Weather History

This Day In Weather History

In 2003, a hailstone measuring 7 inches in diameter and 18.75 inches in circumference landed in Aurora, Nebraska. At the time, it was the largest hailstone in United States history, eclipsing the record set in Coffeyville on September 3, 1970. That hailstone measured 5.7 inches in diameter and 17.5 inches in circumference. The Aurora, Nebraska hailstone would lose the largest diameter title on July 23, 2010, when an eight inch diameter specimen landed in Vivian, South Dakota. The Vivian, South Dakota event also 'hails' as the king of heaviest hailstones on record, when it tipped the scales at 1.94 pounds.

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In 1987, incredibly severe thunderstorms that invaded parts of South Texas whip-lashed Quemado, a very small community located right on the central Rio Grande River, with a 116-mph gust.

In 1972, Hurricane Agnes inundated much of Pennsylvania and New York with torrential rains that resulted in the costliest flood in U.S. history to that date. Widespread rainfalls of 8-12 inches swamped the Middle Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania in a 24 hour period. In Pennsylvania, the greatest rainfall was 19 inches which swamped Western Schuylkill County. In Harrisburg, the floods reached 13 feet deep and the first floor of the Governor's mansion was submerged. In Wilkes-Barre, the dike was breached, destroying much of the town. In all, Agnes caused $3.1 billion damage and 128 people died. Agnes was the first Category one hurricane in the Atlantic Basin to have its name retired.
This Day in Weather History Archive