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Heavy storms

Country road with dark clouds
A severe thunderstorm involves lightning and thunder, possibly combined with heavy rainfall, hail and severe gusts of wind. When the average wind reaches force 9 on the Beaufort scale, we speak of a storm. Thunderstorms occur mainly in the summer, while storms occur mainly in the autumn and winter months.

A severe storm or thunderstorm can be devastating and cause a lot of damage. You can take various measures to limit the damage as much as possible.

BEFORE

  • Check that no tiles are loose.
  • Clean your gutters annually.
  • Secure loose objects or put them inside, e.g. garden furniture or a trampoline.
  • Have your chimney checked regularly (risk of collapse).
  • Keep up to date with the weather forecast to know when it might storm (e.g. via radio, TV, the RMI website or app).
  • Close windows and doors.
  • Make sure your pets are inside.
  • During installation, install a central surge protector to protect your electrical network from a lightning strike. You could also use a decentralised surge protector that you plug into the outlet.

DURING

  • Go inside and stay inside.
  • Listen to the weather forecast and follow the government's recommendations.
  • Do you need help from the fire brigade?
    • Submit your request via the online service 1722.be or the electronic form of your local fire district.
    • Call 1722 if this number is active.
    • Keep the emergency number 112 free for people in mortal danger.
  • Is there anyone who might be in mortal danger? Always call 112.

Do you need to move?

  • Never shelter under a tree in strong winds.
  • Do not drive on roads that are flooded. Do not park your vehicle near trees.

Is there lightning?

  • Turn off electronic devices. Then unplug these devices.
  • Never shelter under a tree.
  • Do not run during a lightning strike. Stand still and squat.
  • Stay away from metal structures

AFTER

  • Do not touch electrical cables that have fallen on the ground.
  • Listen to the government's recommendations on the use of tap water. Run the water for a while to clean the pipe.

Is there any damage?

  • Do you need help from the fire brigade?
    • Submit your request via the online service 1722.be or the electronic form of your local fire district.
    • Call 1722 if this number is active.
    • Keep the emergency number 112 free for people in mortal danger.
  • Do you not need help from the fire brigade? Call in a qualified professional or repair it yourself (e.g. fallen tree in the garden, damaged garden shed, hail damage to your car).
  • Take pictures of the damage. They can be useful for your insurance claim.
  • Contact your insurer as soon as possible. They will answer all your questions and help you start the procedure to process the claim.
  • Find out if the Disaster Relief Fund will intervene in your situation.

Impact and probability

Severe thunderstorm. Impact: low impact. Probability: very likely.Extreme weather phenomena, such as severe thunderstorms, occur several times a year. It is expected that these risks will become more frequent and greater in the future, under the influence of climate change.

In 2018, the National Crisis Center coordinated a large-scale risk assessment for Belgium for the period 2018-2023. Several experts assessed various risks based on their probability and their impact on people, society, the environment and the economy.

For the risk of 'severe thunderstorm', the analysis is:

  • Impact: low impact
  • Probability: very likely

Read more about this analysis and what this chart means.

What do the authorities do?

The RMI issues warnings in the event of strong winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms. These warnings are in the form of colour codes. Based on these colour codes, local or provincial authorities take various measures to prevent damage, e.g. closing certain areas, cancelling events, etc.

During a storm or a heavy thunderstorm, the fire brigade sometimes receives many calls. To prevent the emergency numbers from being overloaded, several solutions exist:

  • You can submit a request via the online service 1722.be. This online service is always available, even when no storm or thunderstorm has been announced. Some fire districts also have their own electronic form.
  • The Federal Public Service Home Affairs can activate the number 1722. You can call this number when you need non-urgent assistance from the fire brigade, for example for water nuisance on the road, damage to the roof, etc.

Keep the emergency number 112 free for people in mortal danger.