What Makes a Thunderstorm Into a *Severe* Thunderstorm?

5/7/2021 (Permalink)

Thunderstorms can pop up at any moment. Contact SERVPRO of NW & SW Dutchess if you experience any damage.

What comes to mind when you think about severe weather? Many people cite tornadoes and hurricanes—and maybe even cyclones or monsoons if they’re thinking about weather around the world.

But what about thunderstorms?

These common storms, which are any storm that involves thunder, occur so frequently that we often disregard them as harmless. But that can be dangerous.

Thunderstorms often involve high winds, lightning, hail, flooding and other issues, so there are many ways that the weather can turn dangerous quickly. A thunderstorm turns into severe weather when certain conditions are present.

Severe thunderstorms are defined as storms that contain hail that is one inch or larger and straight-line winds of 58 miles per hour or more. Read on as we take a deeper dive into the topic.

The Dangers Thunderstorms Can Cause

Damage and injury from lightning strikes. We’ve already mentioned that thunderstorms always involve thunder. But did you know that they always involve lightning, too? That’s because thunder and lightning are always paired together; you can’t have one without the other. Lightning strikes can be dangerous, causing around 300 injuries every year. Bodily harm isn’t the only danger, either. Lightning can cause damage to your home both directly and indirectly, through things like striking a tree that then falls on your house.

Property damage due to hail. These are some pesky little ice pellets, and they can also be quite dangerous. Hail can fall at tremendous speeds, making it a painful and powerful force. The pellets vary in size from tiny to quite large. When hail is large, such as in a severe thunderstorm, it can easily damage your home by affecting the roof or siding, which can in turn lead to leaks and water damage.

Harm from flash flooding. “Turn around, don’t drown” is more than just a catch phrase. It’s a very important rule to know when it comes to flash floods. Flash flooding can occur in any place at any time due to a number of factors, ranging from intense, heavy rainfall to a defective drainage ditch. When it occurs, anyone in the area is in danger. If flash flood conditions are possible, it’s best to stay off the road.

Thunderstorms are dangerous and can cause significant damage to homes or commercial spaces. If you have damage due to a thunderstorm, you can count on us to help. Contact us ²⁴⁄₇ for more information about our storm restoration practices.