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| Disclaimer: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. |
| 7530 Little Road New Port Richey , FL 34654 Office 727-847-8959 Fax 727-847-8004 |
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Thunderstorms affect relatively small areas when compared with
hurricanes. The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter
and lasts an average of 30 minutes.
Of the estimated 100,000 thunderstorms that occur each year in
the United States, only 10 percent are classified as severe.
Despite their small size; all thunderstorms are dangerous. Every
thunderstorm produces lightning, which kills more people each
year than tornadoes. Heavy rain can lead to flooding. Strong
winds and tornadoes are also dangers associated with some
severe thunderstorms. Along the Gulf Coast, most
thunderstorms occur during the afternoon.
Lightning causes an average of 93 deaths and 300 injuries
annually and causes several hundred million dollars in damage.
Florida leads the nation in the number of death and injuries
associated with lightning.
Straight line winds are responsible for most thunderstorm wind
damage. A small area of rapidly descending air beneath a
thunderstorm can cause damaging winds in excess of 100 mph.
The strong winds usually approach from one direction and may
be known as "straight line" winds. One type of straight line wind,
the downburst, can cause as much damage as a strong tornado.
The action of rising and descending air within a thunderstorm
separates positive and negative charges. Water and ice particles
also affect the distribution of electrical charge. Lightning results
from the buildup and discharge of electrical energy between
positively and negatively charged areas.
The average lightning flash could light a 100-watt light bulb for
more than 3 months. Most lightning occurs within the cloud or
between the cloud and ground. The air in a lightning bolt is
50,000'F - five times hotter than the surface of the sun! The rapid
heating of air in the lightning channel causes a shock wave that
results in thunder.
Which way does lightning travel? A cloud to ground lightning
strike begins as an invisible channel of electrically charged air
moving from the cloud toward the ground. When a channel nears
an object on the ground, a powerful surge of electricity from the
ground moves upward to the cloud and produces the visible
lightning strike.
hurricanes. The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter
and lasts an average of 30 minutes.
Of the estimated 100,000 thunderstorms that occur each year in
the United States, only 10 percent are classified as severe.
Despite their small size; all thunderstorms are dangerous. Every
thunderstorm produces lightning, which kills more people each
year than tornadoes. Heavy rain can lead to flooding. Strong
winds and tornadoes are also dangers associated with some
severe thunderstorms. Along the Gulf Coast, most
thunderstorms occur during the afternoon.
Lightning causes an average of 93 deaths and 300 injuries
annually and causes several hundred million dollars in damage.
Florida leads the nation in the number of death and injuries
associated with lightning.
Straight line winds are responsible for most thunderstorm wind
damage. A small area of rapidly descending air beneath a
thunderstorm can cause damaging winds in excess of 100 mph.
The strong winds usually approach from one direction and may
be known as "straight line" winds. One type of straight line wind,
the downburst, can cause as much damage as a strong tornado.
The action of rising and descending air within a thunderstorm
separates positive and negative charges. Water and ice particles
also affect the distribution of electrical charge. Lightning results
from the buildup and discharge of electrical energy between
positively and negatively charged areas.
The average lightning flash could light a 100-watt light bulb for
more than 3 months. Most lightning occurs within the cloud or
between the cloud and ground. The air in a lightning bolt is
50,000'F - five times hotter than the surface of the sun! The rapid
heating of air in the lightning channel causes a shock wave that
results in thunder.
Which way does lightning travel? A cloud to ground lightning
strike begins as an invisible channel of electrically charged air
moving from the cloud toward the ground. When a channel nears
an object on the ground, a powerful surge of electricity from the
ground moves upward to the cloud and produces the visible
lightning strike.
| SAFETY TIP Click here to view important thunderstorm safety tips |
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Thunderstorms