A Special Winds Region is an area that has the potential to be hazardous due to wind. A region can be classified as a Special Winds Region if it meets two or more of the following criteria:
- The average daily sustained surface wind speeds are at least 50 knots (54 mph) for 20 days per year; and
- There have been winds with gusts over 115 miles per hour recorded within any 24 hours period, which caused damages exceeding $25 million in property loss during that time.
Each day’s forecasted conditions could result in changes on what regions would qualify as a special winds hazard so you will need to check back often. For instance, Hurricane Irma had some strong winds up high but other parts of the hurricane had lower speeds.
HazardHub’s API provides access to NOAA and other data sources which can be used in a variety of applications, including updating Hazards or checking if an area qualifies as a Special Winds Region. HazardHub has mapped out many different areas throughout the United States that could have wind hazards such as tornados, hurricanes, extreme winds and floods so you’ll know where your property might be at risk.
More on Special Winds Regions:
The National Weather Service defines special winds regions for atmospheric hazards based on sustained surface wind speeds exceeding 50 knots (54 mph) for 20 days per year with some qualification requirements for damage amounts during any 24 hour period. These types of hazardous weather include hurricanes, tornados and extreme winds.
