Wind damage is consistently among the most common causes of home insurance claims. Strong winds can rip shingles off roofs, send projectiles through windows, and uproot trees. The stronger the winds, the costlier the damage may be to fix.
We’ll cover the latest wind damage statistics, including areas of the country most susceptible to wind damage and whether your home insurance will cover it. We’ll also offer tips for minimizing and preventing damage, like choosing storm windows that best withstand high winds.
Key Takeaways
- Nearly 49% of all home insurance property damage claims from 2018 to 2022 were due to strong winds and hail. The average claim for wind and hail damage was $13,511.
- Minnesota has the highest wind property damage costs in the country, at $112,000,000 expected annual losses. Michigan is a close second, with expected annual losses of $108,000,000.
- One in 35 homeowners has filed a claim related to wind or hail.
- New York City, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Chicago are among the U.S. cities with the highest risk index for strong winds.
- Windows and roofs are the parts of your home most vulnerable to wind damage.
Wind Damage Trends
As climate change leads to a greater number of more powerful storms, homeowners are increasingly likely to deal with a damaging wind event at some point in their lives. According to the most recent data from the Insurance Information Institute (III), wind and hail events are the most common cause of property damage.
Number of Annual Wind Damage Claims
According to III data, damage from high wind and hail accounted for 40.7% of claims in 2022, a 0.9% increase from 2021. One in 35 households filed a wind- or hail-related property damage claim from 2018 to 2022, and the average claim severity was $13,511.
What Regions Are Most Affected by Wind?
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the areas in the country most affected by strong winds include the Mid-Atlantic, parts of the lower Northeast, the Upper Midwest, and parts of the Great Plains. Cities that experience the strongest wind events include Minneapolis, Detroit, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Phoenix.
The U.S. states with the most wind damage are Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Iowa, New Jersey, and Illinois, according to FEMA National Risk Index data. The table below offers a breakdown of the number of strong wind events in these states, the square mileage of affected areas, and an estimate of how much property damage each state expects on an annual basis. Minnesota has the highest wind-related property damage costs in the country, totaling $112,000,000 per year.
| State | Number of Strong Wind Events | Impacted Area (Square Miles) | Expected Annual Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 80 | 84,898 | $112,000,000 |
| Michigan | 103 | 58,806 | $108,000,000 |
| Texas | 62 | 268,347 | $96,294,836 |
| Iowa | 179 | 56,841 | $92,584,049 |
| New Jersey | 225 | 7,731 | $84,618,975 |
| Illinois | 181 | 56,907 | $57,283,483 |
How Can Wind Damage Your Home?
While winds themselves can cause damage to your home, especially if a storm produces hail, the greatest threats come from objects like tree branches, rocks, and fence posts picked up and thrown by sudden gusts. To better protect your home from potential wind damage, familiarize yourself with the kinds of powerful winds your area may be prone to.
Types of Damaging Winds
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has identified eight types of damaging winds. Depending on where you live, you may never encounter some of these, but it’s important to know the different kinds of powerful winds as you safeguard your home and property.
- Straight-line wind: Any thunderstorm wind that isn’t a product of rotation, i.e., non-tornadic winds
- Macroburst: An outward burst of wind with dimensions larger than 2.5 miles that occurs when a downdraft hits a surface
- Microburst: A short-lived outward burst of wind with dimensions smaller than 2.5 miles that occurs when a downdraft hits a surface
- Downburst: The general term that describes both macro- and microbursts
- Gust front: Forms when rain-cooled air meets warmer thunderstorm inflow, causing gusty wind shifts and sharp temperature drops
- Derecho: A sustained, widespread band of showers and thunderstorms that often moves very quickly; sometimes called an inland hurricane
- Haboob: A wall of dust created by high-speed thunderstorm downbursts in dry areas
Below is a wind speed chart that outlines what damage may occur based on the strength of the gust according to the Beaufort Wind Scale. The National Weather Service characterizes a strong breeze as a gust of at least 25 miles per hour.
| Speed | Description | Visual Clues and Damage Effects |
|---|---|---|
| 25–31 mph | Strong breeze | Whistling sounds, large tree branches in motion |
| 32–38 mph | Near gale | Whole trees in motion, difficult to walk against |
| 39–46 mph | Gale | Twigs and small branches broke, walking impeded |
| 47–54 mph | Severe gale | Structural damage like blown-off roofing tiles, broken antennas, ground littered with broken branches and twigs |
| 55–63 mph | Storm | Small trees uprooted, significant roof damage |
| 64–72 mph | Violent storm | Larger trees blown over and uprooted |
| Over 72 mph | Hurricane force | Roofs peeled off, windows broken, vehicles overturned |
Areas of the Home Most Susceptible to Wind Damage
Four parts of your house are vulnerable to powerful winds.
