Hey Meghan,
The storm finally came today! About three minutes ago I started to hear the rumbling of the thunder and now the rain is starting to come down. The storm should only last from 30 to 60 minutes, but it will seem like a lifetime to us Floridians waiting for the damage to be done. They are predicting for the storm to be severe thunderstorm and everyone is extremely nervous. I am all prepared though, so don’t worry. Last night I went to the store and I bought all the items I needed. I also have a disaster plan ready and I am listening for news on the radio. After reading this blog, if you are ever in my position you will be prepared just like me. First things first, everyone should have a disaster plan. Even if there is no storm heading your way right this second, you should have a kit put together with disaster supplies and a plan. The kit I have together is filled with a 3 day food supply and an extra 4 day food supply for every person or pet that is in my household. Also, for our baby cousin I have baby supplies like diapers and formula. In case Grandma or Grandma is staying with me I have “elderly” supplies for them. If you are ever in the position when you could be with someone with life-threatening allergies or someone that is disabled, you want to have the proper materials for them also. Most importantly, I purchased 3 gallons of water and then an extra 4 gallons for every extra person or pet in my home. I also have miscellaneous objects like cups, plates, a manual can opener, a portable radio or television, flashlights, a first aid kit, for every person I included a full set of clothes, blankets and sleeping bags for everyone in my household, lots of extra working batteries, self-grooming supplies and disinfectants, paper, pencils, needles and thread, a fire extinguisher, an emergency preparedness manual, entertainment so I won’t get bored, a map, extra keys and identification, money, a list of prescriptions needed, matches, a tent, a shovel, and a compass. This may seem like a lot of supplies, but you can never be too prepared. Click here if you want a greater and detailed list of supplies for your kit. For a disaster plan, one thing you can make sure everyone in your household knows what to do and where to go during a disaster.
The storm finally came today! About three minutes ago I started to hear the rumbling of the thunder and now the rain is starting to come down. The storm should only last from 30 to 60 minutes, but it will seem like a lifetime to us Floridians waiting for the damage to be done. They are predicting for the storm to be severe thunderstorm and everyone is extremely nervous. I am all prepared though, so don’t worry. Last night I went to the store and I bought all the items I needed. I also have a disaster plan ready and I am listening for news on the radio. After reading this blog, if you are ever in my position you will be prepared just like me. First things first, everyone should have a disaster plan. Even if there is no storm heading your way right this second, you should have a kit put together with disaster supplies and a plan. The kit I have together is filled with a 3 day food supply and an extra 4 day food supply for every person or pet that is in my household. Also, for our baby cousin I have baby supplies like diapers and formula. In case Grandma or Grandma is staying with me I have “elderly” supplies for them. If you are ever in the position when you could be with someone with life-threatening allergies or someone that is disabled, you want to have the proper materials for them also. Most importantly, I purchased 3 gallons of water and then an extra 4 gallons for every extra person or pet in my home. I also have miscellaneous objects like cups, plates, a manual can opener, a portable radio or television, flashlights, a first aid kit, for every person I included a full set of clothes, blankets and sleeping bags for everyone in my household, lots of extra working batteries, self-grooming supplies and disinfectants, paper, pencils, needles and thread, a fire extinguisher, an emergency preparedness manual, entertainment so I won’t get bored, a map, extra keys and identification, money, a list of prescriptions needed, matches, a tent, a shovel, and a compass. This may seem like a lot of supplies, but you can never be too prepared. Click here if you want a greater and detailed list of supplies for your kit. For a disaster plan, one thing you can make sure everyone in your household knows what to do and where to go during a disaster.
