It's not squared, or tripled, it increases 500 or a 1000 fold.How do you 'grade' damage: above a certain windspeed threshold EVERYTHNG except stubs of reinforced-concrete remain standing, and winds extending out from the center tend to 'tail off' down to something survivable in the 60-70 MPH range ...
Destroyed is destroyed, I agree.
I was referring to a discussion Jeffers and I were having on whether the difference in increase in wind force is the square of the wind velocity difference or the cube. Now we have the newspaper citing unnamed scientists that it is 500 or a 1000 fold.
But don't attribute me with the 500 to a 1000 fold group. I am sticking with the square. So if Miami had 77 mph, then this storm at 154 (just for scientific purposes) is double, which is four times the force.