Thunderstorm Preparedness in Pennsylvania | SERVPRO® of Norristown

8/12/2021 (Permalink)

Thunderstorms can pop up at any moment. Contact SERVPRO of Norristown if you experience any damage.

Each year, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency sponsors a week dedicated to the awareness and education of severe weather. This year, it was April 19 to the 23, and there was a lot of great information discussed. Particularly as it relates to thunderstorms, we wanted to extend the educational understanding of these storms and how they can impact Pennsylvania.

Thunderstorms and flash flooding are most common in spring and summer. These storms are identified as any storm that has thunder and lightning.

A severe thunderstorm, however, has thunder and lightning and it must contain hail that is at least one inch in diameter and have straight-line winds of at least 58 miles per hour.

The Differences Between a Thunderstorm and a Severe Thunderstorm

Lightning strikes. Lightning is commonly considered the most dangerous element of a thunderstorm due to its ability to cause damage to property and people and its unpredictability. Lightning is reported to be responsible for about 300 injuries every year, and this doesn’t include the damage it does to homes or businesses, which can range from starting house fires to felling trees that can do serious damage to permanent structures.

Hail damage. Because of its size and speed, hail can be a major hazard as it can cause damage to anything it impacts. When the hail in a severe thunderstorm is over one inch (many times larger than that), there can be damage to uncovered cars, injuries to humans or pets exposed to the elements, and significant damage to roofs and sidings of homes.

Flash flooding. Flooding can create a variety of problems, but particularly for drivers, this is a hazard that can create life-threatening scenarios in just minutes. Flash floods can occur at any time due to heavy rain, backed-up storm drains or overflowing ditches on the roadside. Because a car can be carried away with the tide in less than 12 inches of water, extreme caution must be used on potentially flooded roadways.

These storms can create major problems for homeowners. If you need a partner in the restoration industry, you can count on us to help. Contact us to learn how our highly trained team uses proprietary techniques to get your home back to normal quickly.