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Wind damage claims and the 58 mph severe threshold

The NWS severe-wind criterion is 50 knots (about 58 mph). Storm Events wind rows carry a magnitude in knots plus a type code: MG (measured gust), EG (estimated gust), MS/ES (sustained). Estimated gusts — often derived from damage — are the majority away from airports and mesonet stations.

Wind rows earn their place in hail claim files in two ways: when the carrier attributes shingle loss to wind exclusion-style arguments, the absence or presence of recorded severe wind on the date matters; and when hail fell with severe wind, impact angles change and sub-severe stones become damaging. Cite the row, its type code, and its distance — an estimated gust is still an official record, but say it is estimated.

What wind speed starts damaging roofs?

Insurer and engineering practice generally puts onset of shingle damage for aged asphalt roofs around 50–60 mph gusts, with well-installed newer shingles rated higher. The NWS files a wind event as severe at 58 mph. As always, the recorded gust near the address anchors the question; the inspection answers it.

What is the difference between MG and EG in Storm Events?

MG is a measured gust from an anemometer; EG is estimated, typically from damage indicators. Both are official records; measured carries more evidentiary weight and a report should preserve the distinction rather than flatten both to "58 mph wind."

The carrier says wind, the contractor says hail. What does the record contribute?

The dated rows: whether the storm that passed produced recorded severe wind, recorded ≥1-inch hail, both, or neither. That constrains the causation argument before anyone climbs a ladder, and frames what the physical inspection should look for (impact bruising vs uplift patterns).

Sources and standing caveat

Official records referenced throughout: NCEI Storm Events Database (the official NWS storm record, 1950–present) and SPC daily storm reports (preliminary, same-day). NWS records are point and path observations. The absence of a nearby report does NOT prove that no hail fell at this address — it means no observation was logged nearby. A report of nearby hail documents the event; it does not by itself prove damage to a specific structure. Nothing on this page is legal, insurance, or public-adjusting advice — deadlines, coverage and remedies are policy- and state-specific.

Put the record in the file

A per-address verification report compiles every NWS-recorded hail and wind event within 1, 3 and 10 miles of any US address — distances, official narratives, citations, provenance labels — formatted as an insurance-appeal attachment, hosted on HailEvidence (the neutral evidence surface).

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