Even if you can't hear thunder, you might still be at risk. Thunderstorms may produce a combination of tornadoes and downbursts. The occurrence of downbursts makes it imperative that the threat of severe thunderstorms be taken as seriously as that of tornadoes. Lightning strikes proceed from cloud to cloud, cloud to ground, or where high structures are involved, from ground to cloud . Lightning is a spark that can reach over 5 miles in length, attain a temperature of approximately 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and contain over 100 million electrical volts.
Lightning can strike some miles from the parent cloud.
Drop to your knees and bend forward, putting your hands on your knees. Do not lie flat on the ground . A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending between, and in contact with, a cloud and the surface of the earth. The U.S. has the highest incidence of tornadoes worldwide , with about 1,000 occurring every year. If no basement is available, move under heavy furniture or into a closet nearest the center of the building.