All thunder storms are dangerous. Each thunder storm produces lightning. In the United States, an average of 300 people has been injured and 80 people have been killed by lightning. Although most lightning victims survive, people affected by lightning often declare having long term weakening symptoms. Other dangers associated with thunder storms include tornadoes, strong winds, hail, flooding and flash floods. Flash floods are responsible for more than 140 deaths per year, which makes for more than any other type of storm.
Dry storms that don’t produce rain and reach land are more frequent in the west of the United States. Raindrops evaporate, but lightning may reach land and cause fires.
Emergency Information about Thunder Storms or Lightning:
1. Thunder storms may produce intense rain (which in turn may produce flash floods), strong winds, hail, lightning and tornadoes. In a severe thunder storm, go into a resistant building and tune into a battery operated radio to listen to weather information.
2. Lightning is an important threat during thunder storms. In the United States, lightning kills between 75 and 100 Americans every year. If you are caught outdoors, avoid natural arresters, such as tall and isolated trees in an open area or hilltop, and metallic objects, such as fences, golf clubs and metallic tools.
3. It is a myth that lightning never strike the same place two times. In reality, lightning strikes the same place several times during a discharge.
Information About Thunder Storms
• They can happen separately, in groups or lines.
• Some of the most severe thunder storms are produces when a single storm affects a place during a long time.
• Storms usually produce strong rains for a short period, from 30 minutes to an hour.
• Warm and humid conditions are very favorable for storm development.
• Approximately 10 percent of storms classified as serious are those that produce hail, at least an inch in diameter, have winds of 58 miles per hour or more, or produce a tornado.
Information About Lightning
• Lighting is unpredictable and increases the risk for people and their properties.
• Lighting is often produced outside of strong rain and can happen 10 miles away from any precipitation.
• A “heat lightning” is really a storm lightning that is too far away to boom in your ear. However, the storm may travel in your direction.
• Most deaths and injuries caused by lightning occur when people are outdoors during the summer months at night and during the afternoon.
• Their possibilities of being struck by lightning are estimated in 1 in 600,000, but could decrease of you follow safety precautions.
• Lightning victims are not electrically charged and need immediate attention.
Thunder Storms and Lightning
Danger Zones
Although thunder storms and lightning are produced in the entire United States territory, they are more likely to take place at the central and southern states. The state with the most thunder storm days is Florida.
What is a Thunder Storm?
A thunder storm is formed by a combination of humidity, fast rising hot air and a force able to lift air, such as a cold or hot front, a sea breeze or a mountain. All thunder storms carry lightning. Thunder storms may occur individually, in groups or lines. Because of this, it is possible for several storms to affect a location during a few hours. Some of the most serious weather conditions happen when a single thunder storm affects a place during a prolonged period of time.
What is lightning?
Lightning is an electric discharge resulting from an accumulation of positive and negative charges within a thunder storm. When the accumulation gathers enough strength, lightning appears. This flash of light is usually produced within the clouds or between the clouds and the ground. Lightning can reach a temperature of nearly 50.000 degrees Fahrenheit in a split-second. Fast heating and cooling of the air near the lightning produces thunder.
Did you know…?
• At any given moment, almost 1,800 thunder storms are in progress on the Earth’s surface.
• In average, there are 100,000 thunder storms in the United States every year. Approximately 1,000 tornadoes are generated from these storms.
• Hail causes material and crop damage for approximately 1,000 million dollars.
• The strength of electric charge in lightning and its intense heat may cause electric shock at the moment of contact, split trees, start fires and cause electrical failures.
• Lightning causes more deaths at the Atlantic coast. There are more forest fires in the West when lightning season coincides with local drought season.
• Lightning causes approximately 10,000 forest fires every year.
• Annual losses ascend to approximately $100 billion per year for forest and building fires caused by lightning.
• Winds blowing in a straight line at speeds over 100 mph are responsible of most damages caused by thunder storms.
