Tornadoes are one of nature’s deadliest weather anomalies that frequently occur in the United States. These more powerful versions of storms can easily lift vehicles, properties, and people, and easily sail them many yards through the air. They also carry tons of debris, including broken glass, metal, trees, and other heavy objects that move at incredible speeds.

According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Oklahoma, powerful thunderstorms can also spawn tornadoes, which can cause some serious damage to both residential and commercial properties, especially in Minnesota, which is included in the country’s Tornado Alley. Therefore, you must keep a sharp eye on the weather and take all the necessary steps to ensure you and your property are protected, including calling a home restoration service in Minneapolis to assess your property to prevent water and fire damage proactively.

In this post, we’ll talk about how storms turn into tornadoes and lead to property damage. Read on to learn more!

How Storms Turn into Tornadoes

Even though the US is a hub for tornadoes with over 1,200 annual occurrences around the country, tornado formation is still considered a freak of nature. For one to form, you need a thunderstorm with a specific wind combination. As warm air rises, it starts to spin because of being pushed to the side by the wind in all directions at different altitudes. This spinning wind whirl slowly becomes the strongest type of thunderstorm as it starts near the ground all the way up to the clouds. Once it’s fully formed, the tornado begins to move horizontally across the land in the wind’s direction.

Types of Property Damage Caused by Tornadoes

According to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), tornadoes have caused over $14 billion in damages across the country in the last decade, with each storm resulting in $2.5 million in property damage. And five states – Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Oklahoma – experienced more tornadoes than other states, with an average of 218 every year, resulting in $122.5 million in damages. Let’s check out some of the damages caused by tornadoes in Minneapolis:

1.    Lightning Damage

When lightning strikes a residential or commercial building, electricity can pass through the building’s wiring, potentially causing severe damage to appliances and your power outlet if you don’t have protection in place. Moreover, lightning can also spark fires which can cause damage to your roof or any other wooden surfaces on your property.

2.    Structural Damage

Tornadoes are nature’s most powerful storms, with winds that can reach over 200 mph easily. As mentioned above, this can lift vehicles, people, trees, and other heavy objects that can cause serious structural damage to buildings.

3.    Water Damage

While most tornadoes are typically dry, the preceding and following storm can bring about torrential downpours that could cause flash floods and water damage. Water damage can include damp floors, walls, ceilings, roof leaks, sewage buildup, gutter leaks, mold contamination, and plumbing issues. If you face any of these issues following a tornado, you need to call home restoration professionals as soon as possible to mitigate the safety and health hazards and minimize the repair expenses.

4.    Hail Damage

Hail is another fairly rare type of inclement weather that occurs before or after a tornado as many thunderstorms produce rock-like water particles of various sizes that fall at incredible speeds, causing moderate to severe property damage, especially on roofs, outer walls, and windows. Larger hail can even cause major dents on vehicles and cause bodily injuries.

5.    Shattered Windows and Doors

Due to the difference in pressure inside homes and outside, a tornado can easily cause the windows and glass doors to shatter in their frames due to the sheer force exerted on them. If the pressure doesn’t cause them to shatter, debris flying at a hundred miles per hour can.

6.    Damaged Siding

If you’re lucky, most of the damage caused by tornadoes occurs outside your property in the form of cracked siding, dents, chipped or discolored paint, and holes in the wall. However, extreme cases can cause more severe damage as tornadoes can hurl large objects through the air.

Renowned Home Restoration Services – 911 Restoration of Minneapolis

The bottom line is that while there’s no way to stop a tornado from happening, what you can do is ensure that you and your property are well-protected with proactive measures. So, once you hear of the tornado warning, turn off the power and water supply and quickly evacuate the building to get to a safe distance. To prevent water damage, you should hire professionals before the season to ensure your home is secure.

At 911 Restoration of Minneapolis, we understand how heartbreaking the aftermath of a tornado can be on residents. Our team of restoration experts can effectively stabilize and repair all types of damages and return your property to its original condition. We also have the latest tools and equipment to work quickly and mitigate all health and safety risks and offer long-lasting solutions that can help you save money on future repairs.

Feel free to call us for more information regarding our property damage repair services.