When you’re trying to keep your home safe, you might initially go to a variety of potential causes for danger, including issues like animals and water. However, many people don’t notice one of the most serious problems that homes face: wind. Wind damage is a hugely impactful issue that many people experience, but it can be hard to avoid. Here’s what you need to know about windy cities in the United States.
Wind Speed Across the United States
The NOAA has been keeping track of wind data for cities across the United States since 1984. With this information, you can see a long-term understanding of wind speed in certain cities. Here are the 20 windiest cities in the United States on average.
- Mount Washington, NH: 35.7
- Dodge City, KS: 13.1
- Amarillo, TX: 12.9
- Cheyenne, WY: 12.3
- Goodland, KS: 12.1
- Rochester, MN: 12.1
- Clayton, NM: 12.1
- Lubbock, TX: 12.0
- Casper, WY: 12.0
- Corpus Christie, TX: 11.7
- Wichita, KS: 11.5
- Boston, MA: 11.5
- Great Falls, MT: 11.4
- New York, NY: 11.3
- Oklahoma City, OK: 11.3
- Wichita Falls, TX: 11.2
- Grand Island, NE: 11.2
- Fargo, ND: 11.1
- Galveston, TX: 11.1
- Concordia, KS: 11.0
Remember, however, that this doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story. Chicago, for example, isn’t on this list, despite its title of the Windy City. That’s because Chicago’s windiness comes mostly from wind tunnels formed throughout the city. The air above Chicago is slower than the air running through Chicago.
The Most Intense Wind Experiences
Although there are averages that can tell an interesting story, there are extremes on either end of the scale that can be even more interesting. This is the case when it comes to the most intense wind experience in the United States.
Mount Washington, as you can see from the list of windiest cities on average, is known for its fast winds. This has been the case for decades: in 1934, scientists measured 231 MPH wind speeds at Mount Washington, which was the world record for over 60 years and is still the United States record.
The Property Damage of High Winds
High winds can cause massive amounts of property damage. It’s estimated that around a quarter of all home insurance claims happen due to high winds, and the average claim settlement for wind damage is just over $10,000.
Property damage includes debris flying around, trees falling over, shingles and siding coming off, and even roofs coming off the home if they haven’t been reinforced. It’s important that if you live in an area prone to wind problems, you take the steps necessary to avoid wind damage in the future.
Conclusion
If you’re not careful, wind can be just as damaging or even more damaging than other problems that people often focus on. If you own a home, you need to make sure you’re talking to an expert who can keep that home safe.
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