Nuclear weapons: estimated wind velocity within blast radius

In the event of an explosion from a one megaton nuclear weapon, the peak wind velocity within a one mile radius of the explosion, where peak overpressure (i.e. the force of the blast) was 20 pounds per square inch (psi), could be expected to reach up to 470 miles per hour. In this vicinity, reinforced concrete structures are levelled. Wind speeds then fall as the distance from the epicenter grows, but even when the pressure of the blast force falls to three psi, winds are still at 95 mph, with the strength to destroy the walls of houses and steel-frame buildings. Even at distances where the force falls to one psi, large quantities of debris and glass would still be thrown through the air and cause a significant amount of damage. If the explosion was to occur at ground level, wind velocities would be even stronger within 1.5 miles of ground zero, but would decline more rapidly beyond this point.

For context, a Category 5 hurricane (the highest classification on the Saffir-Simpson scale) has winds exceeding 157 mph, with the two deadliest hurricanes in recent U.S. history, Hurricanes Katrina and Maria, having top wind speeds of around 175 mph.