As Severe Weather Awareness Week continues in Minnesota, today’s focus is on severe thunderstorms, hail, and lightning safety. While thunderstorm season is just beginning in Becker County and surrounding areas, now is the time to know the risks and prepare.
Thunderstorms may seem routine, but they pack power. A typical storm may only last 30 minutes and cover about 15 miles, but it can deliver winds over 100 miles per hour, heavy rain, lightning, and hail the size of baseballs—or larger.
Lightning:
Lightning strikes every thunderstorm and is a leading weather-related killer. On average, 43 people in the U.S. die from lightning each year, with hundreds more injured.
Remember:
• If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike.
• Go indoors immediately—no place outside is safe.
• Stay in shelter for at least 30 minutes after the last thunder.
The National Weather Service offers a new slogan for the deaf and hard of hearing:
“See a flash, dash inside.”
Damaging Winds & Downbursts:
Straight-line winds from thunderstorms can cause tornado-like damage. A downburst—a sudden rush of air driven by rain-cooled air—can flip campers, damage roofs, and knock down trees. These winds often sound like a tornado and can exceed 100 miles per hour.
Important: In many communities, outdoor sirens may sound for damaging straight-line winds, not just tornadoes.
Hail:
Hailstones can fall faster than 100 mph and cause nearly $1 billion in damage annually. Most hail is pea-sized, but some can grow to grapefruit-size, posing a serious danger to people, pets, and vehicles.
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Learn more from the National Weather Service:
• Lightning Safety
• Hail Facts & Protection
• Damaging Winds Info
• Local Warnings & Watches – Grand Forks NWS
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Continued Coverage of Severe Weather Awareness Week
Apr 8, 2025 | 5:11 AM