As Spring ramps up into full gear, it is also time to remember that along with the warmer weather and all the outdoor activity comes the possibility for severe weather. Of course, on the Texas coast, hurricane season is the possible weather event that really gets all the attention but in fact, a severe thunderstorm can be extremely dangerous.
Besides being the conditions under which a tornado brew, a strong enough severe thunderstorm can also bring such extreme weather conditions as high winds, hail and lightning.
Although we often see news footage of the wreckage from strong and violent tornadoes, in fact, it is not tornadoes but lightning that is the most common culprit when a severe thunderstorm results in injury’s. On average, about fifty-four people a year die from lightning fatalities while hundreds receive permanent injury.
Meanwhile the most well known hazard from thunderstorms, the possibility of a tornado being formed, is possible during ANY thunderstorm. Although they are quite rare in terms of a tornado being one of the stronger tornadoes, such as the F-4 variety that were made infamous through tragic events like the path of destruction left in Joplin, Missouri in 2011. However, even the weakest tornado can cause hazardous debris to fly through the air, or even topple trees if the ground is saturated with enough rain water.
High winds can be just as dangerous in the right conditions, which is why it is important to remember a few easy and simple safety tips that can help prevent possible injury in the severe weather conditions common in the Spring:
• The National Weather Service slogan is “When thunder roars, go indoors”, and it is the best protection against a lightning strike. Get to a substantial building or a hard topped metal vehicle as quickly as you can. • Tornado warnings are your sign to get to an interior room of your home. If your outdoors or in a mobile home, go to the lowest ground you can find and cover your head with your hands. But the most important thing is to not ignore the tornado warning. A tornado watch means conditions are right for a tornado to form, while a warning is just that, a warning to get to shelter immediately.
As long as you follow these basic safety rules, there should be no reason not to go out and enjoy the wonderful Spring weather!
I’d also like to take a little space today to acknowledge and celebrate the upcoming wedding of two of my dearest friends, Mark Fagan and Angela Tucker. Mark and Angela have been two of the kindest people I have ever met and I can only imagine that kindness will be effectively doubled with their upcoming union.
Love can sometimes grow to the point that you no longer keep your vows of eternal companionship and undying devotion to yourself but rather congregation your friends and family to bask in the glow of the union and bond the couple have created.
I wish both of them the best in the future with their new life and hope they look forward to those many days when their story of love and faith will continue to grow…cheers, guys!
