For people outside, such conditions can become dangerous almost immediately. Visibility may decrease because of heavy rain and hail, making it difficult for drivers and pedestrians to see what is happening around them. Water can also accumulate rapidly on roads and low-lying areas.
Why Hail Can Be So Powerful
Hail forms inside strong thunderstorms where powerful updrafts carry water droplets high into the atmosphere. At higher altitudes, temperatures can be below freezing, allowing the droplets to turn into ice. Strong upward air currents can keep these pieces of ice suspended inside the storm, where additional layers of frozen water can build around them.
Eventually, the hailstones become too heavy for the updraft to support, and they fall toward the ground.
The size of hail can vary considerably. Small hail may cause little damage, while larger stones can damage roofs, windows, vehicles, crops, outdoor equipment, and other property. When hail falls together with strong winds, the impact can become even more destructive.
The danger is not limited to the hail itself. A severe storm can create a chain reaction. Wind can break branches, heavy rain can overwhelm drainage systems, and loose objects can be pushed across streets. This is why severe thunderstorms should always be taken seriously.
Strong Winds Can Be Just as Dangerous
The image clearly demonstrates another major threat: powerful wind.
Palm trees are known for their flexibility, but even they can bend dramatically during intense gusts. Strong winds can affect buildings, signs, fences, outdoor furniture, temporary structures, vehicles, and electrical infrastructure.
Objects that seem harmless under normal conditions can become dangerous when wind speeds increase. A lightweight outdoor item can be lifted and carried by the wind, while branches and other debris may fall unexpectedly.
For this reason, people are generally safer indoors during the strongest part of a storm. Windows and doors should be closed, and people should avoid standing near glass if conditions become particularly severe.
Heavy Rain Can Create Flash Flooding
Another striking feature of the scene is the amount of water covering the ground. During intense thunderstorms, rainfall can arrive faster than drainage systems are able to handle.
Urban areas are especially vulnerable because roads, sidewalks, parking areas, and buildings create large surfaces where water cannot easily soak into the ground. Instead, the water flows across paved surfaces and collects in low areas.
Even a relatively short period of extremely heavy rain can produce significant flooding.
Floodwater can hide potholes, drains, curbs, damaged roads, and other hazards. It can also make vehicles difficult to control. Drivers should never assume that a flooded road is safe simply because other vehicles have passed through it.
Moving water can be deceptively powerful, and the depth of the water may be difficult to judge from inside a vehicle.
The Importance of Staying Indoors
When severe weather arrives, one of the simplest safety measures is to remain indoors until the worst conditions have passed.
People should avoid unnecessary travel during intense storms. If they are already outside, they should look for a strong enclosed building rather than attempting to continue walking through dangerous conditions.
Windows should remain closed, and people should stay away from areas where broken glass or flying debris could become a concern.
It is also useful to secure outdoor objects before severe weather arrives. Garden furniture, umbrellas, tools, decorations, lightweight containers, and other loose items can become dangerous when strong winds begin.
Preparation is often more effective than trying to react after the storm has already started.
