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Use the FEMA Data Digest
Help us build a prepared nation by using the FEMA Data Digest to inform your work!
Preparedness helps individuals, families, and communities stay safe during and after a disaster or emergency.
FEMA publishes the Data Digest to share findings from its preparedness research, like the annual National Household Survey. Our goal is to provide you with relevant insights, graphics, data, findings, and helpful links that you can use to engage with your community. Below, we’ve identified:
- Data-driven key findings for the preparedness community to use;
- Calls to action for you to use with your community to encourage people to prepare; and
- Helpful links to free preparedness publications, research, and tools.
We invite you to use the information below and incorporate Data Digest resources into your thunderstorm preparedness-related publications, social media posts, and stakeholder outreach.
Drive Your Outreach with Data!
FEMA based the findings in this Data Digest on a representative sample of people living in thunderstorm-prone areas in the United States. FEMA surveyed 509 people who lived in the top 50 counties at risk of thunderstorms in the United States and its territories, as determined by the National Risk Index and other governmental sources.
- Key Finding 1: People may need to be reminded that the most important protective action to take when thunder roars is to go indoors!
- Just under half (49%) correctly identified “going indoors” as the most important action to take to protect themselves when they hear thunder.
- Key Finding 2: People need to be prepared for additional, overlapping hazards caused by thunderstorms.
- Nearly all (91%) people experienced at least one other connected hazard during a thunderstorm.
- The most commonly reported hazards experienced during a thunderstorm were lightning (68%), power outages (67%), and powerful winds (59%).
- Key Finding 3: Most (84%) people were aware of their risk of thunderstorms. However, only 32% believed that preparing can help in a thunderstorm and were confident in their abilities to prepare for a thunderstorm.
- More than half (56%) felt moderately to extremely confident that they could take steps to prepare for a thunderstorm in their area;
- Less than half (41%) had at least quite a bit or a great deal of belief in taking steps to prepare for a thunderstorm in their area would help them get through a thunderstorm;
- Nearly half (49%) had read, seen, or heard how to become better prepared for thunderstorms;
- Nearly one-third (28%) had not taken any preparedness actions that could help them during a thunderstorm or a thunderstorm-related hazard; and
- The four most commonly reported preparedness actions taken were:
- Making their home safer (30%);
- Assembling or updating supplies (29%);
- Signing up for alerts and warnings (29%); and
- Making a plan (27%).
Did You Know?
A thunderstorm is a dangerous storm that includes lightning. Thunderstorms are different than rain showers; during a thunderstorm you can hear thunder and may see lightning.
According to the National Weather Service, “thunder is the sound caused by a nearby flash of lightning and can be heard for a distance of only about 10 miles from the lightning strike. The sound of thunder should serve as a warning to anyone outside that they are within striking distance of the storm and need to get to a safe place immediately!” It takes the sound of thunder about five seconds to travel one mile.
Many hazardous weather events are associated with thunderstorms. Thunderstorms can lead to:
- Flash flooding, which can happen as a result of intense rain during a thunderstorm. Flash floods kill more people each year than hurricanes, tornadoes, or lightning.
- Strong Winds associated with thunderstorms can cause winds more than 120 mph, and can knock down trees, power lines and mobile homes.
- Tornadoes can have winds up to 300 mph and can destroy all but the best-built man-made structures.
- Lightning is responsible for many fires around the world.
- Hail up to the size of softballs damages cars and windows, and kills livestock caught out in the open. (Source: NOAA)
Know Your Risk
Thunderstorms can happen anywhere. In most places, thunderstorms can occur year-round and at any hour. Learn more about thunderstorms, lightning, and hail on FEMA’s Protective Actions Research site.
Make sure you:- Sign up for your community’s alerts and warning system.
- Pay attention to alerts and warnings.
- If you are under a thunderstorm warning, find safe shelter right away.
- Go indoors when thunder roars.
- Move from outdoors into a building or car.
- Get to land and find a sturdy, grounded shelter or vehicle if you are swimming or boating.
Figure 1. Know Your Risk for Thunderstorms
Key Finding #1:
People may need to be reminded that the most important protective action to take when thunder roars is to go indoors!
- Just under half (49%) of the people who lived in a thunderstorm-prone area correctly identified “going indoors” as the most important action to take to protect themselves when they hear thunder.
Figure 2. Correct Action to Take When Thunder Roars
Call Individuals to Action: Know Where You’ll Go
- Pay attention to alerts and warnings.
- If you get a severe thunderstorm watch, plan to go to a safe place and shelter.
- If you receive a severe thunderstorm warning, go to your safe place and shelter.
- Consider the situation when following alerts and warnings.
- If in a car, stay there until it is safe to go indoors and avoid touching metal surfaces.
- If outdoors, find shelter as soon as possible, avoid things that lightning could hit, like isolated trees, concrete, and metal.
