Criteria common to all categories:

(1) there must be a concentrated area of reports consisting of convectively induced wind damage and/or wind gusts ³ 26 ms^-1 (50 kt) that are produced by convection associated with an organized MCS. This area must have a major axis length of at least 400 km.

(2) The reports within this area must also exhibit a nonrandom pattern of occurrence. That is, the reports must show a pattern of chronological progression, either as a singular swath (progressive) or as a series of swaths (serial).

(3) No more than 2.5 h can elapse between successive wind damage (gust) events and each report must be within 200 km of any other report in the wind-gust swath.

(4) The associated MCS, as indicated by surface pressure and wind fields, must have temporal and spatial continuity. However, movement of radar echoes associated with the system need not be continuous.

(5) Multiple swaths of wind damage (including gusts) must be a part of the same MCS as indicated by the available radar data.

No additional wind speed criteria than what is listed above. This minimum criteria is very similar to that used in Bentley and Mote (1998).

In addition to the above criteria, there must be at least three reports, separated by 64 km or more, of either F1-type damage and/or convective gusts of 33 ms^-1 (64 kt) or greater during the MCS stage of the event. These are very similar to the criteria originally developed by Johns and Hirt (1987).

In addition to the above criteria, there must be at least three reports of convective gusts of 38 ms^-1 (75 kt), or comparable damage reports, separated by at least 64 km, at least two of which must occur during the MCS stage of the event.