Fun Storm Facts

10/3/2022 (Permalink)

Are you afraid of storms, or do you embrace them? Whichever side you fall on, we all have some sort of respect for storms. They can cause great damage, paint beautiful pictures across the sky, alter any outdoor plans, and completely turn a day around. Although you’ve probably experienced many thunderstorms in your life, you might not know a whole lot about them. In today’s post, we’re going to share some fun storm facts that you may not have known!

• The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter!
• The typical thunderstorm lasts about 30 minutes.
• About 1,800 thunderstorms are happening around the world at any given moment.
• Lightning kills more people than tornadoes every year.
• A severe storm “watch” means that a serious storm has the potential to develop, but has not developed yet. However, a sever storm “warning” means that a storm has developed and been sighted.
• About 10% of storms are classified as “severe”.
• If you’re ever heard the term the “four horsemen” of thunderstorms, it’s referring to wind/tornadoes, hail, floods, and lightning.
• Thunderstorm clouds grow to heights of above 20,000 feet!
• A “derecho” is a type of severe storm that lasts a long time, covers a great distance, and involves serious wind.
• Wind speeds can be up to 120 mph in thunderstorms, even without a tornado.
• A massive hailstorm in Munich, Germany, in 1984 caused over $1 billion worth of damage.
• In 1933, huge hailstones were reported to have fallen around a city in Massachusetts, containing fresh, frozen ducks inside.