View source for Storm

{{Short description|Disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere}}
{{Redirect|Windstorm}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Pp-semi-indef}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
[[File:Cloud cumulonimbus at baltic sea(1).jpg|thumb|A storm seen at the [[Baltic Sea]] near the island of [[Öland, Sweden]].]]
{{Weather}}
A '''storm''' is any disturbed state of the [[natural environment]] or the [[atmosphere]] of an [[Astronomy|astronomical]] body.<ref name="noaa-storm">{{cite web |title=Storm |url=https://forecast.weather.gov/glossary.php?word=STORM |website=NOAA National Weather Service Glossary |access-date=2025-10-12}}</ref> It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, [[tornado]]es, [[hail]], [[thunder]] and [[lightning]] (a [[thunderstorm]]), heavy [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] ([[snowstorm]], rainstorm), heavy [[freezing rain]] ([[ice storm]]), strong winds ([[tropical cyclone]], windstorm), wind transporting some [[Chemical substance|substance]] through the [[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]] such as in a [[dust storm]], among other forms of [[severe weather]].

Storms have the potential to harm lives and property via [[storm surge]], heavy rain or snow causing flooding or road impassibility, [[lightning]], [[wildfire]]s, and vertical and horizontal [[wind shear]]. Systems with significant rainfall and duration help alleviate drought in places they move through. Heavy snowfall can allow special recreational activities to take place which would not be possible otherwise, such as skiing and snowmobiling.

The English word comes from [[Proto-Germanic]] ''sturmaz'' meaning "noise, tumult";<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/storm |title=Storm |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=5 February 2018}}</ref> a synonym is '''tempest''', of French origin.

Storms are created when a center of [[Low pressure area|low pressure]] develops with the system of [[high pressure area|high pressure]] surrounding it. This combination of opposing forces can create winds and result in the formation of storm [[clouds]] such as [[cumulonimbus cloud|cumulonimbus]]. Small localized areas of low pressure can form from hot air rising off hot ground, resulting in smaller disturbances such as [[dust devils]] and [[whirlwinds]].

== Types ==
{{Prose|section|date=August 2025}}
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| image1            = Classic Storm.jpg
| caption1          = Classic summer [[thunderstorm]] with [[lightning]] in [[Sierras de Córdoba]], Argentina.
| image2            = ChelmonskiJozef.1896.Burza.jpg
| caption2          = Classic summer storm in the 19th-century Polish countryside – [[Oil painting|picture]] by [[Jozef Chelmonski]], 1896, 107 cm (42.1 in)x163 cm (64.1 in), [[National Museum in Cracow]].
| image3            = Haiyan 2013-11-07 0420Z.jpg
| caption3          = [[Typhoon Haiyan]], a massive tropical cyclone that struck the [[Philippines]] in late [[2013 Pacific typhoon season|2013]].
| image4            = Binger Oklahoma Tornado.jpg
| caption4          = A tornado in [[Binger, Oklahoma]] during the [[May 1981 tornado outbreak|1981 outbreak]].
| image5            = Bwca derecho.jpg
| caption5          = Trees felled by downbursts in the [[Boundary Waters – Canadian derecho]] of 1999.
| image6            = Miniskirts in snow storm.jpg
| caption6          = Snow storm in New York City.
| image7            = Boat in storm at sea.jpg
| caption7          = L'Ocean
}}
There are many varieties and names for storms:

* [[Blizzard]]{{snd}} There are varying definitions for blizzards, both over time and by location. In general, a blizzard is accompanied by [[gale]]-force winds, heavy snow (accumulating at a rate of at least 5 centimeters (2&nbsp;in) per hour), and very cold conditions (below approximately −10 degrees Celsius or 14&nbsp;F). Lately, the temperature criterion has fallen out of the definition across the United States.<ref>University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. [http://www.meted.ucar.edu/hazwx/topic3/fact9.htm Winter Storms.] Retrieved on 26 November 2006.</ref>
* [[Explosive cyclogenesis|Bomb cyclone]]{{snd}} A rapid deepening of a mid-latitude cyclonic low-pressure area, typically occurring over the ocean, but can occur over land.  The winds experienced during these storms can be as powerful as that of a typhoon or hurricane.
* Coastal storm{{snd}} Large [[wind waves]] and/or [[storm surge]] that strike the coastal zone. Their impacts include [[coastal erosion]] and [[coastal flooding]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Harley |first=Mitchell |editor1-last=Ciavola |editor1-first=Paolo |editor2-last=Coco |editor2-first=Giovanni |title=Coastal Storms: Processes and Impacts |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |date=24 March 2017 |pages=1–22 |chapter=Chapter 1: Coastal Storm Definition|isbn=978-1-118-93710-5}}</ref>
* [[Derecho]]{{snd}} A derecho is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line wind storm that is associated with a land-based, fast-moving group of severe thunderstorms.
* [[Dust devil]]{{snd}} A small, localized updraft of rising air.
* [[Dust storm]]{{snd}} A situation in which winds pick up large quantities of sand or soil, greatly reducing [[visibility]].
* [[Firestorm]]{{snd}} Firestorms are conflagrations which attain such intensity that they create and sustain their own wind systems. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bush fires, forest fires, and wildfires. The [[Peshtigo Fire]] is one example of a firestorm. Firestorms can also be deliberate effects of targeted explosives, such as occurred as a result of the aerial [[Bombing of Dresden in World War II|bombings of Dresden]]. [[Nuclear weapon|Nuclear detonations]] generate firestorms if high winds are not present.
* [[Gale]]{{snd}} An [[extratropical storm]] with sustained winds between 34 and 48 knots (39–55&nbsp;mph or 63–90&nbsp;km/h).<ref name="OPC" />
* [[Hail]]storm{{snd}} A type of storm that precipitates round chunks of ice. Hailstorms usually occur during regular thunderstorms. While most of the hail that precipitates from the clouds is fairly small and virtually harmless, there are occasional occurrences of hail greater than 2&nbsp;inches (5&nbsp;cm) in diameter that can cause much damage and injuries.
* [[Ice storm]]{{snd}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Different Types of Storms That Will Blow Your Mind |url=https://sciencestruck.com/which-are-different-types-of-storms |website=Science Struck |access-date=16 January 2021 |date=28 November 2014}}</ref> Ice storms are one of the most dangerous forms of [[winter storm]]s. When surface temperatures are below freezing, but a thick layer of above-freezing air remains aloft, rain can fall into the freezing layer and freeze upon impact into a glaze of ice. In general, {{convert|8|mm|in}} of accumulation is all that is required, especially in combination with breezy conditions, to start downing power lines as well as tree limbs.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ci.kent.wa.us/emergency/KentHazards/SNOW.pdf#search=%22ice%20storm%20definition%22 |title= SNOW / ICE STORM  |author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->  |publisher= 
City of Kent, Washington |access-date=November 18, 2025 |url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228235209/http://www.ci.kent.wa.us/emergency/KentHazards/SNOW.pdf#search=%22ice%20storm%20definition%22 |archive-date= February 28, 2008  }}</ref>  Ice storms also make unheated road surfaces too slick to drive upon. Ice storms can vary in time range from hours to days and can cripple small towns and large metropolitan cities alike.
* [[Microburst]]{{snd}} A very powerful windstorm produced during a thunderstorm that only lasts a few minutes.
* Ocean Storm or sea storm{{snd}} Storm conditions out at sea are defined as having sustained winds of 48 knots (55&nbsp;mph or 90&nbsp;km/h) or greater.<ref name="OPC">Ocean Prediction Center. [http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/product_description/keyterm.shtml Terminology and Weather Symbols.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316130436/http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/product_description/keyterm.shtml |date=16 March 2017 }} Retrieved on 26 November 2006.</ref>  Usually just referred to as a storm, these systems can sink vessels of all types and sizes.
* [[Nor'westers]] {{Spaced en dash}}A powerful storm coming from [[Northwest|North-western]] direction, associated with heavy [[Gust (wind)|gusts]], [[hail]] and [[thunderstorm]]s. Usually occurs in [[Eastern India]] and [[Bangladesh]] in the late Spring and early Summer.
* [[Snowstorm]]{{snd}}  A heavy fall of snow accumulating at a rate of more than 5 centimeters (2&nbsp;in) per hour that lasts several hours. Snow storms, especially ones with a high liquid equivalent and breezy conditions, can down tree limbs, cut off power connections and paralyze travel over large regions.
* [[Squall]]{{snd}} Sudden onset of wind increase of at least 16 knots (30&nbsp;km/h) or greater sustained for at least one minute.
* [[Thunderstorm]]{{snd}} A thunderstorm is a type of storm that generates both [[lightning]] and [[thunder]]. It is  normally accompanied by heavy [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]]. Thunderstorms occur throughout the world, with the highest frequency in tropical [[rainforest]] regions where there are conditions of high humidity and temperature along with atmospheric instability. These storms occur when high levels of condensation form in a volume of unstable air that generates deep, rapid, upward motion in the atmosphere. The heat energy creates powerful rising air currents that swirl upwards to the [[tropopause]]. Cool descending air currents produce strong downdraughts below the storm. After the storm has spent its energy, the rising currents die away and downdraughts break up the cloud. Individual storm clouds can measure 2–10&nbsp;km across.
* [[Tornado]]{{snd}} A tornado is a violent, destructive whirlwind storm occurring on land. Usually its appearance is that of a dark, funnel-shaped cloud. Often tornadoes are preceded by or associated with thunderstorms and a [[wall cloud]]. They are often called the most destructive of storms, and while they form all over the planet, the interior of the United States is the most prone area, especially throughout [[Tornado Alley]].
* [[Tropical cyclone]]{{snd}} A tropical cyclone is a storm system with a closed circulation around a centre of [[low pressure area|low pressure]], fueled by the heat released when moist air rises and condenses. The name underscores its origin in the tropics and their [[cyclonic]] nature. Tropical cyclones are distinguished from other cyclonic storms such as [[nor'easter]]s and [[polar low]]s by the heat mechanism that fuels them, which makes them "warm core" storm systems. Tropical cyclones form in the oceans if the [[Tropical cyclone#Formation|conditions in the area are favorable]], and depending on their strength and location, there are various terms by which they are called, such as ''tropical depression'', ''tropical storm'', ''hurricane'' and ''typhoon''.<ref>Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A1.html Frequently Asked Questions Subject: A1) What is a hurricane, typhoon, or tropical cyclone?] Retrieved on 26 November 2006.</ref>
* Wind storm{{snd}} A storm marked by high wind with little or no precipitation.<ref name="Merriam-Webster">{{cite web |url= http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windstorm |title= windstorm |access-date=2009-10-26|publisher= merriam-webster }}</ref> Windstorm damage often opens the door for massive amounts of water and debris to cause further damage to a structure.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Salvatore |first1=Sheila E |title=Hurricanes and Windstorm Coverage" Adjusters International |url=https://www.adjustersinternational.com/publications/adjusting-today/hurricanes-and-windstorm-coverage/2/ |website=Adjusters International}}</ref>  [[European windstorm]]s and [[derecho]]s are two type of windstorms.<ref name="NOAA">{{cite web |url= http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/derechofacts#definition |title=Derecho |access-date=2010-07-17|publisher= National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration }}</ref> High wind is also the cause of [[Dust storm|sandstorms]] in dry climates.

== Classification ==
A strict [[meteorology|meteorological]] definition of a terrestrial storm is a wind measuring 10 or higher on the [[Beaufort scale]], meaning a wind speed of 24.5 [[Metre per second|m/s]] (89&nbsp;km/h, 55&nbsp;mph) or more; however, popular usage is not so restrictive. Storms can last anywhere from 12 to 200 hours, depending on season and geography. In North America, the east and northeast storms are noted for the most frequent repeatability and duration, especially during the cold period. Big terrestrial storms alter the [[oceanographic]] conditions that in turn may affect food abundance and distribution: strong currents, strong tides, increased siltation, change in water temperatures, overturn in the water column, etc.  <!--The storm classification for assessing the relative power of northeasterly storms in the west-Atlantic has been developed by scientists at the [[University of Virginia]]. A relative frequency of 50% means here one such storm every two years and 0.1% once every 1000 years.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! !! Class 1 weak !! Class 2 moderate !! Class 3 significant !! Class 4 severe !! Class 5 extreme
|-
! Average peak wave height (m)
| 2 || 2.5 || 3.2 || 5 || 7
|-
! Average duration (h)
| 8 || 18 || 34 || 63 || 96
|-
! Relative frequency
| 49.7% (2 years) || 25.2% (4 years) || 22.1% (5 years) || 2.4% (40 years) || 0.1% (1000 years)
|-
! Beach erosion
| minor || modest || across beach || severe || extreme
|-
! Dune erosion
| none || minor || significant || erosion and recession || destruction
|-
! Overwash
| none || none || none || severe on low-profile beaches || region-wide
|-
! Property damage
| none || modest || local || community-wide || region-wide
|}
-->
{{clear}}