- Windows: If you’re wondering how much wind windows can withstand, the answer depends on the kind of windows you’ve outfitted your home with. Most windows come with a specific design pressure (DP) rating. The DP rating for standard residential windows ranges from 15 to 50. A window with a DP rating of 15 can withstand winds of up to 77 miles per hour before shattering, while a hurricane window with a DP rating of 50 can withstand winds of up to 173 miles per hour. Beyond the force of the wind itself, the debris picked up by the winds can cause a window pane to shatter.
- Roof: High winds can rip up roof shingles and damage flashing around your chimney. Missing shingles and damaged flashing can lead to water leaks and structural issues down the line.
- Doors: A strong enough wind can blow a door off its hinges. Double-entry doors are especially prone to severe damage, as they often have large panes of glass. Flying debris can also pierce doors. Experts suggest outfitting entrances with storm doors that open outwards, creating a more stable barrier against high winds.
- Garage: Garage doors are also vulnerable to wind, as they’re not typically super sturdy. If a garage door breaks due to wind, anything within the garage can be damaged.
Is Wind Damage Covered by Insurance?
In most cases, your homeowners insurance policy will cover wind damage, but it’s a good idea to read your policy to be sure. If your policy does include coverage for wind events, two types of protection can help you repair damage to your property:
- Dwelling coverage: This protects your home’s structure and may help cover the cost of repairs to your home’s roof, windows, or siding.
- Personal property coverage: This covers replacement costs for items in your home if they are damaged by wind or if wind damage causes water, sand, or dust to enter your home and damage your property.
How To Protect Your Property From Wind Damage
Wind damage might seem like a scary possibility if you live in an area with a high amount of storms, but there are plenty of steps you can take to weatherproof your home and property.
We’ll detail specific things you can do inside and outside the home in the sections below, but there are a few common-sense tips you should keep in mind when preparing for storms. First, double-check your home insurance policy to see if wind damage is covered. Document all the belongings in your house with photos and notes—this will be helpful if wind damage leads to water damage, for example. If you expect upcoming bad weather, make sure to unplug certain appliances before the storm hits.
Inside the Home
Here are a few tips for protecting the inside of your home from wind damage:
- Build a safe room: You can reinforce an existing room in your home or build a new room underground where you and your family can seek shelter from intense storms. Storm shelters can be designed to withstand hurricane-force winds and avoid gathering water during heavy rains.
- Use storm shutters and storm windows: Storm shutters help prevent window panes from shattering when struck with debris kicked up by high winds. Storm windows have high-impact glass designed to withstand high winds and flying hazards.
- Reinforce doors: All doors can fail due to high wind pressure, especially the garage door and double-entrance doors. Garage doors can be reinforced with girts and strong wheel tracks. Adding heavy-duty deadbolts, side bolts, and longer hinge attachments to double-entry doors can help protect them from intense winds.
Outside the Home
Here are a few tips for protecting what’s outside of your home from wind damage:
- Fortify your roof: A weak roof can open your home up to considerable damage, so replace any loose shingles and install roof strappings if you live in an area with a high probability of wind events. Roof repairs can be quite expensive, so ensuring your roof is protected will save you money down the line.
- Maintain surrounding trees: High winds can detach branches or uproot entire trees, so clear or trim any dead or damaged trees regularly. Make sure there are no trees within 40 feet of your home for maximum safety.
- Secure loose objects outside: Trash cans, loose railings, sports equipment, and gardening tools can all become hazardous if picked up by wind.
- Seal all gaps and cracks: Check that all the caulking around your windows is in good condition, and reseal it if there are any gaps or cracks.
- Secure outdoor structures: Inspect fences, sheds, and porches to ensure they’re structurally sound.
- Replace gravel with mulch or dirt: Gravel can cause substantial damage during high winds, shredding siding and puncturing gutters or pipes. To avoid such damage, replace gravel with softer materials like mulch or dirt.
- Anchor outdoor utilities: Tie down or otherwise secure any fuel tanks or other outdoor utilities to reduce the risk of them being overturned by strong gusts.
Our Conclusion
Strong winds can damage your home’s windows, roof, and doors. According to III statistics, wind and hail are the number one cause of home insurance claims. Of the 5.8% of homes that filed an insurance claim from 2018 to 2022, nearly 49% experienced damage due to wind or hail.
There are certain steps you can take to protect your home, starting with checking to see if wind damage is covered by your home insurance policy. We recommend installing storm windows and reinforcing your doors to protect the inside of your home. Fortifying your roof is especially important, as roof damage can be expensive to fix.