Severe Weather Preparedness: Hail and Wind Safety

Hail & Wind Safety: 

While tornadoes often grab the headlines, storms that produce destructive winds and large hail can be just as dangerous - making it equally important to take safety precautions for all threats. 

 

  

Severe Storm Categories: 

In recent years, the National Weather Service uses a three tier platform to communicate the potential damage from severe thunderstorms:

Base: Standard - hail at least one inch in diameter and or wind gusts of 58 mph or higher. 

Considerable: Elevated - hail up to 1.75" in diameter and or wind gusts up to 70 mph. 

Destructive: Dangerous - often issued when a storm is producing hail up to baseball size and or wind gusts are over 80 mph. Like a tornado warning, a severe thunderstorm warning with the "destructive" tag will trigger a Wireless Emergency Alert on your phone. Take immediate action. 

What Dictates Hail Size: 

Hailstones come in a wide range of sizes, from as small as a pea to as large as grapefruits. Recently, there have been a few storms that were warned for DVD-sized hail (5.5"). Now, the size of the hailstone is dictated by how long the stone can remain suspended within the thunderstorms updraft (rising air into the thunderstorm). Stronger updrafts can keep hailstones aloft longer, allowing them to gather additional layers of ice.  

When severe storms threaten with destructive winds or large hail, staying safe starts with seeking study shelter well before the worst arrives. 

Move indoors, ideally to a basement or an interior room away from windows. If you are outside driving, find a safe place to pull over and get indoors. Vehicles offer limited protection and can be severely damaged by large hailstones and wind-debris.