The Windiest City in the U.S. Is…

When it came to wind speed, Nashville snagged the title of the windiest city in 2016, according to new data from CoreLogic.
 
In its Windy City Index, an annual analysis of wind-related events, Nashville topped the list of major metro areas with 21 wind-related events and a maximum wind speed of 72 mph. Other top windy cities for 2016 are Reno, Nev.; Jackson, Miss.; Cincinnati; and Columbia, S.C.
 
In terms of wind speeds for the largest metros last year, Tallahassee, Fla., had the highest wind speed at 92 mph on September 1. Kennedy Space Center in Florida recorded the highest estimated wind speed in 2016 at 101 mph on October 6 during Hurricane Matthew, a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane.
 
"Wind can cause significant damage whether associated with an actual hurricane or not," said Curtis McDonald, product manager at CoreLogic. "Wind speeds of 92 mph, even without a hurricane–as seen in Tallahassee–can be a significant threat to life and property. Hurricane Matthew's high winds will result in insurance claims related specifically to wind events, and with insurance industry estimates putting wind damage at 25 percent of all insurance claims each year, that percentage will likely be higher in 2016 due to Matthew."