Having an opportunity to watch 3 hurricanes up close, I noticed a pattern with the winds that I hope can be explained.

My perception is that while the winds are moving laterally at great speed, they also appear to be blowing downward. Most of the debris is lying close to its source. For example, we have a massive oak at the edge of the golf course behind our place. This tree lost a number of branches, large and small, which are ALL lying around the base of the tree.

Many of us have seen pictures of up to three different church steeples piercing the roof of the building right next to the peak of the roof. Seemingly an impossibility if the winds where not also blowing down with close to the same force.

A casual observer would expect debris to be carried great distances away as in a tornado, but this isn’t the case. Even the pictures of catastrophic damage show the debris from damaged or destroyed structures remains near by.

Any insight you can provide for us?