PlainHazard

High Wind

NOAA Storm Events type · 98,403 records since 1996 · 58 states and territories

The National Weather Service defines high wind as: "Sustained non-convective winds of 35 knots (40 mph) or greater lasting for 1 hour or longer, or gusts of 50 knots (58 mph) or greater for any duration (or otherwise locally/regionally defined)." NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 98,403 high wind records from 1996 through June 30, 2026, the most in Wyoming (8,729), with 494 deaths recorded.

How the National Weather Service files high wind

Sustained non-convective winds of 35 knots (40 mph) or greater lasting for 1 hour or longer, or gusts of 50 knots (58 mph) or greater for any duration (or otherwise locally/regionally defined). In some mountainous areas, the above numerical values are 43 knots (50 mph) and 65 knots (75 mph), respectively.
National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605, Storm Data Preparation (July 26, 2021), Appendix A, entry 24

Source: National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605. Read the instruction (PDF).

High Wind, 1996 to 2026

Records per year (2026 to June 30, 2026).

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $10 million
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • $10 billion or more, or 1,000 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
98,4031996 to June 30, 2026
Deaths
4942,060 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$20.0Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Counties with a record
2,949of 3,266

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026. Search the record at NCEI.

Where do high wind records happen?

States

  1. Wyoming 8,729
  2. Montana 7,676
  3. California 7,149
  4. Texas 5,942
  5. South Dakota 4,975
  6. Colorado 4,182
  7. New Mexico 4,054
  8. Alaska 3,814
  9. Nebraska 3,649
  10. Kansas 3,336
  11. Oregon 3,042
  12. New York 2,952
  13. Nevada 2,949
  14. Iowa 2,700
  15. North Dakota 2,624

Counties

  1. Albany County, WY 4,328
  2. Carbon County, WY 2,597
  3. Laramie County, WY 2,584
  4. Kern County, CA 1,700
  5. Culberson County, TX 1,428
  6. Glacier County, MT 1,272
  7. Washoe County, NV 1,025
  8. Pondera County, MT 1,019
  9. Platte County, WY 984
  10. Curry County, OR 981

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).

When do high wind records happen?

The busiest month is March.

The values, month by month

Jan 12,519 · Feb 13,541 · Mar 14,366 · Apr 12,629 · May 4,781 · Jun 2,718 · Jul 708 · Aug 744 · Sep 3,094 · Oct 8,454 · Nov 10,761 · Dec 14,088 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

The deadliest high wind records

The high wind records with the most deaths
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2006-12-14 High WindKing County and Kitsap County, WA · forecast zone Seattle/Bremerton Area More than 100 flights were canceled or delayed at Sea-tac airport. The Seattle PI failed to produce a print edition of their newspaper for the first time since 1936. There were eight indirect fatalities from carbon monoxide poisoning following the wind storm as a result of inproper or indoor use of barbeques or power ... 64 kt wind 8 290 $25M
1999-09-25 High WindFoothills Of The Blue Mountains, OR · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains A strong Pacific cold front associated with a deep low pressure system north of Washington State brought strong winds over Oregon and Washington during the morning and early afternoon. These high winds raised clouds of dust over the Columbia basin, reducing visibilities to less than a quarter mile over Umatilla and ... 8 0 –
1999-05-01 High WindChaves County, NM · forecast zone Guadalupe Mountains Of Chaves County / X Sw Chaves High winds were blamed in a fatal travel trailer-church bus accident in southwest Chaves County that claimed 7 lives. State Police concluded that winds of 50-55 mph swept a truck pulling a travel trailer into the opposing lane and slicing into an on-coming bus filled with teenagers returning from a church retreat. One ... 7 0 –
2012-10-29 High WindNassau County, NY · forecast zone Southern Nassau A wind gust up to 80 mph was reported by the coast guard near Point Lookout at 750 pm. A wind gust of 79 mph was reported near Lido Beach at 615 pm. On November 8th, a male was struck and killed by a car as he crossed the street. The traffic lights were out due to the loss of power. 70 kt wind 6 1 $1.3M
2012-10-29 High WindMiddlesex County, NJ · forecast zone Middlesex Post Tropical Storm Sandy was the costliest natural disaster by far in the state of New Jersey. Record breaking high tides and wave action combined with sustained winds as high as 60 to 70 mph with wind gusts as high as around 90 mph to batter the state. Statewide, Sandy caused an estimated 29.4 billion dollars in ... 61 kt wind 6 0 $166M
2020-09-07 High WindClackamas County and 2 more, OR · forecast zone North Oregon Cascades Foothills Fairly widespread tree damage, and power outages in the area caused by down trees, power lines. Many areas of wind damage subsequently burned. 61 kt wind 5 0 $2.3B
2012-10-29 High WindSuffolk County, NY · forecast zone Northwest Suffolk A wind gust to 96 mph was measured at the USCG Eatons Neck Station. This report is at an elevated platform of 71 feet, with an estimated gust of 87 mph at 10 meters. The wind report occurred at 655 pm. In Commack, a 57 year old homeless female was killed when a tree fell on her tent. In Nissequogue, a male, age ... 83 kt wind 5 0 $1.3M
2012-10-29 High WindEssex County, NJ · forecast zone Eastern Essex The FAA observer at Newark Airport estimated a wind gust up to 78 mph at 751 pm. Two females were found dead from Carbon monoxide poisoning. This was a result of a loss of power to their building. A 65 year old female was found dead as she ran out of oxygen. This was due to the loss of power in her home in Jersey ... 68 kt wind 5 0 $1.2M

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, deaths direct and indirect as filed.

The most recent high wind records

To June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-30 High WindRed Willow County, NE · forecast zone Red Willow 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-29 High WindAlbany County and Carbon County, WY · forecast zone North Snowy Range Foothills 59 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-29 High WindFremont County and 2 more, WY · forecast zone Green Mountains & Rattlesnake Range 53 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-29 High WindNatrona County, WY · forecast zone Natrona County Lower Elevations 71 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-29 High WindClay County, MN · forecast zone Clay 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-29 High WindClay County, MN · forecast zone Clay 61 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-29 High WindClay County, MN · forecast zone Clay 53 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-29 High WindClay County, MN · forecast zone Clay 53 kt wind 0 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

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