Hail Storms 101

3/22/2021 (Permalink)

Hail Storm

Are you scared of storms or do you like them? We all have some level of admiration for hurricanes, regardless of which side we are on. They can cause significant harm, paint beautiful pictures across the sky, disrupt any outdoor plans, and completely change the course of a day. While you've certainly seen a lot of thunderstorms in your life, you may not know much about them. In today's post, we'll share some interesting storm information that you may not have known!

• A typical thunderstorm has a diameter of 15 miles!
• A typical thunderstorm lasts approximately 30 minutes.
• At any given time, approximately 1,800 thunderstorms are occurring around the planet.
• Every year, lightning kills more people than tornadoes.
• A severe storm “watch” indicates that a severe storm has the potential to form but has not yet done so. A severe storm "alert" on the other hand indicates that a storm has formed and been sighted.
• Just about 10% of storms are rated as "extreme."
• If you've heard the phrase "four horsemen" of thunderstorms, it refers to wind/tornadoes, hail, floods, and lightning.
• Thunderstorm clouds can reach heights of more than 20,000 feet!
• A “derecho” is a form of extreme storm that lasts a long time, travels a long distance, and has high winds.
• Even without a tornado, wind speeds in thunderstorms can reach 120 mph.
• In 1984, a major hailstorm in Munich, Germany, caused over $1 billion in damage.
• Large hailstones containing new, frozen ducks were confirmed to have dropped across a city in Massachusetts in 1933.