TEXAS IS AFFECTED BY THOUSANDS OF THUNDERSTORMS EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
HOWEVER...THE MOST DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE CLASSIFIED AS SEVERE
AND OCCUR MAINLY IN THE SPRING AND FALL. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN
PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES. A THUNDERSTORM IS
DEFINED AS SEVERE WHEN IT PRODUCES WINDS OF AT LEAST 58 MPH...HAIL
3/4 OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER OR LARGER...OR A TORNADO.
SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER ABOUT THUNDERSTORM WINDS IS THAT NOT
ALL DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS ARE TORNADIC. THUNDERSTORMS ARE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING EQUALLY DESTRUCTIVE AND LIFE-THREATENING
THUNDERSTORM WINDS...COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS REFER TO WINDS THAT ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH
ROTATING WINDS IN A TORNADO. RATHER...THEY MOVE FORWARD ALONG THE
GROUND IN UNIDIRECTIONAL FASHION. LINES OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP
ACROSS TEXAS CAN PRODUCE STRAIGHT LINE WIND SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 100
MPH.
ANOTHER TYPE OF STRAIGHT LINE WIND...THE DOWNBURST...IS A STRONG
DOWNDRAFT OF AIR IN A SINGLE THUNDERSTORM THAT ACCELERATES DOWNWARD
AND PRODUCES AN OUT-RUSH OF DAMAGING WIND ON OR NEAR THE GROUND. TWO
TYPES OF DOWNBURSTS EXIST... MICROBURSTS AND MACROBURSTS. THE
MICROBURST...IS SHORT-LIVED AND OF GREAT CONCERN TO THE AVIATION
COMMUNITY. IT PRODUCES STRONG WINDS IN AN AREA LESS THAN 2.5 MILES IN
DIAMETER. IN CONTRAST...MACROBURSTS ARE LONGER-LIVED AND CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING EXTENSIVE WIND DAMAGE ACROSS AREAS LARGER THAN 2.5 MILES IN
DIAMETER.
STRAIGHT LINE THUNDERSTORM WINDS OCCASIONALLY CAN REACH SPEEDS IN
EXCESS OF 100 MPH. THESE TYPES OF WINDS ARE INTENSE ENOUGH TO UPROOT
TREES AND PRODUCE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE...IF NOT COMPLETE DESTRUCTION...
TO BUILDINGS. IF THESE WINDS OCCUR IN CONJUNCTION WITH LARGE HAIL...
EVEN MORE EXTREME DAMAGE CAN OCCUR...SUCH AS CAUSING HOLES IN THE
SIDES AND ROOFS OF HOUSES, OR DESTROYING CROPS AND OTHER VEGETATION.
HAIL THAT IS PENNY SIZE (3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER) OR LARGER IS
CONSIDERED SEVERE. HAIL IS DEFINED AS PRECIPITATION IN THE FORM OF
LUMPS OR CHUNKS OF ICE THAT DEVELOP IN SOME THUNDERSTORMS. HAIL CAN
RANGE IN SIZE FROM PEA SIZE (1/4 INCH) TO GREATER THAN SOFTBALL SIZE
(4.5 INCHES). HAILSTONES ARE USUALLY OVAL SHAPED OR ROUND...BUT CAN
BE SPIKY IN APPEARANCE. THE LARGEST HAILSTONE ON RECORD IN THE UNITED
STATES FELL AT AURORA NEBRASKA...ON JUNE 22 2003. THE MASSIVE STONE
MEASURED 18.75 INCHES IN CIRCUMFERENCE AND OVER 7 INCHES IN DIAMETER.
HAIL FALLS TO EARTH AT SPEEDS APPROACHING 100 MPH AND AS A
RESULT...CAN PRODUCE IMMENSE DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS...AUTOMOBILES AND
VEGETATION. ANNUALLY...HAIL STORMS CAUSE MORE THAN ONE BILLION
DOLLARS IN DAMAGE ACROSS THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. NO PART OF TEXAS
IS IMMUNE TO THE DANGERS OF LARGE HAIL AND ALTHOUGH IT IS RARELY
FATAL...IT INJURES SEVERAL DOZENS OF PEOPLE EACH YEAR.
THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR
PROPERTY FROM THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS
AND HAIL. KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS TO AVOID
BEING CAUGHT IN A SEVERE STORM. MONITORING WEATHER RADIO FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AS WELL AS TELEVISION, RADIO...AND INTERNET
INFORMATION WILL ALSO HELP KEEP YOU INFORMED OF MANY OF THE
APPROACHING STRAIGHT LINE WIND OR HAIL EVENTS IN YOUR AREA.
TREAT STRAIGHT LINE WIND EVENTS THE SAME AS YOU WOULD AN APPROACHING
TORNADO. SEEK SHELTER IN A REINFORCED SHELTER...ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
IN AN INTERIOR BATHROOM OR CLOSET...AWAY FROM ALL WINDOWS. ALWAYS
COVER YOUR HEAD TO PROTECT AGAINST THE IMPACT OF FLYING DEBRIS THAT
CAN INJURE. IF YOU ENCOUNTER HAIL WHILE DRIVING...TURN AROUND. YOU
MAY BE DRIVING INTO THE CORE OF A THUNDERSTORM WHERE TORNADOES FORM.
REPORT IT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AS SOON AS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO AND SEEK
AN ALTERNATE ROUTE.