== Extraterrestrial storms ==
[[File:PIA02863 - Jupiter surface motion animation.gif|thumb|The [[Great Red Spot]] on Jupiter]]

Storms do not only occur on Earth; other planetary bodies with a sufficient atmosphere ([[giant planet]]s in particular) also undergo stormy weather. The [[Great Red Spot]] on [[Jupiter]] provides a well-known example.<ref>{{cite news |last1=JoAnna |first1=Wendel |title=Jupiter's Great Red Spot: Our Solar System's Most Famous Storm |url=https://www.space.com/jupiter-great-red-spot.html |access-date=16 January 2021 |work=Space.com |agency=Space.com contributor |date=October 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Though technically an anticyclone, with greater than hurricane wind speeds, it is larger than the Earth and has persisted for at least 340 years, having first been observed by astronomer [[Giovanni Domenico Cassini]]. [[Neptune]] also had its own lesser-known [[Great Dark Spot]].

In September 1994, the [[Hubble Space Telescope]] – using [[Wide Field Planetary Camera 2]] – imaged storms on [[Saturn]] generated by upwelling of warmer air, similar to a terrestrial thunderhead. The east–west extent of the same-year{{clarify|date=September 2015}} storm equaled the diameter of Earth<ref>{{Cite web |last=information@eso.org |title=ESA/Hubble Space Telescope |url=https://esahubble.org/ |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=esahubble.org |language=en}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=October 2022}}. The storm was observed earlier in September 1990 and acquired the name [[Dragon Storm (astronomy)|Dragon Storm]].

The dust storms of [[Mars]] vary in size, but can often cover the entire planet. They tend to occur when Mars comes closest to the Sun, and have been shown to increase the global temperature.<ref>{{cite web|last=Philips|first=Tony|date=16 July 2001|title=Planet Gobbling Dust Storms|work=NASA Science News|access-date=2006-06-07|url=https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast16jul_1/|archive-date=26 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526230133/http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast16jul_1/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

One particularly large Martian storm was exhaustively studied up close due to coincidental timing. When the first [[spacecraft]] to successfully orbit another planet, [[Mariner 9]], arrived and successfully orbited Mars on 14 November 1971, [[Planetary science|planetary scientists]] were surprised to find the [[celestial body's atmosphere|atmosphere]] was thick with a planet-wide robe of [[dust]], the largest storm ever observed on Mars. The surface of the planet was totally obscured. Mariner 9's computer was reprogrammed from Earth to delay imaging of the surface for a couple of months until the dust settled, however, the surface-obscured images contributed much to the collection of Mars atmospheric and planetary surface science.<ref name=Pyle2012-M9>{{cite book |last=Pyle|first=Rod |title=Destination Mars |year=2012 |publisher=Prometheus Books |isbn=978-1-61614-589-7 |pages=73–78}}</ref>

Two [[extrasolar planet]]s are known to have storms: [[HD 209458 b]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Rincon |first=Paul |title='Superstorm' rages on exoplanet |work=[[BBC News]] London |date=23 June 2010 }}</ref> and [[HD 80606 b]]. The former's storm was discovered on 23 June 2010, and measured at {{convert|6200|km/h|abbr=on}}, while the latter produces winds of {{convert|17700|km/h|abbr=on}} across the surface. The spin of the planet then creates giant swirling shock-wave storms that carry the heat aloft.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Boyle|first1=Alan|title=10 Types Of Alien Weather That Put Earth To Shame|url=http://listverse.com/2014/06/16/10-types-of-alien-weather-that-put-earth-to-shame/|website=Listverse|access-date=2014-06-16|date=16 June 2014}}</ref>

== Effects on human society ==
{{Redirect|Storm damage|the British television film|Storm Damage}}
{{See also|Acid rain|Effects of tropical cyclones|Hail|Lightning|Snow|Wildfire|Wind|Wind shear}}
[[File:Train stuck in snow.jpg|thumb|A snow blockade in southern Minnesota in 1881]]
[[File:Blitze IMGP6376 wp.jpg|thumb|A return stroke, cloud-to-ground [[lightning]] strike during a [[thunderstorm]].]]
[[File:Flaming Rain at Sunset.jpg|thumb|right|A [[sunshower]] storm in the [[Mojave Desert]] at sunset.]]
[[File:Desert Electric.jpg|thumb|right|A lightning strike during a desert storm at twilight]]
Shipwrecks are common with the passage of strong tropical cyclones.  Such shipwrecks can change the course of history,<ref>Edward N. Rappaport and Jose Fernandez-Partagas. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdeadly.shtml? The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492–1996.] Retrieved on 1 January 2008.</ref> as well as influence art and literature.  A hurricane led to a victory of the Spanish over the French for control of Fort Caroline, and ultimately the Atlantic coast of North America, in 1565.<ref>Sun-Sentinel. [http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/sfl-hc-history-1495to1800,0,3354030.htmlstory Hurricane timeline: 1495 to 1800.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814055439/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/sfl-hc-history-1495to1800,0,3354030.htmlstory |date=14 August 2014 }} Retrieved on 3 October 2007.</ref>
Strong winds from any storm type can damage or destroy vehicles, buildings, bridges, and other outside objects, turning loose debris into deadly flying projectiles. In the United States, [[tropical cyclone scales|major hurricanes]] comprise just 21% of all landfalling tropical cyclones, but account for 83% of all damage.<ref name="faqd5">{{cite web|author=Chris Landsea|year=1998|title=How does the damage that hurricanes cause increase as a function of wind speed?|publisher=Hurricane Research Division|access-date=2007-02-24|url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/D5.html}}</ref>  Tropical cyclones often knock out power to tens or hundreds of thousands of people, preventing vital communication and hampering rescue efforts.<ref name="Power failures">{{cite news|author=Staff Writer|date=30 August 2005|title=Hurricane Katrina Situation Report #11|publisher=Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) [[United States Department of Energy]]|access-date=2007-02-24|url=http://www.oe.netl.doe.gov/docs/katrina/katrina_083005_1600.pdf}}</ref> Tropical cyclones often destroy key bridges, overpasses, and roads, complicating efforts to transport food, clean water, and medicine to the areas that need it. Furthermore, the damage caused by tropical cyclones to buildings and dwellings can result in economic damage to a region, and to a [[diaspora]] of the population of the region.<ref name="oxfo" />

The [[storm surge]], or the increase in sea level due to the cyclone, is typically the worst effect from landfalling tropical cyclones, historically resulting in 90% of tropical cyclone deaths.<ref name="oxfo">{{cite journal|author=James M. Shultz, Jill Russell and Zelde Espinel|year=2005|title=Epidemiology of Tropical Cyclones: The Dynamics of Disaster, Disease, and Development|journal=Epidemiologic Reviews|volume=27|pages=21–35|publisher=Oxford Journal|doi=10.1093/epirev/mxi011|pmid=15958424|doi-access=free}}</ref>  The relatively quick surge in sea level can move miles/kilometers inland, flooding homes and cutting off escape routes.  The storm surges and winds of hurricanes may be destructive to human-made structures, but they also stir up the waters of coastal estuaries, which are typically important fish breeding locales.

[[Lightning#Cloud to ground (CG)|Cloud-to-ground lightning]] frequently occurs within the phenomena of thunderstorms and have numerous hazards towards landscapes and populations. One of the more significant hazards lightning can pose is the wildfires they are capable of igniting.<ref name='Scott2000'>{{cite journal | doi =10.1016/S0031-0182(00)00192-9 | title =The Pre-Quaternary history of fire | year =2000 | author =Scott, A | journal = 	Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology | volume =164 | issue =1–4 | pages =281–329 | bibcode =2000PPP...164..281S }}</ref> Under a regime of low precipitation (LP) thunderstorms, where little precipitation is present, rainfall cannot prevent fires from starting when vegetation is dry as lightning produces a concentrated amount of extreme heat.<ref name="ufl">{{cite web|url=http://plaza.ufl.edu/rakov/Gas.html|title=Lightning Makes Glass|access-date=7 November 2007|publisher=[[University of Florida]], Gainesville|year=1999|author=Vladimir A. Rakov|archive-date=11 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111165830/http://plaza.ufl.edu/rakov/Gas.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Wildfires can devastate vegetation and the biodiversity of an ecosystem. Wildfires that occur close to urban environments can inflict damages upon infrastructures, buildings, crops, and provide risks to explosions, should the flames be exposed to gas pipes. Direct damage caused by lightning strikes occurs on occasion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hughston.com/hha/a_12_3_4.htm|title=Lightning and Its Hazards|author1=Bruce Getz|author2=Kelli Bowermeister|name-list-style=amp|publisher=Hughston Sports Medicine Foundation|date=9 January 2009|access-date=2009-09-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124020843/http://www.hughston.com/hha/a_12_3_4.htm|archive-date=2010-01-24}}</ref> In areas with a high frequency for cloud-to-ground lightning, like Florida, lightning causes several fatalities per year, most commonly to people working outside.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ams.confex.com/ams/88Annual/techprogram/paper_132808.htm|title=P2.13 Florida lightning deaths and injuries 2004–2007|author=Charles H. Paxton, J. Colson and N. Carlisle|publisher=[[American Meteorological Society]]|year=2008|access-date=2009-09-05}}</ref>

Precipitation with low [[PH|potential of hydrogen levels]] (pH), otherwise known as acid rain, is also a frequent risk produced by lightning.  [[Distilled water]], which contains no [[carbon dioxide]], has a [[Neutral solution|neutral]] [[pH]] of 7. Liquids with a pH less than 7 are acidic, and those with a pH greater than 7 are bases.  "Clean" or unpolluted rain has a slightly acidic pH of about 5.2, because carbon dioxide and water in the air react together to form [[carbonic acid]], a weak acid (pH 5.6 in distilled water), but unpolluted rain also contains other chemicals.<ref>{{cite journal|author=G. E. Likens, W. C. Keene, J. M. Miller and J. N. Galloway|year=1987|title=Chemistry of precipitation from a remote, terrestrial site in Australia|journal=Journal of Geophysical Research|volume=92|issue=13|pages=299–314|bibcode = 1987JGR....92..299R |doi = 10.1029/JA092iA01p00299 }}</ref> [[Nitric oxide]] present during thunderstorm phenomena,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Tropospheric sources of NOx: Lightning and biology |author1=Joel S. Levine |author2=Tommy R. Augustsson |author3=Iris C. Andersont |author4=James M. Hoell Jr. |author5=Dana A. Brewer  |name-list-style=amp |doi=10.1016/0004-6981(84)90355-X|journal=Atmospheric Environment|volume=18|issue=9|pages=1797–1804|year=1984|pmid=11540827|bibcode = 1984AtmEn..18.1797L }}</ref> caused by the splitting of nitrogen molecules, can result in the production of acid rain, if nitric oxide forms compounds with the water molecules in precipitation, thus creating acid rain. Acid rain can damage infrastructures containing calcite or other solid chemical compounds containing carbon. In ecosystems, acid rain can dissolve plant tissues of vegetations and increase acidification process in bodies of water and in [[soil]], resulting in deaths of marine and terrestrial organisms.<ref name="EPA">{{cite web|author=Office of Air and Radiation Clean Air Markets Division|url=http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/surface_water.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118120243/http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/surface_water.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 January 2008|title=Effects of Acid Rain&nbsp;– Surface Waters and own Aquatic Animals|access-date=2009-09-05|date=1 December 2008|publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency]]}}</ref>

Hail damage to roofs often goes unnoticed until further structural damage is seen, such as leaks or cracks. It is hardest to recognize hail damage on shingled roofs and flat roofs, but all roofs have their own hail damage detection problems.<ref name="Hail Damage to Roofs from Adjusting Today">{{cite web |url= http://adjustersinternational.com/publications/adjusting-today/multi-family-complexes-insuring-exposures-and-losses/16/ |title= Hail Damage to Roofs |access-date= 11 December 2009 |publisher= Adjusting Today |archive-date= 16 October 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151016183034/http://adjustersinternational.com/publications/adjusting-today/multi-family-complexes-insuring-exposures-and-losses/16/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>  Metal roofs are fairly resistant to hail damage, but may accumulate cosmetic damage in the form of dents and damaged coatings. Hail is also a common nuisance to drivers of automobiles, severely denting the vehicle and cracking or even shattering [[windshields]] and [[Car glass|windows]].  Rarely, massive hailstones have been known to cause [[concussion]]s or fatal head [[physical trauma|trauma]].  Hailstorms have been the cause of costly and deadly events throughout history.  One of the earliest recorded incidents occurred around the 9th century in [[Roopkund]], Uttarakhand, India.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/11/07/wind07.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/11/07/ixworld.html |title=Giant hail killed more than 200 in Himalayas |author=David Orr |date=7 November 2004 |access-date=2009-08-28 |publisher=Telegraph Group Unlimited via the Internet Wayback Machine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051203015218/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2004%2F11%2F07%2Fwind07.xml&sSheet=%2Fnews%2F2004%2F11%2F07%2Fixworld.html |archive-date=2005-12-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The largest hailstone in terms of diameter and weight ever recorded in the United States fell on 23 July 2010, in [[Vivian, South Dakota]] in the United States; it measured {{convert|8|in|cm}} in diameter and {{convert|18.62|in|cm}} in circumference, weighing in at {{convert|1.93|lbs|kg}}.<ref name="Record">{{cite web|title=Hailstone record press release|date=30 July 2010|publisher=National Weather Service|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crh/pdf/073010RecordHailVivianSD.pdf}}</ref> This broke the previous record for diameter set by a hailstone {{convert|7|in|cm}} diameter and {{convert|18.75|in|cm}} circumference which fell in [[Aurora, Nebraska]] in the United States on 22 June 2003, as well as the record for weight, set by a hailstone of {{convert|1.67|lbs|kg}} that fell in [[Coffeyville, Kansas]] in 1970.<ref name="Record" />

Various hazards, ranging from hail to lightning can affect outside technology facilities, such as [[Antenna (radio)|antennas]], [[satellite dishes]], and towers. As a result, companies with outside facilities have begun installing such facilities underground, to reduce the risk of damage from storms.<ref>{{cite book|last=Newman|first=Robert C.|title=Computer Security: Protecting Digital Resources|year=2009|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning|location=Sudbury, MA|isbn=978-0-7637-5994-0|pages=100|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_R5ndK-i3vkC&pg=PA100}}</ref>

Substantial snowfall can disrupt public infrastructure and services, slowing human activity even in regions that are accustomed to such weather. Air and ground transport may be greatly inhibited or shut down entirely. Populations living in snow-prone areas have developed various ways to travel across the snow, such as [[ski]]s, [[snowshoe]]s, and [[sled]]s pulled by horses, dogs, or other animals and later, [[snowmobile]]s. Basic utilities such as [[electricity distribution|electricity]], [[telephone line]]s, and [[Natural gas#Uses|gas supply]] can also fail. In addition, snow can make roads much harder to travel and vehicles attempting to use them can easily become stuck.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nsidc.org/snow/shovel.html |title=Have Snow Shovel, Will Travel |author=Laura Cheshire |year=1997 |access-date=2009-07-08 |publisher=National Snow and Ice Data Center |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428171243/http://nsidc.org/snow/shovel.html |archive-date=2009-04-28 }}</ref>

The combined effects can lead to a "[[Weather-related cancellation|snow day]]" on which gatherings such as school, work, or church are officially canceled. In areas that normally have very little or no snow, a snow day may occur when there is only light accumulation or even the threat of snowfall, since those areas are unprepared to handle any amount of snow. In some areas, such as some states in the United States, schools are given a yearly quota of snow days (or "calamity days"). Once the quota is exceeded, the snow days must be made up.<ref name="DDN Larsen">{{cite news|title=School districts are using up calamity days |author=Dave Larsen |work=[[Dayton Daily News]] |location=[[Dayton, Ohio]] |publisher=[[Cox Enterprises]] |date=27 January 2009 |access-date=2009-02-05 |url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2009/01/27/ddn012709calamityweb.html |quote=Ohio school districts can use five calamity days before they must start adding extra days to the school calendar. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131071023/http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2009/01/27/ddn012709calamityweb.html |archive-date=31 January 2009 }}</ref><ref name="WCMH Willis">{{cite news|title=Districts Consider Calamity Options |author=Donna Willis |work=[[WCMH-TV]] |location=[[Columbus, Ohio]] |publisher=[[Media General]] |date=30 January 2009 |access-date=2009-02-05 |url=http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/education/article/districts_consider_calamity_options/12343/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615071458/http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/education/article/districts_consider_calamity_options/12343/ |archive-date=2011-06-15 }}</ref><ref name="WKTV Ferris">{{cite news|title=Decision for city schools to stay open prompts calls from irate parents |author=Joleen Ferris |work=[[WKTV]] |location=[[Utica, New York]] |publisher=[[Smith Media]] |date=28 January 2009 |access-date=2009-02-05 |url=http://www.wktv.com/news/local/38543532.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130084700/http://www.wktv.com/news/local/38543532.html |archive-date=2009-01-30 }}</ref> In other states, all snow days must be made up.<ref name="Enquirer Wolff">{{cite news|title=Snow may stretch out school year|author1=Christine Wolff|author2=Tanya Albert|work=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]|location=[[Cincinnati]], Ohio|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|date=9 March 1999|access-date=2009-02-05|url=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1999/03/10/loc_snow_may_stretch_out.html|archive-date=2 January 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102135029/http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1999/03/10/loc_snow_may_stretch_out.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> For example, schools may extend the remaining school days later into the afternoon, shorten [[spring break]], or delay the start of [[summer vacation]].

Accumulated snow is [[Snow removal|removed]] to make travel easier and safer, and to decrease the long-term effect of a heavy snowfall. This process uses [[shovel]]s and [[snowplow]]s, and is often assisted by sprinkling salt or other chloride-based chemicals, which reduce the melting temperature of snow.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I3gxuwTE5_MC&pg=PA10|title=Managing roadway snow and ice control operations|author=David A. Kuemmel|page=10|isbn=978-0-309-05666-3|publisher=Transportation Research Board|year=1994}}</ref> In some areas with abundant snowfall, such as [[Yamagata Prefecture]], Japan, people harvest snow and store it surrounded by [[Thermal insulation|insulation]] in ice houses. This allows the snow to be used through the summer for refrigeration and air conditioning, which requires far less electricity than traditional cooling methods.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/Publications/INSIGHT/Win-96/9.asp |title=Using Snow For Cool, Innovative Solutions |journal=Insight |date=Winter 1996 |access-date=2009-07-08 |author=United Nations Environment Programme |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214222059/http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/Publications/INSIGHT/Win-96/9.asp |archive-date=2009-02-14 }}</ref>

=== Agriculture ===
Hail can cause serious damage, notably to [[automobile]]s, aircraft, skylights, glass-roofed structures, livestock, and most commonly, farmers' [[crops]].<ref name="Nolanhail">{{cite journal|url=http://www.cocorahs.org/media/docs/hail_1994.pdf|title=Hail, Hail, Hail ! The Summertime Hazard of Eastern Colorado|author=Nolan J. Doesken|journal=Colorado Climate|volume=17|issue=7|date=April 1994|access-date=2009-07-18|archive-date=25 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125163951/http://cocorahs.org/media/docs/hail_1994.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Wheat, corn, soybeans, and tobacco are the most sensitive crops to hail damage.<ref name="Oliver">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-mwbAsxpRr0C&pg=PA401|title=Encyclopedia of World Climatology|author=John E. Oliver|page=401|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-1-4020-3264-6|year=2005}}</ref>  Hail is one of Canada's most expensive hazards.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s6oxEraqWWwC&q=hail&pg=RA1-PA61|title=Introduction to international disaster management|author=Damon P. Coppola|page=62|year=2007|isbn=978-0-7506-7982-4|publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann}}</ref>  Snowfall can be beneficial to agriculture by serving as a [[thermal insulation|thermal insulator]], conserving the heat of the Earth and protecting [[agriculture|crops]] from subfreezing weather. Some agricultural areas depend on an accumulation of snow during winter that will melt gradually in spring, providing water for crop growth. If it melts into water and refreezes upon sensitive crops, such as oranges, the resulting ice will protect the fruit from exposure to lower temperatures.<ref>{{cite web|author=M. Baldwin|url=http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen01/gen01243.htm|title=How Cold Can Water Get?|publisher=[[Argonne National Laboratory]] |date=8 September 2002 |access-date=2009-04-16}}</ref>  Although tropical [[cyclone]]s take an enormous toll in lives and personal property, they may be important factors in the [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] regimes of places they affect and bring much-needed precipitation to otherwise dry regions. Hurricanes in the eastern north Pacific often supply moisture to the Southwestern United States and parts of Mexico.<ref name="2005 EPac outlook">[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] [http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/Epac_hurr/Epac_hurricane.html 2005 Tropical Eastern North Pacific Hurricane Outlook] accessed 2 May 2006</ref> Japan receives over half of its rainfall from typhoons.<ref name="Whipple 54">{{cite book | author =  Whipple, Addison | year = 1982 | title = Storm | url =  https://archive.org/details/storm00whip | url-access =  registration | pages =  [https://archive.org/details/storm00whip/page/54 54] | location = [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria, VA]] | publisher = [[Time Life]] Books | isbn =  0-8094-4312-0}}</ref> [[Hurricane Camille]] averted drought conditions and ended water deficits along much of its path,<ref name="Christopherson">{{cite book | author = Christopherson, Robert W. | year = 1992 | title =  Geosystems: An Introduction to Physical Geography | pages = 222–224 | publisher = Macmillan Publishing Company | location = New York City | isbn = 0-02-322443-6}}</ref> though it also killed 259&nbsp;people and caused $9.14&nbsp;billion (2005 USD) in damage.

=== Aviation ===
[[File:Windshearaircraftnasa.gif|thumb|Effect of wind shear on aircraft trajectory.  Merely correcting for the initial gust front can have dire consequences.]]

Hail is one of the most significant thunderstorm hazards to aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.easa.europa.eu/safety-and-research/research-projects/docs/large-aeroplanes/EASA.2008_5.pdf |date=November 2010 |title=Hail Threat Standardisation |author1=P.R. Field |author2=W.H. Hand |author3=G. Cappelluti |publisher=European Aviation Safety Agency. RP EASA.2008/5 |display-authors=etal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207052634/http://www.easa.europa.eu/safety-and-research/research-projects/docs/large-aeroplanes/EASA.2008_5.pdf |archive-date=2013-12-07 }}</ref> When hail stones exceed {{convert|0.5|in|mm}} in diameter, planes can be seriously damaged within seconds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aviationweather.ws/063_Hazards.php|title=Hazards|author=Federal Aviation Administration|year=2009|access-date=2009-08-29|author-link=Federal Aviation Administration}}</ref> The hailstones accumulating on the ground can also be hazardous to landing aircraft.  Strong wind outflow from thunderstorms causes rapid changes in the three-dimensional wind velocity just above ground level. Initially, this outflow causes a headwind that increases airspeed, which normally causes a pilot to reduce engine power if they are unaware of the wind shear. As the aircraft passes into the region of the downdraft, the localized headwind diminishes, reducing the aircraft's airspeed and increasing its sink rate. Then, when the aircraft passes through the other side of the downdraft, the headwind becomes a tailwind, reducing lift generated by the wings, and leaving the aircraft in a low-power, low-speed descent. This can lead to an accident if the aircraft is too low to effect a recovery before ground contact. As the result of the accidents in the 1970s and 1980s, in 1988 the U.S. [[Federal Aviation Administration]] mandated that all commercial aircraft have [[Airborne wind shear detection and alert system|on-board wind shear detection systems]] by 1993. Between 1964 and 1985, wind shear directly caused or contributed to 26 major civil transport aircraft accidents in the U.S. that led to 620 deaths and 200 injuries. Since 1995, the number of major civil aircraft accidents caused by wind shear has dropped to approximately one every ten years, due to the mandated on-board detection as well as the addition of Doppler [[weather radar]] units on the ground. ([[NEXRAD]])<ref>{{cite web|author=National Aeronautics and Space Administration, [[Langley Air Force Base]] |url=http://oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/Windshear.html |title=Making the Skies Safer From Windshear |date=June 1992 |access-date=2006-10-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823125528/http://oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/Windshear.html |archive-date=2006-08-23 }}</ref>

=== Recreation ===
Many [[winter sports]], such as [[skiing]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/01/sports/nagano-98-building-a-better-snowman-through-science.html?pagewanted=1|title=NAGANO '98; Building a Better Snowman Through Science|date=1 February 1998|access-date=2009-07-08|author=Christopher Clarey|work=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> [[snowboarding]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Sam Baldwin|date=January 2006|url=http://www.snowsphere.com/special-features/snowboarding-vs-skiing-the-dying-feud|title=Skiers vs Snowboaders: The Dying Feud|publisher=SnowSphere.com|access-date=2009-07-08}}</ref> [[snowmobiling]],<ref name="ISMA-stat">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.snowmobile.org/facts_snfcts.asp 
 |title=Snowmobiling Facts 
 |publisher=International Snowmobile Manufacturers Associations 
 |access-date=2007-04-23 
 |year=2006 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701002116/http://www.snowmobile.org/facts_snfcts.asp 
 |archive-date=2007-07-01 
}}</ref> and [[snowshoe]]ing depend upon snow. Where snow is scarce but the temperature is low enough, [[snow cannon]]s may be used to produce an adequate amount for such sports.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900EEDA1631F93BA35751C0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title=Machines Let Resorts Please Skiers When Nature Won't|work=[[New York Times]]|date=8 February 2001|author=Jeffrey Selingo|access-date=2009-07-08}}</ref> Children and adults can play on a [[sled]] or ride in a [[sleigh]]. Although a person's footsteps remain a visible [[wikt:lifeline|lifeline]] within a snow-covered landscape, snow cover is considered a general danger to hiking since the snow obscures landmarks and makes the landscape itself appear uniform.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wta.org/trail-news/news/winter-hiking-and-avalanche-danger |title=Winter Hiking and Avalanche Danger |date=5 December 2007 |access-date=2009-07-10 |author=Washington Trails Association |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614063329/http://www.wta.org/trail-news/news/winter-hiking-and-avalanche-danger |archive-date=2009-06-14 }}</ref>

== Notable storms in art and culture ==
[[File:Great Wave off Kanagawa2.jpg|thumb|''[[The Great Wave off Kanagawa]]'', an 1831 [[ukiyo-e]] print by [[Hokusai]] ]]

=== In mythology and literature ===
According to the Bible, a giant storm sent by God flooded the Earth. [[Noah]] and his family and the animals entered [[Noah's Ark|the Ark]], and "the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." The flood covered even the highest mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet, and all creatures died; only Noah and those with him on the Ark were left alive.  In the [[New Testament]], [[Jesus Christ]] is recorded to have calmed a storm on the [[Sea of Galilee]].
{{See also|Genesis flood myth}}
The [[Gilgamesh flood myth]] is a deluge story in the ''[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]''.

In [[Greek mythology]] [[Aeolus]], keeper of storm-winds, squalls and tempests.

The ''[[Sea Venture]]'' was wrecked near [[Bermuda]] in 1609, which led to the colonization of Bermuda<ref>Peter Linebaugh and Marcus Rediker. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070926034027/http://www.clairehope.btinternet.co.uk/PDFs/LinebaughRediker_seaventure.pdf The Wreck of the Sea-Venture.]</ref> and provided the inspiration for [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare's]] play ''[[The Tempest (play)|The Tempest]]'' (1611).<ref>David M. Roth. [http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/va17hur.htm Seventeenth Century Virginia Hurricanes.] Retrieved on 26 November 2006.</ref> Specifically, [[Thomas Gates (governor)|Sir Thomas Gates]], future governor of [[Virginia]], was on his way to England from [[Jamestown, Virginia]]. On [[Saint James Day]], while he was between [[Cuba]] and the [[Bahamas]], a hurricane raged for nearly two days. Though one of the small vessels in the fleet sank to the bottom of the [[Florida Straits]], seven of the remaining vessels reached [[Virginia]] within several days after the storm. The flagship of the fleet, known as ''Sea Adventure'', disappeared and was presumed lost. A small bit of fortune befell the ship and her crew when they made landfall on Bermuda. The vessel was damaged on a surrounding [[coral reef]], but all aboard survived for nearly a year on the island. The British colonists claimed the island and quickly settled Bermuda. In May 1610, they set forth for Jamestown, this time arriving at their destination.

The children's novel ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'', written by [[L. Frank Baum]] and illustrated by [[W. W. Denslow]], chronicles the adventures of a young girl named [[Dorothy Gale]] in the [[Land of Oz]], after being swept away from her Kansas farm home by a tornado. The story was originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on 17 May 1900, and has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name ''The Wizard of Oz'', and adapted for use in other media.  Thanks in part to the [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|1939 MGM movie]], it is one of the best-known stories in American popular culture and has been widely translated. Its initial success, and the success of the popular [[The Wizard of Oz (1902 musical)|1902 Broadway musical]] which Baum adapted from his original story, led to Baum's writing thirteen more [[List of Oz books|Oz books]].

Hollywood director [[King Vidor]] (8 February 1894&nbsp;– 1 November 1982) survived the [[Galveston Hurricane of 1900]] as a boy.  Based on that experience, he published a fictionalized account of that cyclone, titled "Southern Storm", for the May 1935 issue of [[Esquire (magazine)|''Esquire'' magazine]].  [[Erik Larson (author)|Erik Larson]] excerpts a passage from that article in his 2005 book, ''[[Isaac's Storm]]'':<ref name="Larson, Erik 1999">{{cite book|author=Larson, Erik|year=1999|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/features/isaacsstorm/book/index.html|title=Isaac's Storm|publisher=[[Random House]] Publishing|isbn= 0-609-60233-0|author-link=Erik Larson (author)}}</ref>
:''I remember now that it seemed as if we were in a bowl looking up toward the level of the sea.  As we stood there in the sandy street, my mother and I, I wanted to take my mother's hand and hurry her away.  I felt as if the sea was going to break over the edge of the bowl and come puring down upon us.''

Numerous other accounts of the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 have been made in print and in film.  Larson cites many of them in ''[[Isaac's Storm]]'', which centrally features that storm, as well as chronicles the creation of the Weather Bureau (which came to known as the [[National Weather Service]]) and that agency's fateful rivalry with the weather service in Cuba, and a number of other major storms, such as those which ravaged [[Indianola, Texas]] in 1875 and [[1886 Indianola hurricane|1886]].<ref name="Larson, Erik 1999" />

The [[Great Storm of 1987]] is key in an important scene near the end of ''[[Possession (Byatt novel)|Possession: A Romance]]'', the bestselling and [[Booker Prize]]-winning novel by [[A. S. Byatt]]. The Great Storm of 1987 occurred on the night of 15–16 October 1987, when an unusually strong weather system caused winds to hit much of [[southern England]] and northern France. It was the worst storm to hit England since the [[Great Storm of 1703]]<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7044050.stm | work=BBC News | title=Lessons learned from Great Storm | date=14 October 2007 | access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref> (284 years earlier) and was responsible for the deaths of at least 22&nbsp;people in England and France combined (18 in England, at least four in France).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/secondary/students/1987.html |title=Met Office: The Great Storm of 1987 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907191422/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/secondary/students/1987.html |archive-date=7 September 2008 }}</ref>

[[Hurricane Katrina in fiction|Hurricane Katrina]] (2005) has been featured in a number of works of fiction.

=== In fine art ===
[[File:Rembrandt Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee.jpg|thumb|[[Rembrandt]]'s 1633 ''[[The Storm on the Sea of Galilee]]''.]]

The Romantic seascape painters [[J. M. W. Turner]] and [[Ivan Aivazovsky]] created some of the most lasting impressions of the sublime and stormy seas that are firmly imprinted on the popular mind. Turner's representations of powerful natural forces reinvented the traditional [[seascape]] during the first half of the nineteenth century.

Upon his travels to Holland, he took note of the familiar large rolling waves of the English seashore transforming into the sharper, [[choppy waves]] of a Dutch storm. A characteristic example of Turner's dramatic seascape is ''[[The Slave Ship]]'' of 1840. Aivazovsky left several thousand turbulent canvases in which he increasingly eliminated human figures and historical background to focus on such essential elements as light, sea, and sky. His grandiose ''Ninth Wave'' (1850) is an ode to human daring in the face of the elements.

=== In motion pictures ===
The 1926 silent film ''[[The Johnstown Flood (1926 film)|The Johnstown Flood]]'' features the [[Johnstown Flood|Great Flood of 1889]] in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.  The flood, caused by the catastrophic failure of the [[South Fork Dam]] after days of extremely heavy rainfall, prompted the first major [[disaster relief]] effort by the [[American Red Cross]], directed by [[Clara Barton]].  The Johnstown Flood was depicted in [[Johnstown Flood#In popular culture|numerous other media]] (both fictional and in non-fiction), as well.

[[Warner Bros.]]' 2000 [[drama film|dramatic]] [[disaster]] film ''[[The Perfect Storm (film)|The Perfect Storm]]'', directed by [[Wolfgang Petersen]], is an adaptation of [[Sebastian Junger]]'s 1997 non-fiction [[The Perfect Storm (book)|book of the same title]].  The book and film feature the crew of the ''[[Andrea Gail]]'', which got caught in the [[1991 Perfect Storm|Perfect Storm of 1991]].  The 1991 Perfect Storm, also known as the Halloween Nor'easter of 1991, was a [[nor'easter]] that absorbed [[Hurricane Grace (1991)|Hurricane Grace]] and ultimately evolved into a small [[hurricane]] late in its life cycle.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration News |date=16 June 2000 |title=NOAA Meteorologist Bob Case, the Man Who Named the Perfect Storm |access-date=2011-07-01 |url=http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s444.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716220940/http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s444.htm |archive-date=16 July 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== In music ===
Storms have also been portrayed in many works of music.  Examples of storm music include [[Antonio Vivaldi|Vivaldi's]] ''[[The Four Seasons (Vivaldi)|Four Seasons]]'' [[violin concerto]] RV 315 (''Summer'') (third movement: [[Tempo#Italian tempo markings|Presto]]), [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven's]] ''[[Symphony No. 6 (Beethoven)|Pastoral Symphony]]'' (the fourth movement), a scene in Act II of [[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini's]] opera ''[[The Barber of Seville]]'', the third act of [[Giuseppe Verdi]]'s [[Rigoletto]], and the fifth (Cloudburst) movement of [[Ferde Grofé]]'s [[Grand Canyon Suite]].

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Florescent cloud blanket.jpg|[[Lightning]] within the cloud causes the entire blanket to illuminate.
File:Burning Cross Sunset in black rain.jpg|[[High Desert (California)|High Desert]] storm approaches at sunset.
File:Typhoon in Hong Kong.jpg|Heavy storm brought by [[2005 Pacific typhoon season#Severe Tropical Storm Sanvu (Huaning)|Severe Tropical Storm Sanvu]] in Hong Kong.
File:Wasser über Deck und Luken WNA.png|Winter North Atlantic storm strength Beaufort 9 causing extremely high waves.
File:Winter-Nordatlantik - Sturm, Wasser an Deck.png|Storm [[wave]]s coming [[abeam]] from [[starboard]], causing water on deck.
 </gallery>

== See also ==
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* [[Anticyclonic storm]]
* [[ARkStorm]]
* [[Atlantic hurricane]]
* [[Cyclone]]
* [[Dust storm]]
* [[Extreme weather]], a list of historical storms and other extreme weather
* [[Geomagnetic storm]]
* [[Heat storm]]
* [[Nor'easter]]
* [[Perfect storm]]
* [[Pulse storm]]
* [[Salt storm]]
* [[Splitting storm]]
* [[Superstorm]]
* [[Tornado]]
* [[Tropical cyclone]]
* [[Hypercane]]
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== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Storm}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Storms}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}

{{Natural disasters}}
{{Portal bar|Weather}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Storm| ]]
[[Category:Weather hazards]]
[[Category:Natural disasters]]