Extreme storms

These are powerful tropical storms that form over warm ocean waters and can cause widespread devastation when they make landfall. They are known as hurricanes in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, typhoons in the Northwest Pacific, and cyclones in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Impacts include strong winds, heavy rain, storm surges, flooding, and coastal erosion.

These can occur anywhere in the world and are capable of producing hail, strong winds, flash flooding, and tornadoes.

Lightning from thunderstorms can cause fires and electrocution, while heavy rain can lead to flash flooding.

Tornadoes are rapidly rotating columns of air that are in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud.

They are capable of destroying buildings, uprooting trees, and hurling objects through the air like missiles.

Blizzards are severe snowstorms with strong sustained winds of at least 35 mph (56 km/h) and lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically three hours or more.

Impacts include reduced visibility, deep snowdrifts, and life-threatening wind chill, which can lead to hypothermia and frostbite.

Human Health and Safety: Extreme storms pose significant risks to human health and safety, including injury, loss of life, and psychological trauma.

Infrastructure Damage: They can cause extensive damage to infrastructure, including buildings, roads, bridges, power lines, and communication systems.

Economic Costs: The economic impact of extreme storms can be substantial, including the costs of emergency response, rebuilding, and lost business.

Displacement: These events can displace large populations, leading to short-term and long-term issues with housing and community displacement.

Environmental Damage: Extreme storms can lead to environmental damage, such as pollution from flooded industrial sites, loss of wildlife habitat, and long-term changes to ecosystems.

Climate change is expected to affect the frequency, intensity, and distribution of extreme storms. Warmer ocean temperatures can fuel more powerful tropical storms, while changes in the atmosphere can affect the development and behavior of thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Rising sea levels can exacerbate the impact of storm surges associated with tropical storms, leading to greater coastal flooding.

Communities at risk of extreme storms typically have warning systems in place and may develop emergency preparedness plans to reduce the impact of these events.

Building codes and land-use planning can be designed to minimize damage and protect lives.

After an extreme storm, response efforts focus on search and rescue, providing emergency shelter and supplies, and eventually rebuilding and recovery.