Severe Storms-Andy Bailey, National Weather Service, Pleasant Hill, Mo.

This is Andy Bailey from the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. 

Today I’m going to talk to you about severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.  While many people believe that unless a thunderstorm produces a tornado it is really not that dangerous, it’s really not true.  Unfortunately, severe thunderstorms possess winds of 60 miles an hour or greater and hail an inch in diameter or greater and certainly these two things together can provide quite a bit of damage.

If a severe thunderstorm warning is issued for your area, be sure to seek shelter inside a sturdy structure.  What many people also need to realize is a storm doesn’t have to be severe for it to be dangerous and possibly deadly.  By the very definition, all thunderstorms possess lightening, and lightening kills more people every year then tornadoes and flash flooding combined. 

There are a few lightening safety rules here. If a thunderstorm is moving into your area postpone any outdoor activities. This is your best way to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation. You need to move to a sturdy building or car, do not take shelter in small sheds, under isolated trees or in convertible automobiles. Stay away from tall objects such as towers, fences, telephone poles and power lines.  If lightening is occurring and a sturdy shelter is not available, get inside a hard topped automobile and keep the windows up.  Avoid touching anything metal.  Utility lines and metal pipes can conduct electricity, so you should unplug appliances not necessary for obtaining weather information.  Avoid using the telephone or any electrical appliances, and use phones only in an emergency.  Finally, do not take a bath or shower during a thunderstorm as lightening can travel through the pipes and electrocute you. 

If you need more information for severe thunderstorm or lightening safety rules, please go to the National Weather Service website at:   http://weather.gov/kc.