By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Parts of Texas and New Mexico are expecting wind gusts up to 75 mph on Thursday, the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane.
Why It Matters
Meteorologists warned that driving will be difficult. Power outages also can occur with winds of this speed, and blowing dust will present a problem as well.
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What To Know
High wind warnings, high wind watches and wind advisories have been issued across much of the U.S. on Thursday, extending from South Dakota to Texas and as far east as northwestern Indiana.
Texas and New Mexico are expecting some of the strongest winds. National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists warned of strong gusts in a high wind warning issued on Thursday morning.
In New Mexico, the high wind warning is impacting portions of central, east central, north central, northeast, and southeast New Mexico, including the east slopes of the Sacramento Mountains, the southeast Tularosa Basin, and the west-central Tularosa Basin.
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In Texas, the high winds are impacting eastern and central El Paso County, the Texas Panhandle, and the Guadalupe Mountains.
Sustained winds of up to 45 mph were expected, with gusts hitting up to 75 mph. A Category 1 hurricane has wind speeds of 74 to 95 mph. The winds hitting Texas and New Mexico are not related to a hurricane.
Most of the warnings were expected to go into effect Thursday night and expire on Friday.
People were urged to stay in the lower levels of their home during the windstorm and avoid windows.
Both states also had red-flag warnings in place, warning of high fire danger. Strong winds added to that danger, as well as dry conditions and low humidity.
What People Are Saying
NWS senior meteorologist Jeff Vitale told Newsweek: "It's fairly normal for us to see a few strong wind events a year. This one in particular though looks to be extremely strong. Something like this we only see once every few years."
The NWS office in El Paso, Texas, said in a high wind warning: "Hazardous driving conditions due to reduced visibility. Strong gusty winds could cause structural damage and will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result."
The warning added: "Persons with respiratory problems should make preparations to stay indoors until the storm passes. Be ready for a sudden drop in visibility to near zero. If you encounter blowing dust or blowing sand on the roadway or see it approaching, pull off the road as far as possible and put your vehicle in park. Turn the lights all the way off and keep foot off the brake pedal."
The NWS said in a Thursday morning forecast: "An intense and fast-moving line of storms is expected across the Mississippi Valley into the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys Friday afternoon into early Saturday. Significant wind gusts, strong tornadoes and large hail are expected."
What Happens Next
Most of the wind-related weather alerts are expected to expire by Friday evening.
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