Papers of note: Words of caution on the use of severe wind reports

Aerial and ground surveys of wind damage were conducted immediately following quasi-linear mesoscale convective systems (QLCS) events. Comparison of the surveyed damage to relevant severe thunderstorm wind reports listed in Storm Data revealed that reports often poorly characterized the actual scope and magnitude of the damaging QLCS. Two contrasting examples illustrate this: one in which a few reports grossly under-represented a significant event and another in which a large number of reports over-represented a relatively less significant event. As demonstrated through a quantitative comparison, other BAMEX events also exhibited this misrepresentation problem. The results suggest that caution must be exercised when using the Storm Data wind reports as research quality data.