Help Your Community Prepare: Educate People on the Dangers of Thunder and Lightning
Develop messaging for your community that:
- Helps people understand that lightning can cause death and serious injuries even if a thunderstorm is not in their immediate area;
- Highlights the fact that thunder is not a watch or alert but a danger warning from nature to take action; and
- Includes tips about the dangers of high winds from thunderstorms.
Figure 3. Guide to Alerts and Warnings — Thunderstorm
Call Individuals to Action: Use Prepare with Pedro to Teach Kids about Thunderstorm Safety
- Learn about Pedro, a penguin who loves learning about how he can be prepared and take action during an emergency to help stay safe. He visits friends all over the United States and learns about hazards local to their area like earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and many others!
- Download the Prepare with Pedro Disaster Preparedness Activity Book to help kids learn what to do to stay safe during disasters and emergencies.
- Order copies in Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese from FEMA’s Publications Warehouse.
Figure 4. Prepare With Pedro Disaster Preparedness Activity Book
Call Individuals to Action: Prepare for a Thunderstorm
Before a thunderstorm:
- Secure outside furniture and property;
- Unplug appliances; and
- Prepare for a power outage.
During a thunderstorm:
Key Finding #2:
People need to be prepared for additional, overlapping hazards caused by thunderstorms.
Of people who lived in thunderstorm-prone areas:
- Nearly all (91%) people experienced at least one other connected hazard during a thunderstorm.
- The most commonly reported hazards experienced during a thunderstorm were lightning (68%), power outages (67%), and powerful winds (59%).
Figure 5. Six Common Hazards Experienced During a Thunderstorm
Start the Conversation With Your Community: Everyone Should Know They Could Experience a Thunderstorm, No Matter Where They Live
How you can help:
- Make sure your community is prepared before, during, and after a thunderstorm.
- Prepare your community for overlapping hazards.
- Remind your community that thunderstorms can bring other hazards (such as flooding, hail, power outages, powerful winds, and tornadoes).
Key Finding #3
Most (84%) people who lived in thunderstorm-prone areas were aware of their risk of thunderstorms. However, only 32% believed that preparing can help in a thunderstorm and were confident in their abilities to prepare for a thunderstorm.
Of people who lived in thunderstorm-prone areas:
- More than half (56%) felt moderately to extremely confident that they could take steps to prepare for a thunderstorm in their area; and
- Less than half (41%) had at least quite a bit or a great deal of belief in taking steps to prepare would help them to get through a thunderstorm.
Figure 6. High Preparedness Efficacy
Nearly half (49%) of the people who lived in thunderstorm-prone areas had read, seen, or heard how to become better prepared for thunderstorms.
Figure 7. Thunderstorm Awareness
Of the people who lived in thunderstorm-prone areas:
- Nearly one-third (28%) had not taken any preparedness actions that could help them during a thunderstorm or a thunderstorm-related hazard.
- The four most commonly reported preparedness actions taken were:
- Making their home safer (30%);
- Assembling or updating supplies (29%);
- Signing up for alerts and warnings (29%); and
- Making a plan (27%).
Figure 8. Thunderstorm Preparedness
Engage With Your Community: What Motivates People in Your Community to Prepare?
Use people’s experience with hazards related to thunderstorms to encourage them to prepare for any disaster.
- Ask people to think about their preparedness for other hazards and how it could apply to thunderstorms.
- Help your community learn more about overlapping hazards by ordering or downloading FEMA’s Guide to Alerts and Warnings.
Figure 9. Severe Thunderstorm Watch and Warning Alerts
National Household Survey Information
2021 National Household Survey Key Findings
Note: Data obtained from the 2021 National Household Survey.
National Household Survey Questions that Informed Key Findings
Only National Household Survey respondents who lived in thunderstorm-prone areas answered the following question. Their responses informed Key Finding #1:
- When you hear thunder, what is the most important action to take in order to protect yourself? (See Table 7 for specifics.)
Only National Household Survey respondents who lived in thunderstorm-prone areas answered the following question. Their responses informed Key Finding #2:
- What aspects of a thunderstorm have you had experience with? (See Table 5 for specifics.)
Only National Household Survey respondents who lived in thunderstorm-prone area answered the following questions. Their responses informed Key Finding #3.
- Thinking about the area you live in, how likely would it be for a thunderstorm to impact you? (See Table 3 for specifics.)
- How much would taking steps to prepare help you get through a thunderstorm in your area? (See Table 8 for specifics.)
- How confident are you that you can take steps to prepare for a thunderstorm in your area? (See Table 9 for specifics.)
- Thunderstorms are dangerous storms that include lightning. In the past year, have you read, seen, or heard any information about how to get better prepared for a thunderstorm? (See Table 3 for specifics.)
- How much would taking steps to prepare help you get through a thunderstorm in your area AND how confident are you that you can take steps to prepare for a thunderstorm in your area? (See Table 3 for specifics.)
- What have you done to prepare for a thunderstorm in the last year? (See Table 1 for specifics.)
