What Are Weather Hazards

Weather hazards are dangerous weather events that can harm people and damage property. These hazards happen because of conditions in the atmosphere — the layer of air that surrounds Earth. Understanding weather hazards helps communities prepare and stay safe when dangerous weather approaches.

Unlike earth hazards such as earthquakes and volcanoes that come from inside Earth, weather hazards form in the air above us. There are many types of weather hazards. Severe storms bring heavy rain, strong winds, lightning, and hail. Floods occur when too much water covers normally dry land. Droughts happen when an area receives very little rain for a long time. Tornadoes are spinning columns of air that touch the ground and can destroy buildings. Hurricanes are massive storms with powerful winds that form over warm ocean water. Wildfires are uncontrolled fires that spread quickly through forests and grasslands, often made worse by hot, dry, windy weather.

Some weather hazards develop slowly over weeks or months, like droughts. Others strike quickly with little warning, like tornadoes. Weather scientists called meteorologists study the atmosphere and use special tools to predict weather hazards. They work to warn people before dangerous weather arrives so communities can prepare and protect themselves. Think of meteorologists as weather detectives who solve clues in the sky to keep people safe.

Interesting Fact: The fastest wind speed ever recorded in a tornado was 302 miles per hour in Oklahoma in 1999 — that's faster than a race car!