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Lamar County Multi- Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan <br />Chapter Three <br />5. Probability of Future Events <br />There is an average of six documented strong thunderstorms and high wind events in the <br />county each year for the past 20 years. Based upon past occurrences the probability of future <br />severe thunderstorm events within the county is highly likely. <br />6. Vulnerability <br />Vulnerability is difficult to evaluate since thunderstorms can occur at different strength levels, in <br />random locations and can create relatively narrow paths of destruction. Due to the randomness <br />of this event, the entire population of the County remains vulnerable to possible injury and /or <br />property loss from lightning and strong winds associated with thunderstorms. <br />Lamar County's susceptibility to wind disaster is compounded by the fact that there are over 200 <br />manufactured homes in the county, according to the Texas Department of Housing and <br />Community Affairs. Although manufactured homes are most vulnerable to strong wind, all <br />structures are vulnerable to lightning. Lightning can strike ten miles out from the rain column, <br />enabling injurious lightning strikes to people to occur under a clear sky ahead of the storm. <br />7. Secondary Hazards <br />Secondary hazards can include fires and power failures. Hail, flooding, and tornadoes, although <br />associated with thunderstorms, are profiled as separate events with their own secondary <br />hazards. <br />8. Overall Summary of Vulnerability and Impacts <br />Statewide Texas has a significant exposure to thunderstorms. In addition to high damaging <br />winds and lightning, thunderstorms are capable of producing tornadoes, hail, and rain causing <br />floods. This plan profiles high winds and lightning with thunderstorms. Damage similar to that <br />caused by tornadoes can result from high winds such as straight -line and microburst winds <br />associated with thunderstorms. Within the County, inferior construction, mobile homes and crop <br />land are most vulnerable to high winds. Overall, lightning is the most constant and widespread <br />threat to people and property during the thunderstorm season. <br />107 <br />