Four Different Ways That Storms Cause Damage to Local Homes and Businesses

7/7/2021 (Permalink)

Blog Summary: Severe weather can damage homes and businesses in a variety of ways. Four aspects of storms that can cause great devastation are wind, lightning strikes, hail, and flooding.

SERVPRO of Carrollton knows that severe weather can hit with little or no warning, causing massive storm damage in Bent Tree, TX, and devastating homes and businesses. When the weather sirens begin, every second counts. Life in the “tornado alley” of Texas can be stressful at times, but knowledge of the different ways that severe weather causes damage can help residents and business owners prepare for the damaging effects of wind, lightning, hail, and flooding.

Four Ways That Severe Weather Can Cause Storm Damage to Homes in Bent Tree, TX

Severe weather involves wind, lightning strikes, hail, and flooding, which each cause different types of damage. When homeowners understand how these four factors can cause damage, they can identify and assess the extent of the damage that the home has sustained.

Wind

In October of 2019, ten tornadoes inflicted over a billion dollars in property damage in the North Dallas area of Texas. While not every weather system produces tornadoes, many storms generate damaging winds that result in severe property damage.

The National Severe Storms Laboratory outlines several types of winds that have the potential to produce severe damage.

1. Downdrafts

A downdraft is a column of air forcefully moving downward during a storm. This wind event can foster conditions leading to more serious wind conditions.

2. Downbursts

A downburst is an extremely powerful downdraft that bursts as it impacts the earth, sending high winds across a larger area. Downbursts have the explosive ability to damage homes and other buildings. They may even have the destructive power of a large tornado.

3. Microbursts

Microbursts occur when a downburst is localized over a smaller area. These short-lived bursts can be very destructive. Microbursts often accompany heavy rainfall. Microbursts not associated with precipitation are called dry microbursts and are much more frequent in the plains and intermountain region of the western United States.

4. Gust fronts

When cooler air collides with a warm storm, the shifting winds can gust at high speeds. The forceful winds may usher in the approaching storm. When the gusts occur, they form shelf or roll clouds, and in rare instances, the gust fronts can begin to spin, mimicking a very weak tornado.

5. Straight-line winds

Any strong winds that do not rotate are called straight-line winds. These fierce gusts crash their way through an area, and debris is pushed ahead of the winds. The wind and the debris pound against structures, often leaving destruction in their wake.

6. Derechos

A derecho may occur when bands of fast-moving thunderstorms roar through an area. The word “derecho” in Spanish means “straight ahead.” Derechos may generate multiple microbursts and downbursts, and these powerful storm conditions can cover an area spanning more than 240 square miles, enveloping entire major metropolitan areas.

These various types of high-velocity winds have one thing in common: they can cause extensive damage to homes, businesses, and other structures.

When weather conditions involve powerful winds, homeowners need to pay particular attention to the potential storm damage these high winds can cause. The roof is vulnerable to damage from wind. Straight-line winds can roll up the shingles, underlayment, and decking, and the exposed attic area will sustain extensive water damage. Saturated insulation loses much of its R-value and becomes a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. If the water intrusion is not stopped quickly, ceilings may collapse, and electrical circuits may short out. In situations involving roof leaks, emergency tarping is necessary to mitigate the water intrusion.

When gutters are ripped away from the edge of the roof, water is no longer directed away from the foundation. The pooling of water next to the foundation can flood the basement or crawl space. Winds approaching tornadic speeds can hurl debris through windows and cause physical injury, structural damage, and water damage.

A highly dangerous situation arising from high winds is broken limbs and downed trees that fall on the home. Large trees can demolish small homes and cause serious injury or death to the occupants of the house. In weather conditions involving high winds, stay away from windows and doors. Seek shelter in the house in a location that is as far as possible from where a tree might impact the structure. If the home is damaged and evacuation is required, watch out for debris and fallen power lines.

Lightning Strikes

A second way that severe weather can cause storm damage is by a lightning strike. According to the National Weather Service, “A typical lightning flash is about 300 million Volts and about 30,000 Amps. In comparison, the household current is 120 Volts and 15 Amps. There is enough energy in a typical flash of lightning to light a 100-watt incandescent light bulb for about three months or the equivalent compact fluorescent bulb for about a year.” A lightning strike with this much power can cause significant fire damage.

Hail

A third way that severe weather can cause storm damage is by hailstones, specifically hailstones that measure at least .75 inches. Hail as large as a golf ball (1.75 inches) or larger can cause severe damage. Hail damage to the roof can cause water leaks, and large hailstones falling at speeds of twenty-five to forty miles per hour or more can crack or shatter windows, allowing water into the home. Hail damage to gutters and eaves can lead to water-damaged interior walls, foundation damage, and flooded crawl space.

Flooding

Flooding is a fourth way that severe weather can cause storm damage. Bent Tree is no stranger to heavy rains from thunderstorms and the remnants of tropical storms and hurricanes. A flash flood can inundate a home or entire neighborhood in minutes, sending water gushing throughout the house, damaging personal belongings, causing extensive structural damage, and creating the ideal conditions for mold growth.

When high winds, lightning, hail, or flooding strike, trust the restoration experts at SERVPRO of Carrollton for water, fire, and storm damage restoration. The company offers a twenty-four-hour emergency service and a faster response to any size disaster. For more details about storm damage restoration in Bent Tree, TX, contact SERVPRO of Carrollton by phone at (972) 446-0383 or by email at office@SERVPRO10952.com.