ifoam -- you are right, I have lived in both types of areas, and no wind and hills is much, much better. The wind just sucks the life out of you.

I have been blown down -- foolishly went to zip up my coat with both hands and a gust hit me and I was in the ditch. Thankfully was wearing a helmet as I landed head first. Stupid move on my part, but learned my lesson.

I think one of the most dangerous aspects of wind is the effect passing trucks can have on windy days, I am sure there is a physicist that can explain better, but that combination of leaning into the wind, followed by the vacuum effect of the truck's wake as it passes, has sucked me over several feet into the driving lane -- which can be catostrophic if there is a vehicle closely following the truck.

I don't ride in anything above 35mph. But, once I was almost blown over by a 70 mph gust while standing.

Middle of the night, on the last night of the Last Chance 1200K randonnee ..... tired, dark, and VERY, VERY windy!! I was blown all over the road ... onto rumble strips, into my cycling partner, nearly into the path of fast moving semis. I was so scared I had to stop several times to get myself to stop shaking.