Severe Weather

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What are the effects of a thunderstorm?

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Produces lightning, strong winds, hail, and possible tornadoes.

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What is thunder?

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The sound produced when lightning moves through the air, causing the air to expand rapidly and vibrate.

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What are tornadoes?

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A mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud beneath a large storm system.

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What type of pressure systems do thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes form at?

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Low pressure systems.

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What is a supercell?

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A type of thunderstorm characterized by the presence of a rotating updraft.

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What is a funnel cloud?

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A rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm but does not touch the ground.

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What is a hurricane?

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A large, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined circulation pattern, typically forming over warm ocean waters.

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What is hail?

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Balls or irregular lumps of ice that form within strong thunderstorms.

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What causes flooding during severe weather?

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Heavy rainfall that overwhelms drainage systems and saturates the ground.

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What is a storm surge?

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An abnormal rise in sea level during a storm, caused by strong winds and low pressure.