National Household Survey Data Tables
Preparedness Actions
Question | Response | 2021 |
What have you done to prepare for a thunderstorm in the last year? (Respondents could select all that apply.) | Assemble or update supplies | 29% |
Document and insure property | 19% | |
Get involved in community | 12% | |
Know evacuation routes | 15% | |
Make a plan | 27% | |
Make your home safer | 30% | |
Plan with neighbors | 16% | |
Practice emergency drills or habits | 19% | |
Safeguard documents | 26% | |
Save for a rainy day | 23% | |
Sign up for alerts and warnings | 29% | |
Test family communication plan | 16% | |
None | 28% |
Table 2: Taking Multiple Preparedness Actions — Thunderstorm*
Question | Response | 2021 |
What have you done to prepare for a thunderstorm in the last year? (Respondents could select all that apply.) | Taking at least 1 of the 12 preparedness actions | 72% |
Taking at least 3 of the 12 preparedness actions | 43% |
*See Table 1 for the 12 Preparedness Actions which could have been taken
Table 3: Preparedness Influencers — Thunderstorm
Preparedness Influencers | Description of Preparedness Influencers | 2021 |
Awareness | Have read, seen, or heard information in the past year about how to get better prepared for a thunderstorm | 49% |
Hazard Experience | Have personal or familial experience with the impacts of a thunderstorm | 62% |
High Preparedness Efficacy | Believe that preparing can help in a thunderstorm AND are confident in their abilities to prepare | 32% |
Risk Perception | Acknowledge that the occurrence of a thunderstorm could impact where they currently live | 84% |
The following questions were asked of National Household Survey respondents:
- Awareness Question: Thunderstorms are dangerous storms that include lightning. In the past year, have you read, seen, or heard any information about how to get better prepared for a thunderstorm?
- Hazard Experience Question: Have you or your family ever experienced the impacts of a thunderstorm?
- High Preparedness Efficacy Questions: How much would taking steps to prepare help you get through a thunderstorm in your area? How confident are you that you can take steps to prepare for a thunderstorm in your area?
- Risk Perception Question: Thunderstorms are dangerous storms that include lightning. Thinking about the area you live in, how likely would it be for a thunderstorm to impact you?
Table 4: Stages of Change — Thunderstorm**
Stage | Description | 2021 |
Precontemplation | I am NOT prepared, and I do not intend to prepare in the next year | 12% |
Contemplation | I am NOT prepared, but I intend to start preparing in the next year | 14% |
Preparation | I am NOT prepared, but I intend to get prepared in the next six months | 18% |
Action | I have been prepared for the last year | 31% |
Maintenance | I have been prepared for MORE than a year, and I continue preparing | 24% |
**Due to rounding, the percentages add up to less than 100%
Common hazards experienced during a thunderstorm | |
Hazard | Percent of people who experienced the hazard |
Lightning | 68% |
Power Outages | 67% |
Powerful Winds | 59% |
Flooding | 35% |
Hail | 34% |
Tornadoes | 25% |
Table 5: Aspects of Thunderstorm Experience — Thunderstorm
Question | Response | 2021 |
What aspects of a thunderstorm have you had experience with? | Flooding | 35% |
Hail | 34% | |
Lightning | 68% | |
Power outage | 67% | |
Powerful wind | 59% | |
Tornado | 25% | |
None | 9% |
Table 6: Emergency Plan Location — Thunderstorm**
Question | Response | 2021 | |
Does your emergency plan include the location of a safe and effective shelter in case of a severe thunderstorm? | Yes | 20% | |
No | 5% | ||
No response | 74% | ||
**Due to rounding, the percentages add up to less than 100%
Table 7: Important Action When Hearing Thunder — Thunderstorm**
Question | Response | 2021 |
When you hear thunder, what is the most important action to take in order to protect yourself? | Check weather alerts or radar | 32% |
Go indoors | 49% | |
Move to an open area | 3% | |
Travel to an area outside of the storm's path | 9% | |
None | 8% |
**Due to rounding, the percentages add up to more than 100%
How do you prepare for Thunderstorms? The most common ways people planned to prepare for thunderstorms(as reported by people who lived in areas prone to thunderstorms) were: | |
Make your home safer | 30% |
Assemble or update supplies | 29% |
Sign up for alerts and warnings | 29% |
Make a plan | 27% |
Table 8: Belief in Preparation — Thunderstorm
Question | Description of Preparedness Influencers | 2021 |
How much would taking steps to prepare help you get through a thunderstorm in your area? | Not at all | 11% |
Very little | 17% | |
Somewhat | 31% | |
Quite a bit | 22% | |
A great deal | 19% |
Table 9: Confidence in Preparation — Thunderstorm**
Question | Description of Preparedness Influencers | 2021 |
How confident are you that you can take steps to prepare for a thunderstorm in your area? | Not at all confident | 4% |
Slightly confident | 11% | |
Somewhat confident | 28% | |
Moderately confident | 32% | |
Extremely confident | 24% |
**Due to rounding, the percentages add up to less than 100%
Helpful Links
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