Those Terrible Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms are a very powerful example of nature's fury. More violent than a typical shower, but less severe than a hurricane, a thunderstorm leaves its mark on the place it decides to strike by changing the air, ground, and possibly causing damage to homes.
In places such as Florida where thunderstorms are very frequent during some parts of the year, most locals are able to tell when a thunderstorm has passed through rather than just a shower by the way the air smells. The ozone released by lightning strikes makes the normally humid air smell fresh and clean, and this can occur even without a single drop of rain falling.
The next mark left by a thunderstorm is probably the most obvious, and it is the rain that usually accompanies the wind, lightning and thunder during a storm. Depending on the size of the storm, there is the potential for a lot of rain to fall, and it will often leave the ground soaked or flooded for long periods of time.
In low lying areas, this can turn into a serious problem if too many storms pass by in too short of a time. Receiving too little rain can also cause problems.
Finally, the effect that people hate most about thunderstorms is the damage they can cause to homes or businesses. High winds can turn debris into projectiles, which will spell certain doom for any windows or automobiles that happen to be in their flight path. Fierce lightning can also strike and can cause fires or injury to people. Tornados have also been known to spawn from thunderstorms and they can cause even more severe damage.
Despite all the potential problems thunderstorms can cause, they are necessary in order to keep the proper water levels for certain...