WBRC - Feb. The purpose of this week is to educate and inform people of Alabama about the weather threats we commonly see during the spring months. Severe storms normally ramp up in March, April and May across Alabama as we transition from winter to summer.
Severe storms can result in several weather hazards that can directly impact you. Lightning, flooding, tornadoes, hail, and damaging winds are the main hazards across Alabama during the spring months. Lightning is a common hazard that can impact outdoor events including concerts and sports.
Lightning can happen anytime during the year, but it is more common during the spring and summer months as temperatures warm into the 70s, 80s and 90s.
The rule to lightning is that if you hear thunder, take shelter inside! When thunder roars, go indoors. Lightning can strike from up to 10 miles away. If you hear thunder or see a flash of lightning, you are close enough to get struck.
Never take shelter under a tree. Your goal is to go inside. Lightning fatalities normally occur during sporting events. Storms are not warned based on lightning. You can have a storm produce thousands of lightning strikes. Flooding: We commonly see weather patterns that remain stagnant and produce rounds of rain. Sometimes we see storms develop and barely move. In these setups, flash flooding and river flooding can be major problems.
