Late Summer Risks – Tornadoes, Derechos and Flash Flooding

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Call your independent agent today to make sure you have the best protection in the event of a storm.

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Severe weather, including tornadoes, derechos and flash flooding can result in dangerous conditions throughout the late summer. Know the risks, prepare and Live Assured.

The average number of tornadoes decreases in August, compared to the active spring and early summer months, but they are still a risk through late summer.

Tornado Facts

• They can occur almost anywhere during the warmer months, but locations at higher tornado risk are farther north than in the spring due to the jet stream closer to the Canadian border.
• The areas at highest risk for tornadoes in August extend from the Northern and Central Plains into the southern Great Lakes region. There is also a higher risk area from portions of the mid-Atlantic into southwestern New England.
• Many August tornadoes develop due to tropical cyclones, and there is also a slight uptick in the Southwest because of the monsoon season.

Derecho Facts

• Derechos are large clusters of thunderstorms that can cause widespread destruction to trees, power lines and even structures.
• They are most common in late spring and summer, with a peak in May through July. However, they can still occur in August and are just as powerful.

A recent derecho traveled 770 miles in 14 hours, causing devastation across the Midwest!

• Derechos can cause wind speeds of 60 to 100 mph or higher.
• Derecho is Spanish for “straight” and these windstorms leave long areas of straight-lined wind damage in their wake.
• Derechos are most common in the Plains, Midwest and South

Flash Flood Facts

• While the monsoon season doesn’t have such severe activity in the northeast, the risk of potential flooding from any summer storm could potentially increase the amount of damage sustained.
• Just a few minutes of heavy rain could result in flash floods, but excessive rainfall over six hours will yield devastating results.
• The average number of annual deaths from flooding over the past 10 years is 104. That makes flooding, on average, more deadly than hurricanes and tornadoes.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November each year, but the peak arrives in late summer. This is the time of year when conditions are most favorable and thus producing powerful and destructive forces.

Hurricanes are known to also spawn tornadoes, so it is imperative that when weather reports indicate a hurricane of any magnitude that you prepare for all of the conditions sited above, as a precaution.

Preparation for a storm is your best line of defense, but Preferred Mutual provides peace of mind during hurricane season! Call your independent agent today to make sure you have the best protection in the event of a storm. Our promise is always to protect what matters most to you – and we call that Living Assured.