Roof damage from wind usually starts around 58 mph, the National Weather Service's threshold for a severe thunderstorm, and becomes common above 75 mph, where the Enhanced Fujita scale begins. Above 110 mph roofs are torn off entirely. The table below puts the thresholds side by side.
What wind speed is severe?
58 mph. A thunderstorm is severe when it produces gusts of 58 mph or more, hail of 1 inch or larger, or a tornado. Severe thunderstorm warnings also carry damage threat tags: "considerable" from 70 mph and "destructive" from 80 mph. A storm report lists the warnings that covered the property and the gust each one called for.
What does each wind speed do to a roof?
| Wind (3-second gust) | Scale | Typical roof damage |
|---|---|---|
| 39 to 57 mph | Gale to strong | Branches down; loose or old shingles can lift |
| 58 mph and up | NWS severe | Shingles lifted and torn, debris impacts |
| 65 to 85 mph | EF0 | Shingles, gutters and siding removed |
| 86 to 110 mph | EF1 | Roof surfaces peeled off |
| 111 to 135 mph | EF2 | Roofs torn off well-built houses |
| 136 mph and up | EF3 to EF5 | Walls and whole structures destroyed |
The ranges are those of the Enhanced Fujita scale, which the National Weather Service uses to rate tornadoes from the damage they leave. Straight-line thunderstorm winds at the same speed do similar damage, often over a wider area.
Why is wind harder to verify than hail?
Because it is only measured at points. Radar maps hail continuously, but wind speed is known only where an anemometer, a spotter or a damage survey recorded it. Between them, the wind at a given house may have been higher or lower. A storm report therefore gives the strongest wind with a known location within 1, 3 and 5 miles, says where each figure came from, adds wind damage reports and the peak gust at airports within 10 miles, and rates its confidence.
Where do the wind figures in a storm report come from?
- Measured and estimated gusts in National Weather Service storm reports.
- NWS damage surveys, which estimate wind speed from what was damaged, the same method as the EF scale.
- NOAA Storm Events records, which arrive three to six months after an event.
- Airport weather stations, the day's peak gust within 10 miles.
- Warnings whose polygon covered the property, with the gust they called for.
The Wind Verification PDF puts these in one table per storm date. What's in a storm report covers the rest of the report.
How does wind count toward damage chance?
A storm day's damage chance is high when 75 mph wind was recorded within 1 mile or a tornado passed within half a mile, and medium for 58 mph within 1 mile, 75 mph within 3 miles or a tornado within a mile. Hail counts too; the higher of the two sets the day's rating. It is a likelihood from weather data, not a damage finding.
Frequently asked questions
What wind speed damages shingles?
Damage commonly starts around 58 mph, the severe threshold, and is likely from about 75 mph. Older or poorly sealed shingles can lift at lower speeds.
What does EF0 mean?
The lowest Enhanced Fujita rating: estimated 3-second gusts of 65 to 85 mph, enough to remove shingles, gutters and siding.
Was the wind measured at my property?
Almost never. Wind is measured at stations and estimated from reports and damage surveys. A storm report shows the strongest wind with a known location within 1, 3 and 5 miles.