To say it’s been a stormy week would be an understatement, but thankfully, our severe threat has been low. That’s not always the case, though, as Florida is no stranger to severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Earlier this month on Aug. 2, the National Weather Service created a new Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) for what they’re calling a “destructive” severe thunderstorm.
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There’s a WEA for that!
— National Weather Service (@NWS) August 5, 2021
Severe thunderstorms can be life-threatening, but they're not all the same. Now severe thunderstorms tagged as "destructive" (at least 2.75in diameter hail and/or 80mph winds) will activate a Wireless Emergency Alert on smartphones.https://t.co/Vu9HyjsoRw pic.twitter.com/ONphzJHFBT
This new warning comes after 13 of the 22 costliest weather disasters in 2020 were due to severe thunderstorms -- mainly across the Midwest and Southeast U.S.
The new destructive storm category would have to meet the criteria of hail 2.75 inches in diameter, roughly the size of a baseball, and winds over 80 mph.
They’ll also have a “considerable” category where a storm would have to produce golf-ball-sized hail, 1.75 inches in diameter, and winds over 70 mph. This does not have a WEA attached to it.
Our “base” level thunderstorms with hail of 1 inch and winds 58+ mph will not have a WEA tagged on it either.
Although it’s not common for Northeast Florida or Southeast Georgia to see hail that size, it’s possible to experience those high winds.
On average, only 10% of all severe thunderstorms reach the destructive category each year, nationwide.
The hope for this new WEA is to make sure the public has ample time to prepare and reach a safe place.