12 Types of Severe Storms

Severe storms can occur with little forewarning, causing significant damage to life and property. They come in many forms, from powerful tornadoes to hurricanes, each with unique risks. While some severe storms bring heavy rain and strong winds, others can produce hail, ice, or even blinding snow.

Understanding different types of severe storms can help you prepare for extreme weather and minimize risks. By recognizing the signs of a developing severe storm, you can take the necessary precautions to protect yourself, your family, and your property.

What Is a Severe Storm?

It’s important to note that not all storms are severe, even those that result in heavy winds or rainfall. For a storm to be considered severe, it must meet specific criteria set by meteorological agencies, such as the National Weather Service (NWS). Severe storms typically involve:

• Wind speeds of at least 58 mph
• Hail that measures one inch or larger in diameter
• The presence of tornadoes

A standard rainstorm may cause inconvenience, but a severe storm has the potential to cause property damage, power outages, and life-threatening conditions.

A Closer Look at 12 Types of Severe Storms

Hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms often get the most attention in the news. However, other storm systems can cause just as much destruction.

The following are 12 types of severe storms. 

1. Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms form when warm, moist air rises rapidly into the atmosphere, creating cumulonimbus clouds that generate lightning and thunder. These storms typically produce heavy rain, strong winds, and on occasion even hail or tornadoes.

Risks: Severe thunderstorms can lead to flash flooding, power outages, and structural damage from strong winds and hail.

2. Tornadoes

A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. Many tornadoes develop within supercell thunderstorms, which feature strong, persistent rotation called a mesocyclone.

Risks: Strong tornadoes can have wind speeds exceeding 300 mph. They can cause catastrophic damage, destroying homes, uprooting trees, and hurling debris at dangerous speeds, making them some of the most violent storms on Earth.

3. Hailstorms

Hailstorms can occur during severe thunderstorms. They produce hailstones — solid balls of ice that form in storm clouds when water droplets are carried upward into freezing conditions by strong updrafts. As hailstones grow, they eventually become too heavy for the updraft to support and fall to the ground.

Risks: Large hailstones can dent cars, break windows, damage roofs, and injure people and animals. In agricultural areas, hail can devastate crops in minutes.

4. Floods

Flooding is one of the deadliest and most costly natural disasters. While floods are not storms themselves, they frequently result from extreme weather events that produce excessive rainfall. Depending on the cause, floods can develop quickly or build up over time. 

Common causes of flooding include: 

• Severe thunderstorms
• Hurricanes and tropical storms
• Snowmelt and ice jams 
• Dam failures 

Risks: Floods can destroy homes, displace entire communities, and create life-threatening conditions by sweeping away vehicles, cutting off roads, and contaminating drinking water. Even shallow floodwaters pose serious hazards, especially when moving swiftly.

5. Hurricanes (Tropical Cyclones)

A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with a well-defined eye at its center, formed by rotating winds. It develops over warm ocean waters, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and flooding. 

Experts categorize tropical cyclones as hurricanes if they have sustained winds of at least 74 mph. Meanwhile, major hurricanes have wind speeds ranging from 111 mph to 180 mph, with gusts of 200 mph.

Risks: Hurricanes can destroy buildings, knock out power for weeks, and flood entire cities. The combination of wind, rain, and storm surge makes them extremely dangerous.

6. Blizzards

Blizzards are intense winter storms that bring heavy snowfall, strong winds, and dangerously low visibility. Unlike a regular snowstorm, a blizzard is defined by specific weather conditions that make travel and outdoor activity extremely dangerous.

A blizzard is officially classified as a storm if it features:

• Sustained winds of at least 35 mph
• Visibility reduced to a quarter-mile or less
• Duration of at least three hours

Risks: Blizzards can cause whiteout conditions, making travel nearly impossible. Risk of hypothermia and frostbite is also heightened, particularly when wind chills drop to dangerous levels. Power outages are common, as heavy snow and ice can bring down power lines.

