Open AccessBuyer Beware: Some Words of Caution on the Use of Severe Wind Reports in Postevent Assessment and Research
Author(s) -
Robert J. Trapp,
Dustan M. Wheatley,
Nolan T. Atkins,
Ronald W. Przybylinski,
Ray A. Wolf
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
weather and forecasting
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.393
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1520-0434
pISSN - 0882-8156
DOI - 10.1175/waf925.1
Subject(s) - thunderstorm , storm , mesoscale meteorology , environmental science , meteorology , event (particle physics) , severe weather , convective storm detection , scope (computer science) , climatology , geology , geography , computer science , physics , quantum mechanics , programming language
Postevent damage surveys conducted during the Bow Echo and Mesoscale Convective Vortex Experiment demonstrate that the severe thunderstorm wind reports in Storm Data served as a poor characterization of the actual scope and magnitude of the surveyed damage. Contrasting examples are presented in which a few reports grossly underrepresented a significant event (in terms of property damage and actual areal coverage of damage), while a large number of reports overrepresented a relatively less significant event. Explanations and further discussion of this problem are provided, as are some of the implications, which may include a skewed understanding of how and when systems of thunderstorms cause damage. A number of recommendations pertaining to severe wind reporting are offered.