Some local residents and the fishing community have raised concerns about turbine parts breaking off, especially during extreme weather events. One study specifically on winter storms and blackout potential stated: “Results suggest that these so-called wind turbine “cut-out” events likely represent a minor risk compared to the loss of wind power due to low wind speeds and sudden drops in wind speeds during summer, when demand for electricity is higher. Overall, the benefits of having offshore wind power during extreme winter weather appear to outweigh the risks associated with relatively rare cut-out events caused by excessive wind speeds." Another stated that “The risk to offshore wind farms is lowest along the coast of Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. There is less than a 10% probability in those regions that hurricanes destroy more than 10% of a wind farm in 20 years in most counties."  

There is a danger of wind farms being damaged in hurricanes, just as there is a danger of offshore oil rigs being damaged. Pieces of either could be a navigational hazard or wash up on shore after the storm, and repairs afterward cost money, cause repair ship traffic, and interrupt the power supply. What is different is that an oil rig doesn’t just lose equipment from the rig, it also risks leaking oil from the source–even after it has stopped producing oil.  Indeed, the Taylor Spill (https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/longest-running-offshore-oil-spill-you-ve-never-heard-about) in the Gulf of Mexico was triggered by an undersea mudslide after the well was closed.  It was only when scientists working on another oil spill found the plume from the ruptured Taylor wellhead did remediation take place.

Page L-40 in Appendix L of the Revolution Wind FEIS includes how BOEM has responded to this question: “WTG support structures (i.e., towers and foundations) will be designed to withstand 500-year hurricane wind and wave conditions, and the external platform level will be designed above the 1,000-year wave scenario. The OSSs will be designed to at least the 5,000-year hurricane wind and wave conditions in accordance with the American Petroleum Institute standards. The WTGs will be designed following Class I-B specifications of the standards IEC-61400- 1/IEC-61400-3. The design is specifically suited for offshore wind sites with referenced wind speeds of 112 miles per hour (mph) (50 meters per second [m/s] over a 10-minute average) and 50-year extreme gusts of 157 mph (70 m/s over a 3-second average) as well as air temperatures greater than -4° F (-20° C) and less than 122° F (50° C). However, standard environmental operating conditions for the proposed WTGs include cut-in wind speeds of 7 to 11 mph (3 to 5 m/s) and cut-out wind speeds of 55-80 mph (25-35 m/s), and air temperatures between -4º F and 104º F (-20º C and +40º C). The WTGs will automatically shut down outside of these operational limits.” BOEM describes how surveys will be conducted after extreme weather events and inform authorities and fishing communities, “and remedial plans, including those for recovery of materials, would be agreed and implemented.” (L-44, L-46)