06-03-2025
How strong do winds need to be to cause damage to buildings?
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Spring storms can bring strong winds, and first responders say they can be dangerous.
Thursday's focus for 'Severe Weather Preparedness Week' is 'Wind and Hail Safety.'
According to the National Weather Service, wind speeds of 40 to 50 miles per hour are strong enough to cause damage to buildings.
Many severe storms are capable of producing winds in excess of 60 miles per hour, and some systems can produce straight-line winds in excess of 100 miles per hour.
The National Weather Service suggests trimming tree branches away from your house and securing loose gutters and shutters before storms strike. Once they arrive, find a safe place indoors to take shelter.
How strong do winds need to be to cause damage to buildings?
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'High winds are very serious, and, you know, we need to take them seriously, because things can start blowing, signs can blow, tree limbs can blow, things off of roofs, things that just are secure. Anything over 40 miles per hour, you know, there's a chance that it could be flying in the air,' said Chief Andrew Roughton, Webb City Fire Department.
As for hail, strong rising currents in storms, called updrafts, carry water to the top of a storm where it freezes.
Eventually, that frozen precipitation falls to Earth and can cause damage and injury.
Not all storms produce hail, but if they do, and the hail is one inch in diameter, it will be classified as severe.
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