Wind Hazards

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Wind hazards in Colorado take three forms:  high wind, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms. It is not unusual to see tornadoes spin out of major thunderstorms or see severe wind accompany thunderstorms.   

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High wind events in Colorado are most common along the Front Range (due to Chinook and Bora winds coming down from the mountains) and in the northeastern counties. Additionally, the Grand Valley in the western part of the state has also experienced a high number of wind events.

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Severe thunderstorms can spawn super cells that can have tornadoes or hail embedded in them. The frequency of hail damage to crops in northeastern Colorado is quite high. With an average frequency of six or more hail days per year, some counties in eastern Colorado are among the most hail-prone areas in the country (Storm Events Database, n.d.). Another related hazard is flash flooding. The greatest threat of flooding in Colorado is not snowmelt; rather, it is flash flooding from localized intense thunderstorms. 

Unlike some of the other hazards that have loss estimation tools such as Hazus, there are no widely used tools available for predicting or assessing risks or potential losses to wind hazards. To assess wind hazards, communities may need to rely on historical wind hazards as documented in local or regional hazard mitigation plans, or as made available through data resources mentioned below in the available data sources section. 

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Colorado Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan

The Colorado Hazard Mitigation Plan is the State’s FEMA-approved plan that serves as a foundation for the State’s program to reduce risks to people, property, and infrastructure from natural hazards. The Plan is administered and updated by the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. 

Colorado Climate Center

The Colorado Climate Center is housed in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. It is a source of useful information on natural hazards in Colorado and provides an excellent resource to learn about climate in Colorado. 

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