Facts About Thunderstorms

5/9/2023 (Permalink)

How much do you know about thunderstorms?

How much do you know about thunderstorms? These storms are so common that many of us rarely think about them, but they can actually be very dangerous. 

While many thunderstorms cause little to no damage—and probably don’t even disrupt daily life—the high winds, lightning, hail, flooding and other issues of thunderstorms can cause damage to property and be hazardous to people and pets. 

What is a thunderstorm, anyhow? Just what it sounds like! A thunderstorm is defined as any storm that contains thunder. A thunderstorm is recognized as severe when it contains hail that is one inch or larger and straight-line winds of 58 miles per hour or more. 

How Thunderstorms Cause Damage 

• Damage and injury from lightning strikes. Did you know that where there is thunder there is always lightning? That’s because the booming noise of thunder is actually caused by a lightning strike! These strikes can be dangerous, and it is reported that they cause around 300 injuries every year. Beyond injuries, lightning strikes can also cause fires and damage to your home or other property due to fallen tree branches. 
• Property damage due to hail. When you think of hail, damage to cars probably comes to mind. But while hail does commonly damage cars, it can also cause damage to other property and even people. These frozen pellets vary in size, and when they’re larger, they can negatively impact your home’s roof or siding, leading to leaks and water damage. 
• Harm from flash flooding. Flash floods can occur any time there is heavy rain for a plethora of reasons—even if storm drains back up or small ditches become filled with water, heavy rain can quickly turn these things into a life-threatening flooding scenario. And these dangerous floods can occur anywhere, not simply in places where there’s a known flood plain. If flash flood conditions are present, it’s important to stay off the roads. Even an inch of flood water can be dangerous and even deadly.