MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Wind is the most impactful type of severe weather that we see in the Mid-South. It creates more damage reports than any other type of severe weather over the course of a year.
When it comes to wind speed, winds must reach 58 mph or greater to be considered severe. It is at this point that the wind could cause damage to homes and property.
There are two main ways that we can get severe winds here in the Mid-South.
The first of these is through what we call downbursts. This type of wind can be common in spring and summer storms. Storms are driven by intense upward motion. When this begins to weaken, everything that is suspended up in the cloud can come crashing back down to Earth. This creates intense winds that can reach 80 to more than 100 mph and can cause as much wind damage as a weak tornado. Sometimes this type of wind can happen on a very small scale, and these are called microbursts.
The second way we can get strong wind is through straight-line winds. These are often associated with squall lines and are the result of the downward motion of the rain along with pressure and temperature changes as the storm moves forward. This can also create winds in excess of 70mph and cause widespread damage compared to the localized nature of downbursts.
When it comes to keeping yourself safe, it is best to react to these threats as if a tornado was approaching your home. Getting to an interior room away from windows is the safest place to be as the severe weather rolls through.
If you have any pictures of storm damage when storms hit the Mid-South, we would love to see them if you can take a picture safely. Text photos, videos or reports to 901-321-7520.