High winds are associated with thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes. High winds from thunderstorms and tornadoes usually last for a few minutes, at most. Thunderstorms can produce strong downdrafts or micro/macro bursts that can destroy mobile homes and other generally weak structures. Winds inside an EF2 (Enhanced Fujita Scale Level 2) tornado can be as strong as Cat 4 hurricane winds. A significant difference between the two is the duration of the wind. Most houses cannot sustain a direct hit by an EF2 tornado without significant damage. An EF2 tornado just a hundred yards away will probably only leave some debris blown into your yard. No such luck with a Cat 4 hurricane.

A Cat 4 hurricane is going to give you several hours of tropical storm force winds followed by several hours of increasingly strong hurricane force winds. Virtually every house that sustains Cat 3 or Cat 4 strength winds will have structural damage requiring major rebuilding of each house in the area hit. Some homes will be lucky and not have structural damage, but these will be few and far between. Evacuation of Calcasieu Parish is mandatory for Cat 3 or higher hurricanes. In such a situation you can expect two or more weeks without power and/or minimum services usually associated with human survival under reasonable conditions. Only first responders and those persons needed to rebuild the infrastructure, including cooks and security personnel, should be in the area that has suffered such destruction.