Wind damages explained

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Learn how a building's unique characteristics affect the amount of damage wind can cause.

Editable building details

A property's Wind Factor is a measure of its likelihood of experiencing extreme wind, not the likelihood of damage to the home. Just because high winds may reach your home does not necessarily mean it will cause damage. Homes with certain types of roofs for example may be more susceptible to damage from wind at lower speeds, while others may be better protected. Because the damages associated with wind are greatly affected by the property’s specific characteristics, Risk Factor allows you to adjust your home’s property details to see how your home’s unique characteristics, such as roof type, building material, number of stories, and square footage directly affect its damages. 

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Damages by likelihood

Wind scenarios describe the recurrence interval of winds. The average number of years between winds of a certain size is the recurrence interval or return period. For example, in any given year there is a 1-in-500 (0.2%) chance that this area will suffer severe wind. Wind scenarios are used to categorize the likelihood of different severities of wind. The chart below shows wind recurrence intervals and probabilities of occurrences. 

Based on a location’s history and geographic information (such as surface roughness), the First Street Wind Model calculates multiple annual probabilities, 0.03%, 0.2%, 1%, 5%, and 20%, which consider different speed scenarios. Lower probabilities (0.03%, 0.2%) represent stronger winds that are less likely to occur, but more likely to cause greater damage.

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Estimated wind speed

A property’s Wind Factor is based on the likelihood of experiencing a severe wind event and the potential speed or intensity of that event. It considers the wind speed that reaches the property. It’s important to note that strong winds reaching the property don't necessarily equate to damage to the building. The building’s vulnerability to that wind will determine damage estimates. Say, for example, there is a 1% chance that 80 mph winds impact a given neighborhood this year. One home in that neighborhood has a single floor elevation and a cement roof while another is 3 floors with a shingle roof. In this wind scenario, a home with 3 floors and a shingle roof may experience more wind damage. 

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Estimated repair costs

The estimated repair costs are based on the speed of wind projected to reach the property in a certain wind scenario. Lower probabilities represent stronger winds that are less likely to occur, but more likely to cause greater damage. A rare wind event has a only 0.2% chance of occurring in a single year. However, if this scenario were to occur, the speed of wind and amount of damage caused would be much greater than the speed of wind from regular events that have a 20% likelihood of occurring.

Estimated repair time

Estimated repair time is the number of days needed to repair damaged building materials, caused by a particular wind scenario. Rarer wind scenarios not only cause greater damage to a home, but the entire area impacted surrounding it, such as time for building restoration, contractor and engineer mobilization. For this reason, repair time estimates consider factors that delay the start of building repairs. Once the impending delays are resolved, downtime estimates are calculated by averaging repair times for each damaged building component.

Damages by wind speed

The damage caused by wind varies based on speed. Higher wind gust speeds typically cause greater and more costly damage to a home. Select a wind gust speed from the drop-down to see the property’s likelihood of that speed, as well as its estimated repair costs and repair time would be from expected damages associated with that speed. 

It's important to note that lower-intensity windstorms are more common than major windstorms, so lower wind speeds have a higher likelihood. Based on the wind gust speed selected the chart tells you the likelihood of that speed occurring over the next 30 years. 

Estimated repair costs

Estimated cost to repair refers to the estimated cost a property owner can expect to pay as a result of structural damage to their building from a certain intensity or wind speed over a selected period of time. These cost estimates consider the speed of the wind, property value, number of stories of a structure, the roof type, and other building characteristics. Using historical records from actual insurance claims, the relationship between wind speed and the amount of damage caused is analyzed to estimate a property’s cost to repair wind damage. Estimated repair costs are then calculated by adding each year's annual wind damage estimate over the selected period of time. For example, if a property’s annual wind damage is estimated to be $100 every year, the potential loss to that building would be $1,500 in 15 years. 

Estimated repair time

Estimated days for damage repair reflect the total number of days needed to repair the amount of damage caused by a particular wind event. Estimated repair time is calculated through a process similar to structural damage estimates. However, instead of calculating the cost to repair damaged building materials, repair time estimates evaluate the time needed to repair damaged building materials, as well as factors that delay the start of building repairs. Factors that impede repair start include time for building restoration, contractor and engineer mobilization, and equipment long lead times. Once the impending delays are resolved, repair time estimates are calculated by averaging repair times for each damaged building component.

Tornado damages

For properties in areas that have risk from tornadoes, the damage caused by the tornadoes varies by tornado category. Tornadoes are rated from EF0-5 based on estimated wind damage speed where an EF is gusts from 65-85 mph and an EF5 is wind gusts exceeding 200 mph. Higher categories and wind gust speeds typically cause greater and more costly damage to a home. You can select a category/gust speed from the drop-down to see the property’s estimated repair costs and repair time if that event were to occur.

It's important to note that lower-intensity tornadoes are more common than major tornadoes, so lower wind speeds have a higher likelihood. 

Estimated repair costs

Estimated cost to repair refers to the estimated cost a property owner can expect to pay as a result of structural damage to their building from that category of a tornado.

Estimated repair time

Estimated days for damage repair reflect the total number of days needed to repair the amount of damage caused by that selected tornado event. Repair time estimates evaluate the time needed to repair damaged building materials, as well as factors that delay the start of building repairs. 

Annualized damages

Annual wind damage estimates capture a homeowner’s expected cost per year to repair wind damage to their home. This then provides an estimate for the expected loss per year that a property owner can expect to pay as a result of damage to their home from severe wind events.

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The increasing cost of wind 

Due to changing environmental factors estimated repair costs generally increase over time as the risk of wind to a property increases. Changes in the environment have already increased the likelihood of hurricanes reaching further north or stronger events reaching the coast. As these trends continue into the future, more American properties will be at risk, and the damage and costs from hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe storms will continue to add up.

If a property’s wind risk is projected to increase in the future, the estimated annual wind damage in 30 years will be higher than the estimated damage this year. However, future annual wind damage estimates do not consider inflation or home improvements that might increase building value, both of which would increase wind damage costs. You can learn more by reviewing our wind methodology and preparing for these events by evaluating appropriate wind solutions.

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