7. Ice Storms

Ice storms happen when warm air sits above a layer of cold air, causing rain to freeze upon contact with the ground, trees, and structures. Unlike snow that piles up, freezing rain coats everything in a thick, heavy layer of ice. 

Risks: Ice buildup can cause widespread power outages, dangerous travel conditions, and tree damage. Walking or driving on ice-covered surfaces can be extremely hazardous.

8. Windstorms

Windstorms happen when significant differences in air pressure create strong gusts over a wide area. They often develop ahead of cold fronts or in areas where high and low pressure meet. 

Windstorms can form over land or water and bring strong, sustained winds that aren’t linked to thunderstorms, hurricanes, or tornadoes. In some cases, they are accompanied by rainfall. 

Tornadoes and derechos are both types of windstorms. 

Risks: Windstorms can knock down trees, damage power lines, and make travel dangerous, especially for high-profile vehicles like trucks, SUVs, and RVs.

9. Derechos

A derecho is a powerful windstorm associated with a band of severe thunderstorms. It is long-lasting and fast-moving, with straight-line winds exceeding 58 mph. Derechos can cause destruction over hundreds of miles. 

Risks: Derechos are often mistaken for tornadoes due to the intensity of damage they cause. They can topple trees, knock out power for days, and cause widespread structural damage, especially in urban areas.

10. Dust Storms

Dust storms are intense wind-driven events that lift large amounts of dust, sand, and fine particles into the air, creating hazardous conditions. These storms typically occur in dry, arid regions where strong winds easily pick up loose soil. Dust storms can form due to pressure changes in the atmosphere, prolonged drought conditions, or sudden downdrafts from a type of thunderstorm called a “haboob.”

Risks: Severe dust storms can lead to multi-car accidents and hazardous driving conditions, as visibility can drop to near zero within minutes. The fine dust particles suspended in the air can also create serious respiratory issues. Additionally, dust storms can damage machinery, vehicles, and infrastructure by clogging air filters, engines, and mechanical systems.

11. Nor’easters

Nor’easters are powerful coastal storms that hit the U.S. East Coast, bringing heavy snow, rain, and strong winds. They get their name from the northeast winds that push in from the Atlantic Ocean. They form when cold Arctic air clashes with warm ocean moisture, creating a strong low-pressure system.

Risks: The most intense Nor’easters can produce blizzard-like conditions. They can knock out power for days, flood coastal areas, and make roads impassable, especially in cities like Boston and New York.

12. Squall Lines

Squall lines are long, fast-moving bands of thunderstorms that bring strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning. They form ahead of cold fronts and often stretch for hundreds of miles across a region.

Squall lines can produce straight-line winds over 58 mph; some even contain tornadoes. They move quickly, making them difficult to predict. 

Risks: Squall lines can topple trees, cause flash flooding, and damage buildings, sometimes hitting multiple states in one day.

Staying Safe During Severe Storms

Since severe storms can develop quickly and with little to no warning, being prepared is essential.

• Stay Informed: Check weather alerts from trusted sources like the National Weather Service (NWS).
• Prepare an Emergency Kit: Stock up on non-perishable food, water, flashlights, batteries, and first aid supplies.
• Secure Outdoor Objects: Bring inside furniture, decorations, and anything that could become airborne in strong winds.
• Know Your Evacuation Plan: If flooding occurs in your area, plan multiple escape routes if roads become impassable.
• Take Shelter: In case of severe storms, immediately take shelter in a safe place, such as the basement, a safe room, or a small interior room on the bottom floor of a building. 

Be Prepared for Any Storm With a Lone Star Safe Room

Severe storms can develop quickly, but knowing what to expect helps you stay safe. Whether facing a hurricane, tornado, blizzard, or squall line, having an emergency plan is essential.

Lone Star Safe Rooms offers high-quality storm shelters that protect against extreme weather events. Our customizable, affordable safe rooms are built to meet FEMA and ICC standards for maximum protection. For your peace of mind, our safe rooms have been tested to withstand F5 tornadoes with winds over 260 mph. 

To learn more or place an order, contact Lone Star Safe Rooms today.