In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, we here at The A-Blast thought it might be fitting to present to you some interesting facts about extreme weather!

Here are some factoids brought to you by Weather Central:

Tornadoes

• In an average year, tornadoes cause 70 fatalities and 1,500 injuries nationwide.

• Tornadoes occur in many parts of the world, but are found most frequently in the U.S.

• Tornadoes can produce winds in excess of 250 mph.

• Tornadoes can be more than a mile wide and stay on the ground for more than 50 miles.

• The average tornado moves from southwest to northeast, but they have been known to move in any direction.

• Waterspouts are tornadoes which form over warm water.

• Tornadoes can occur any time of the year.

• Twisters are most likely to occur between 3 and 9 p.m., but can happen at any time.

Lightning

• Each spark of lightning can soar to 50,000 Degrees Fahrenheit.

• There are 1,800 thunderstorms in progress at any given time on Earth.

• Lightning has been known to strike 10 miles from the storm in an area of clear sky above.

• The longest bolt of lightning seen to date was 118 miles long. It was seen in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.

• Lightning strikes 30 million points on the ground in a given year in the U.S.

• Lightning injures approximately 1000 people each year.

Flooding

• Flooding causes more damage in the U.S. than any other severe weather related event-an average of $4.6 billion per year from 1984-2003.

• Flooding can occur in any of the 50 states or U.S. territories any time of the year.

• Nearly half of all flash flood fatalities are vehicle-related.

• Most flash floods are caused by slow moving thunderstorms, thunderstorms that move repeatedly over the same area or heavy rains from tropical storms and hurricanes.

• Flash floods can roll boulders, tear out trees, destroy buildings and bridges, and scour out new channels.