Articles for tag: Deadly Storms, Extreme Weather, Florida Lightning, Lightning Safety, Weather Science

a person flying through the sky

What Made These Lightning Strikes in Florida So Deadly?

Suhail Ahmed

Florida’s summer sky can turn from postcard-blue to ominous gray in minutes, and sometimes those minutes make all the difference. Recent clusters of severe thunderstorms left communities asking the same wrenching question: how did flashes that lasted less than a heartbeat cause so much harm? To find answers, scientists are tracing the invisible pathways lightning ...

Detailed close-up of raindrops on a surface, capturing the essence of a heavy rain shower.

The Hidden Drivers of Snowstorms and Floods? Tiny Lifeforms in the Air

Jan Otte

When we think of snowstorms and floods, we picture enormous temperature-driven and pressure-driven systems. But what if the actual architects of these phenomena are significantly smaller and alive? New research indicates that tiny life forms suspended in the air pollen, bacteria, fungal spores, and plant parts can potentially be a key to initiating heavy rain ...