Kids and Thunderstorms

3/11/2020 (Permalink)

Kids often get afraid when a thunderstorm rolls in. Thunder and lightning are often on the top of the list of fears for younger children. Because of the damage that severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can cause, many adults have a healthy fear of them too. After all, about 212 people are killed in thunderstorms each year, mostly from lightning and flash flooding.

Although many people simply worry about hail damage during thunderstorms, it is important to realize that other, often more deadly risks from thunderstorms, can come from:

• Driving during blinding rain.
• Lightning, which can strike as far as 10 miles from an area of rainfall.
• Flash flooding, which is most common during slow-moving thunderstorms, and can cause fast-moving water to flow down what used to be dry creek beds or slow-moving creeks or rivers, catching kids in the fast-moving water.
• Strong straight-line winds, which can knock over trees and damage some buildings.
• Tornadoes, which can damage or destroy all but the most secure buildings.

To get updates before or during a severe thunderstorm warning or severe thunderstorm watch in your area and other severe weather, in addition to watching the news, consider getting a battery-operated NOAA Weather Radio.

Many types are available, from a desktop weather radio that can alert you to severe weather, portable weather radios that can help you monitor the weather when you are on the go and even hand-crank radios with NOAA that you can use when during a power outage and when your batteries are out. 

A weather alert radio is especially important since thunderstorms can occur so quickly, and sometimes pop up in the middle of the night when your family is sleeping.