While the storm may have subsided, it doesn’t signify the end of potential dangers. Ensure the safety of your loved ones post-storm by adhering to our recommended natural disaster safety tips.

Have you ever faced the aftermath of an intense storm or another formidable natural event that significantly affected your home, family, or overall well-being?

Certain regions are currently grappling with an intense hurricane season, while others are contending with destructive wildfires. Here are warnings and signs that tell you to gear up for bad weather.

Intense Tornadoes and Thunderstorms

Severe thunderstorms happen by the occurrence of at least one of the following elements — tornadoes, hail with a minimum diameter of 1 inch, wind gusts reaching at least 58 mph, or wind-induced damage to trees, power lines, or buildings.

Severe thunderstorms and natural weather disasters warnings don’t always match the frequency of extreme weather events accurately.

Preventive storm warnings, based on radar, may not always lead to severe weather despite the potential for significant impact.

The distribution of 192,117 severe thunderstorm warnings during the 2010s reveals a correlation with NOAA’s severe thunderstorm climatology.

Flash Flooding

Flash floods surge swiftly due to heavy rainfall, causing sudden water rises in streets, creeks, or streams.

Despite the caveat that warnings may not always align with the actual occurrence of events, the lower Mississippi Valley consistently emerges as a frequent flash flood corridor.

Notably, the National Weather Service (NWS), which serves Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, issued more warnings about natural disasters and calamities than surrounding offices. It is due to the expansive metropolitan areas’ extensive concrete surfaces, which lead to increased runoff.

Surprisingly, the Desert Southwest witnessed many flash flood warnings, with NWS-Las Vegas leading the nation in such warnings during the 2010s.

Dry creeks, called washes or arroyos, pose risks as they can quickly flood with fast-moving water, especially in arid regions. It poses a risk, especially where roads intersect or run close to buildings and homes.

Heavy rain increases the risk of rapid runoff on city streets and dry mountain terrain, posing dangers to motorists and hikers.

High Winds

The deadliest natural disaster in history shows that the alignment of high wind warnings closely corresponds to average wind analyses. The most prominent warnings are issued in the High Plains region, spanning from Montana to West Texas.

Notably, the forecast office in Cheyenne, Wyoming, encompasses one of the windiest areas in the U.S., traversed by Interstate 80 between Cheyenne and Laramie. In the Midland, Texas, forecast area, Guadalupe Pass — a renowned windy mountain along the New Mexico and Texas border — contributes to the prevalence of high wind warnings.

These warnings are also prevalent along sections of the Pacific Northwest coast and Alaska, linked to intense Pacific storms. In Southern California, high wind warnings often coincide with Santa Ana wind events.

On the Eastern front, worst natural disasters warnings are most frequent in the Northeast, particularly in southeastern New England. It happens due to potent coastal storms that may brush areas like Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.

Snow and Ice

The criteria for winter storm warnings differ based on location, as a 2-inch snowfall can significantly impact Houston more than Detroit.

As a result, the geographic distribution of winter storm warnings is typical. Given their higher latitudes or elevations, Northern Alaska and the Rockies take the lead, experiencing substantial snowfall over an extended year.

Surprisingly, winter storm and current natural disasters warnings are a regular occurrence each “winter” on the volcanic peaks in Hawaii. They usually happen in Deep South Texas and North Florida on rare occasions.

Ice Storm Warnings

Weather authorities rarely issue Ice storm warnings. They typically reserve the warnings for events where damaging ice accumulations happen without snow.

The map shows ice storm corridors from Oklahoma to Tennessee and the upper Midwest within the interior Northeast.

The leading office in issuing ice storm warnings is the Portland, Oregon office. It is attributed to the cold air descending southward from western Canada. This air often squeezes through the Columbia River Gorge and pours into the Willamette Valley of western Oregon.

Recent natural disasters suggest that when a Pacific storm introduces moisture over this subfreezing air. The result can be the accumulation of ice in areas such as Portland, Salem, and Eugene, Oregon.

Excessive Heat

The National Weather Service warns of excessive heat when high temperatures and humidity exceed typical summer conditions. It poses a risk to individuals outdoors for extended periods or those without access to air conditioning.

The hot and humid corridor stretching from Kansas and Oklahoma to the Mississippi Valley and the urban corridor from Washington D.C. to New York City are hot spots for natural weather disasters and heat warnings.

High Surf

In this instance, we’re making an exception by focusing on advisories rather than warnings. While high surf warnings are frequent along the West Coast — and, on rare occasions, along the Gulf Coast — they do not extend to the East Coast.

Hawaii claims the title of the undisputed king of high surf, particularly in the winter months. Powerful Pacific storms often traverse well north of Hawaii, generating substantial swells that impact the islands’ north shores.

Within the Lower 48, Southern California frequently encounters large swells from Pacific storms and distant Eastern Pacific hurricanes. Even current natural disasters signs thousands of miles away in the Southern Hemisphere can affect the region.

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