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Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms affect smaller areas than hurricanes and winter storms, but they can still cause damage. Thunderstorms may produce lightning, strong winds and tornadoes, hail, or flash flooding.
An average thunderstorm lasts 30 minutes and covers an area about 15 miles in diameter.
The United States has an estimated 100,000 thunderstorms each year, and about 10 percent are
severe. Three conditions are needed to create a thunderstorm: (1) enough moisture to form clouds
and rain; (2) warm, unstable air, which will rise rapidly; and (3) something like a warm or cold
front, sea breezes, the sun’s heat, or a mountain range to cause an air mass to lift.
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