Buyer Beware: Some Words of Caution on the Use of Severe Wind Reports in Postevent Assessment and Research
Open Access
- 1 June 2006
- journal article
- Published by American Meteorological Society in Weather and Forecasting
- Vol. 21 (3), 408-415
- https://doi.org/10.1175/waf925.1
Abstract
Postevent damage surveys conducted during the Bow Echo and Mesoscale Convective Vortex Experiment demonstrate that the severe thunderstorm wind reports in Storm Data served as a poor characterization of the actual scope and magnitude of the surveyed damage. Contrasting examples are presented in which a few reports grossly underrepresented a significant event (in terms of property damage and actual areal coverage of damage), while a large number of reports overrepresented a relatively less significant event. Explanations and further discussion of this problem are provided, as are some of the implications, which may include a skewed understanding of how and when systems of thunderstorms cause damage. A number of recommendations pertaining to severe wind reporting are offered.Keywords
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