You've heard a lot about wind speed, but how much damage can actually be done? We found out with a little help from the Museum of Science and Industry and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.
Winds speeds for a tropical depression are anywhere 20-38 miles per hour, much like Beryl in 2012. That's likely what we will see in our area west of I-75.
Grayson Kamm is the Communications Director at MOSI. "Tropical depression strength winds are going to blow down some branches, maybe a fence, do some light damage like that around the community."
Tropical storm Colin hit this past June. Tropical Storms can have sustained winds of 39-73 mph. This is likely what will happen in areas like Polk county and east of I-75. Kamm describes the damage. "Tropical storm force winds are going to do some damage plus you might get some stronger gusts. If you're unlucky, you might really get socked with a strong blast of wind." Shingles can come flying off at around 70 mph winds.
A category 1 hurricane can do some major damage, especially to manufactured homes, ripping them apart during sustained 80 mph winds.
The hurricane simulator at MOSI only goes to 74 miles per hour, a category 1 hurricane, we went inside to show you what it's like. "A category 1 -- like in here at MOSI right now -- is going to take shingles off of roofs and bring down some branches. A category 4 has the power to take off whole roofs of newer houses, it will bring down every tree in the neighborhood making roads impassable for weeks."
The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety created these videos to show the power of wind damage. Check out what happens to this house at 100 mile per hour sustained winds: a category 2 hurricane.
Another video shows what happens to a concrete block business when winds reach 136 miles per hour -- a category 4, what Matthew is now.
More on Hurricane Matthew:
