Which of the following are typical hazards associated with severe weather systems like thunderstorms, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones?

• A. Thunderstorms bring heavy rain, hail, and lightning; tornadoes cause intense localized winds; tropical cyclones bring strong winds, storm surge, and flooding.
• B. Snowstorms and blizzards with light winds.
• C. Only earthquakes are associated with these systems.
• D. Drought conditions with clear skies.

Answer: (A)

Hazards from severe weather systems come in several forms: heavy precipitation and lightning from storms, powerful winds from tornadoes, and coastal and inland flooding from tropical cyclones. Thunderstorms bring heavy rain, hail, and lightning. Tornadoes unleash intense, localized winds that can cause severe damage in a small area. Tropical cyclones bring very strong winds, storm surge along coastlines, and widespread flooding from heavy rainfall. The other options describe conditions that aren’t typical of these systems—snowstorms with light winds, earthquakes, or drought with clear skies—so they don’t fit the hazards expected from severe weather systems like thunderstorms, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones.