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Common Types of Thunderstorm Damage
7/3/2019 (Permalink)
Large Hail Stones can cause extensive damage to a home or business
Thunderstorms are a common occurrence during the warm spring and the summer months. However, with these thunderstorms comes a chance for storm damage caused by those thunderstorms.
How much do you know about the different types of damage that can come from thunderstorms?
An estimated 16 million thunderstorms occur across the world each year. The U.S. typically sees an estimated 100,000 thunderstorms each year, with around 10% of those being included in the severe range.
There are certain conditions that must be met for the development of a thunderstorm. Moisture and rising unstable air must be accompanied by a “lifting” mechanism. This could be caused by hills or mountains that force air to rise, or where warm/cold or wet/dry air come together, causing a rising motion.
The life cycle of a thunderstorm goes through three different stages—the developing stage, the mature stage and the dissipating stage. The mature stage is where things like hail, heavy rain, strong winds and even tornadoes may come into play.
Thunderstorms can be dangerous for many different reasons, but one of the most serious risks is the opportunity for high winds to send debris airborne.
It is possible for wind speeds to reach an excess of 57.5 mph during a thunderstorm. This is more than enough wind to create property damage.
Thunderstorms are also responsible for causing the following types of damage besides wind damage:
Hail damage. The cost of hail damage can reach $1 billion a year per the NOAA. From small hail to large, it doesn’t take long for damage to add up.
Lightning damage. With a lightning strike can come fire and electrical damage. The lightning can move through the wiring of your home, which will result in damage to anything that is plugged in.
Tornado damage. With wind speeds that can reach an excess of 200 mph, tornadoes are an extremely destructive force. They can do a large amount of damage in a rather short amount of time.
Flood damage. Heavy rain is a common companion for a thunderstorm, which means there can be a risk for flooding. Flash floods can do a large amount of damage to structures and even rip trees out of the ground.
If a thunderstorm has resulted in damage to your home or business, know that the team at SERVPRO® of Henderson/Boulder City is available 24⁄7 to help with cleanup and restoration.