Buyer beware: Some words of caution on the use of severe wind reports in postevent assessment and research

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.