Skip Ready Classroom Navigation Body content anchor
Thunderstorms
All thunderstorms are dangerous, no matter the size or intensity due to the lightning that accompanies them. Lightning kills more people than tornadoes-an average of 80 people in the U. S. each year-and also injures another 300 people each year often with long-term effects. Thunderstorms can also bring hail, tornadoes, and flash flooding.
Thunderstorms happen throughout most of the country but are most common over the Florida peninsula and the southeast plains of Colorado. The area from Texas to southern Minnesota experiences the most severe thunderstorms. Although these storms can occur throughout the year, they are most frequent in spring and summer, and during the afternoon and evening. The western states can get "dry" thunderstorms-meaning the rain evaporates before it hits the ground. The lightening, however, can reach the ground, which can ignite wildfires. Thunderstorms are formed when warm, moist air is lifted rapidly by strong updrafts (created by mountains, sea breezes, or fronts) high up into the atmosphere. The warm air rises within the cooler air higher up, forming clouds and a low-pressure zone beneath them.
Have an Emergency Supply Kit in case you lose power during a thunderstorm. Listen to weather updates frequently during thunderstorm season in your area, and take weather alerts seriously. You should know the difference between a thunderstorm watch and a thunderstorm warning. A "watch" indicates that severe thunderstorms are likely to occur; a "warning" means there is imminent danger to people and property in the path of the storm. Lightening can kill; most deaths and injuries occur when people are caught outdoors in a storm. Watch the sky, listen for warnings, and take immediate action.
Download Thunderstorms Checklist (pdf)
- www.ready.gov: Thunderstorms
- FEMA: Tornado Safety Tips
- FEMA for Kids: Thunderstorms
- Lightning Protection Institute: Safety Guidelines
- The Tornado Project: Safety
- The Online Tornado FAQ
- Thunderstorm and Tornado Myths and Facts
- FEMA: Hurricane Fact Sheet (Before, During, and After)
States affected:
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming