Emergency Plan Manual

25 Thunderstorm Facts HAIL ( 3/4 inch or greater) * Hail can cause significant damage to your vehicle, break windows and damage roofs or homes and businesses. * Hail can cause significant bodily injuries such as broken bones and even blindness if wind blown. * Softball (4.5 inches) sized hail was reported in Lake Wales, Florida on March 30, 1996. * Haildrirts, up to four feet deep of dime to nickel sized hail, occurred in low-lying areas near Zephyrhills, Florida on January 29, 1997. * Hailstones the size of softballs can fall at speeds faster than 100 mph. DOWNBURTS (58 mph or greater) * Downbursts can cause significant damage to well-constructed homes, topple large trees, blow down road and commercial signs, and remove roofs from structures. * Downbursts have been measured in excess of 100 mph. * Downbursts Can cause damage similar to that of a strong tornado, and cause loss of life or significant bodily injury from wind blown debris and toppled structures.