Severe Storms From Last Year Set Damage Records | SERVPRO® of Alamo Heights

7/8/2021 (Permalink)

When storms do damage, we go to work to make things right. Contact SERVPRO of Alamo Heights to start the restoration process.

With COVID-19 deservedly taking most of the headlines last year, severe storms seem to have taken a backseat in the news cycle. But 2020 was a record-setting year when it came to severe storms, and the financial losses were staggering.

Dating back as far as we have been keeping records, last year was the single largest loss financially that the Unites States has endured.

When a storm causes $1 billion or more in damages, it is referred to as an official weather disaster. Last year, we experienced 22 of these!

Many more storms happened in 2020; they simply didn’t reach the billion dollar threshold. So many hurricanes were recorded that the National Weather Service had to dip into the Greek alphabet just to name them.

Severe Storms Cause More Property Damage Than Hurricanes

Hurricanes bring an immense amount of destruction, primarily due to high winds and the size and scale of the storm. While hurricanes are much larger than severe storms and tornadoes, storms and twisters accounted for more property damage last year simply because of the sheer quantity of occurrences.

Fourteen of the 22 official weather disasters last year were severe thunderstorms. Many of these storms spawned destructive tornadoes as well.

August 2020 was a particularly destructive month, as Nebraska experienced a derecho. What is a derecho you ask? The NWS defines it as a band of storms with 60 MPH winds along the entire span of the storm front, lasting at least 6 hours.

This single storm damaged 10 million acres of corn fields. That’s almost one half of Nebraska’s entire crop and 11% of the United States’ production of corn.

It’s a Trend

2020 was the tenth consecutive year of recording at least eight billion-dollar plus disasters. Based on that, it looks like we are settling into a “new normal.”

In 2017, storms generated over $300 billion in damages, the highest ever recorded.

Whether you’re a property, business or home owner, you need to take all possible precautions to prepare for these storms. Preparation will help minimize storm damage for you and those living with you.

Even the best preparation can’t always prevent storm damage. Our goal is to help you recover when a disaster strikes and restore your property "Like it never even happened."

If you experience a storm that has caused major damage, we’re here to help you restore your property. Call us today to see how we can help.