A description of direct simulation of crosswind loads caused by critical vortex excitation and the response of the structure to these loads are presented in this paper. Tower-like structures of circular cross-sections are considered. A proposed mathematical model of vortex excitation has been numerically implemented and a selfserving computer program was created for the purpose. This software, cooperating with the FEM system, allows for a simulation of a crosswind load and lateral response in real time, meaning that at each time step of the calculations the load is generated using information regarding displacements seen beforehand. A detailed description of the mathematical model is neglected in this paper, which is focused on numerical simulations. WAWS and AR methods are used in simulations.