With the recent active weather lately, many CoCoRaHS observers have made the extra effort to submit significant weather and hail reports. These reports provide valuable information and are a vital part of the National Weather Service severe weather and flood warning program. Many thanks to everyone for these reports!
Please do not to take any unnecessary risks in order to send these reports. Wait until it is safe to read the rain gauge before venturing out. Remember that lightning can travel many miles from the parent thunderstorm. A few notes from the NOAA/NWS Lightning Safety brochure:
- All thunderstorms produce lightning and are
dangerous.
- In the United States, in an average year,
lightning kills about the same number of people as
tornadoes and more people than hurricanes. - Lightning often strikes outside the area of heavy rain
and may strike as far as 10 miles from any rainfall. - Many lightning deaths occur ahead of storms or after
storms have seemingly passed. - If you can hear thunder, you are in danger. Don’t
be fooled by blue skies. If you hear thunder, lightning is
close enough to pose an immediate threat.
Learn more about lightning safety.