There are also certain actions you should follow during a thunderstorm if you cannot get indoors. If you are stuck in a forest, go under thick brush that is low to the ground. If you happen to be in an open area try to find the lowest area around and stay there. Of course if you are in the water, GET OUT! Also, if you ever feel that you hair is standing up on its end cover your ears with your hands and squat down, putting your head between your knees. Most importantly if you are lying flat on the ground during a thunderstorm it is a bad thing and you are putting yourself at a great risk and could possibly be struck by lightning. To prevent yourself from ever being stranded outside during a thunderstorm, the NWS alerts your county with warnings and puts alerts on the radio. Also, you can check the internet for warnings and alerts. By just using common sense and looking at the sky you can tell if there is bad weather coming. Did you know that your chance of being struck by lightning is 1 out of 600,000? Surprisingly, even though you have been told the rubber of your shoes and the tires on your car can protect you from lighting, they actually don’t. During a thunderstorm do not use anything with a cord; it puts you at risk at being struck by lightning.
Thunderstorms are very dangerous. In every thunderstorm there is lightning which is extremely dangerous. Lighting kills 55-60 people a year and injures 300 people a year. Lightning also affects a thunderstorm’s temperature; the air that channels the lightning can get up to 50,000°F which is even hotter than the Sun! To figure out an estimate of how far away lightning is, count the seconds between a flash of lightning and the roll of thunder and divide that number by five to get the distance from you and the lightning in miles. Another dangerous aspect of a thunderstorm is its winds. Wind speed can exceed 125mph in a thunderstorm. A thunderstorm can create a tornado, which can have 250 mph winds. Thunderstorms can also create hail and cause a flash flood.
There are three main stages of a thunderstorm. The first stage is called the “developing” stage. This is when there is little rain. The next stage is called the “mature” stage. This stage is when the thunderstorm is in full swing, with heavy rain. The final stage is called the “dissipating” stage. The dissipating stage is the final leg of the thunderstorm, when the rain decreases in its strength. For a regular thunderstorm to become severe, it either has to create a tornado, have winds that exceed 58 mph, or create hail that is three quarter inch in diameter. If a thunderstorm lasts longer than the usual 30 minutes to an hour, it is considered to be severe.
Did you know that at any part of the day around the world there are 1,800 thunderstorms going on? That totals up to 16 million a year! We Floridians are a part of that 1,800 now as the mature stage of the thunderstorm is starting up. I’d better go and listen to the radio for NWS alerts. Before I go, I want to make sure that you are making your list of disaster supplies and making a family disaster plan because if you are ever hit with a storm like this one, you will definitely want to be prepared. I will give you more details on this thunderstorm as soon as possible!
Thunderstorms are very dangerous. In every thunderstorm there is lightning which is extremely dangerous. Lighting kills 55-60 people a year and injures 300 people a year. Lightning also affects a thunderstorm’s temperature; the air that channels the lightning can get up to 50,000°F which is even hotter than the Sun! To figure out an estimate of how far away lightning is, count the seconds between a flash of lightning and the roll of thunder and divide that number by five to get the distance from you and the lightning in miles. Another dangerous aspect of a thunderstorm is its winds. Wind speed can exceed 125mph in a thunderstorm. A thunderstorm can create a tornado, which can have 250 mph winds. Thunderstorms can also create hail and cause a flash flood.
There are three main stages of a thunderstorm. The first stage is called the “developing” stage. This is when there is little rain. The next stage is called the “mature” stage. This stage is when the thunderstorm is in full swing, with heavy rain. The final stage is called the “dissipating” stage. The dissipating stage is the final leg of the thunderstorm, when the rain decreases in its strength. For a regular thunderstorm to become severe, it either has to create a tornado, have winds that exceed 58 mph, or create hail that is three quarter inch in diameter. If a thunderstorm lasts longer than the usual 30 minutes to an hour, it is considered to be severe.
Did you know that at any part of the day around the world there are 1,800 thunderstorms going on? That totals up to 16 million a year! We Floridians are a part of that 1,800 now as the mature stage of the thunderstorm is starting up. I’d better go and listen to the radio for NWS alerts. Before I go, I want to make sure that you are making your list of disaster supplies and making a family disaster plan because if you are ever hit with a storm like this one, you will definitely want to be prepared. I will give you more details on this thunderstorm as soon as possible!
Yours Truly,
Rachel
Rachel
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