldest first.
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.5 billion in 2024 dollars, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from July 20, 2009 to July 20, 2009.
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.4 billion in 2024 dollars, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from July 20, 2010 to July 23, 2010.
16 on July 20, oldest first.
A 27 year old man was struck and killer by lightning while he was walking back to his vehicle after archery practice in a Colorado Springs Wildlife Area.
A 20-year-old male tourist drowned in a rip current along Flort Lauderdale beach.
Two brothers, age 19 and 17, were struck by lightning while swimming in Lewis and Clark Lake. The 19 year old died later the same day, while the 17 year old survived his injuries.
A persistent south to southwest wind helped to generate rough seas on the ocean on Tuesday the 20th. These rough seas acted to help produce rip currents along the South Shore of Long Island.
A 13-year-old female was dragged 600 yards into the Gulf of Mexico and drowned. Reported by the Orlando Sentinel.
A 38-year-old Miami man died when lightning struck him as he was riding his ATV (all-terrain vehicle) in the Everglades about 10 miles west of Highway 27 near the Broward/Palm Beach County line.
A 52-year old male drowned in a rip current trying to save his wife at St. Augustine Beach.
Large ocean swell produced rip current conditions on the Florida east coast.
Persistent and strong east winds caused by high pressure north and east of the area produced gusty winds in excess of 30 mph over the Atlantic coastal waters. Wind gusts up to 44 MPH were noted on July 20th.
A pair of drownings occurred off Panama City Beach on July 20th, which were separate events. One of the drownings included a former Auburn Univ basketball player and received some news reporting. Multiple rescues were also reported.
Strong south winds aided in the development of strong rip currents on the afternoon of Saturday July 20 in the surf zone along the beaches of NW Florida from Pensacola Beach to Destin.
Strong winds from a collapsing thunderstorm north of Maui County swirled through the central valley of Maui and entered Maalaea Bay and surrounding waters. The winds then stirred up waves of 8 to 12 feet.
Several swimmers were caught in a rip current. Three people escaped the rip current and were uninjured, however the forth person drowned.
Strong rip currents along the beaches of Baldwin County resulted in numerous water rescues in the Gulf Shores area with one fatality reported.
According to broadcast media reports, a lightning strike caused one fatality and multiple injuries at Fort Gordon, GA.
Heavy thunderstorm activity over Lee County during the early afternoon hours produced a lightning strike at the Lee County Flea Market in Smiths Station which resulted in a fatality.
Gathered from this site’s archives: the tornado record (NOAA SPC, and Grazulis before 1950), IBTrACS and the National Hurricane Center, NOAA NCEI’s Storm Events Database, Regional Snowfall Index, billion-dollar disasters list, State Climate Extremes Committee and hazard databases, USGS, NIFC, GFZ Potsdam’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0), the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wikidata (CC0), with article leads from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, each credited where it appears. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.