Extreme Wind Events and Damage Assessment in the U.S.

摘要

The focus of this paper is on severe windstorm events, including severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and tropical cyclones affecting the United States. Recent trends in hurricane and tornado activity in the U.S., and some scientific controversy regarding secular changes and possible connections to global warming are examined. Even though damages due to windstorms continue to rise, fatalities in the U.S. have generally declined, with the exception of major hurricane impacts like KATRINA, 2005. I attribute this dichotomy to movement of the population to areas more prone to windstorms, while the accuracy of warnings has improved. The history of scientific post-storm damage surveys in the U.S. is summarized, and the importance of such surveys for future assessments of windstorm phenomena vs. global climate change is highlighted. Finally, I examine the various windstorm disaster risks across the U.S., and find that those risks are increasingly dependent on construction practices (including manufactured housing) and the development of adequate shelters.