Effects to expect from Wednesday’s severe winds

Photo of storage building damaged by straight-line wind in 2011
Storage building damaged by straight-line wind in 2011. NWS photo.

If you’ve been watching forecasts, you probably noticed that there’s a chance for straight-line winds tomorrow (Wed. June 12) of 75 mph or higher. But do you know what such winds can do? The following information comes from the Beaufort Wind Scale, which storm spotters often use to estimate wind speeds:

Wind Speed (mph) Effects
47 – 54 Light structural damage
55 – 64 Trees uprooted. Considerable structural damage.
64 – 73 Widespread structural damage
74 – 95 Considerable and widespread damage to structures

So, if we get the 75 mph to 80 mph straight-line winds that are possible, we should could easily see considerable and widespread damage to structures.