Hobbies And Interests
Lightning
Lightning occurs in all thunderstorms. The reason is the buildup of static electricity within thunderstorms, with the surplus electricity discharged as a lightning strike. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), at the time of publication, lightning strikes the United States 25 million times each year, causing an average of 60 deaths and 300 injuries per year.
Floods
The heavy rain and snowfall associated with storms can lead to floods. Flash floods are also associated with extreme showers or thunderstorm activity, when high rates of precipitation occur over a short space of time. Flash floods may occur with little warning and may occur during or shortly after intense storms. Flash floods often occur in urban areas.
Hailstones
Strong updrafts within a storm carry water droplets to a height where freezing occurs. Ice particles grow in size -- becoming too heavy for the updraft to support -- and fall to the ground, with the largest hailstones falling at speeds of more than 100 mph, according to the NOAA. Hail causes more than $1 billion in damage to crops and property per year.
High Winds
Thunderstorms can produce straight-line winds, reaching speeds of up to 100 mph, according to the NOAA. The high winds the storms produce pose a risk to people and properties, with winds often strong enough to topple trees and road signs.
Tornadoes
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the thunderstorm to the ground. Tornadoes form in a severe thunderstorm called a supercell. Wind entering a supercell storm begins to swirl, forming a funnel, which spins at increasing speeds. This creates a very low-pressure area that subsequently sucks more air into it and becomes a tornado. Tornadoes can be a mile wide and travel along the ground at speeds between 30 mph and 70 mph. On average, tornadoes cause 70 fatalities and 1,500 injuries per year in the United States, according to NOAA data, at the time of publication.