Facts About Thunderstorms

3/21/2022 (Permalink)

Got storm damage? Call SERVPRO® of Greater Waco 254-224-5999

Spring in Texas is also thunderstorm season with Texas experiencing 50 to 60 days a year of thunderstorms.  Here are some facts about thunderstorms that you may not know.

-The US experiences 10,000 thunderstorms a year with 10% being classified as severe causing damage or tornadoes.

-The average size of a thunderstorm is 15 miles wide and will usually last about 30 minutes.

-Most lightening happens in the summer but can happen at any time with an estimated 25 million strikes a year in the US.

-There are anywhere from 1,800 to 2,000 thunderstorms happening at any given moment.

-Tororo, Uganda is home to the most thunder 251 days a year.

-There are several types of thunderstorms with most being single celled that dissipates within half an hour.  Another type is a multicell that is usually created by several single cell thunderstorms combining. With these, you usually see hail and gusty winds. Squall lines are an intense line of thunderstorm that are usually found ahead of a cold front and can span hundreds of miles causing winds in excess of 70 mph. The strongest type is a supercell, which we are very familiar with in Texas, because they produce tornadoes.

-Lightening from a thunderstorm is hotter than the surface of the sun.

-The thunder produced from lightening is created by the air heating up quickly creating a sonic boom.  All lightening creates thunder but you may be too far away to hear it.

-One cumulous cloud can weigh more than 1 million pounds and is exponentially higher as it builds for a thunderstorm.

-Thunderstorms need moisture, lift and warm air that can rise quickly, to form.

-Warm, humid conditions are the best for forming a thunderstorm and why you usually see them during the spring and summer.

-A thunderstorm that produces snow instead of rain is called a thundersnow.

-Neptune, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter all produce thunderstorms.

Just remember to seek shelter immediately if a thunderstorm comes your way and avoid going under trees.

Got storm damage? Call SERVPRO® of Greater Waco 254-224-5999