Severe weather is:
heavy snow, freezing rain, high winds, flash flooding, river flooding, thunderstorms, tornadoes, tropical storms, and hurricanes.
(National Weather Service;
Photo: NASA)
- A bolt of lightning can reach a temperature of nearly 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit in less than a second. That’s hotterthan the sun!
- A flash flood can take a little as a few minutes to develop and can be powerful enough to sweep you off your feet and float your car.
- The highest wind speed ever recorded in a tornado was 302 mph! That’s faster than the fastest NASCAR speed ever recorded!
- Heavy rains and floods can actually help fish! Some fish species rely on flooding to carry wood pieces into the water, which can be used as underwater shelter.
- A severe weather watch means that severe weather is possible in your area. A warning means that severe weather is happening or will happen very soon!
- The “eye,” or center of rotation, is the calmest part of a hurricane. Outside of the eye, wind speeds can range from 74 to nearly 200 miles per hour!