Are you afraid of the weather? Here are 13 weather-related fears for Friday the 13th
Phobias related to nature and the environment are one of five subclassifications of fears outlined by the American Psychological Association.
Millions suffer from severe weather phobias
Cleveland Clinic psychologist Dr. Susan Albers joined FOX Weather on Halloween and said that many people are affected by weather phobias and broke down the most common fears.
The American Psychological Association defines a phobia, which is now called an anxiety disorder, as "a persistent and irrational fear of a specific situation, object or activity which is consequently either strenuously avoided or endured with marked distress."
People who have a fear of heights are acrophobic, while people who fear darkness are nyctophobic. Triskaidekaphobia is anxiety related to and the avoidance of the number 13. A fear that is specifically rooted in a Friday that falls on the 13th day of a month is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.
May 13th is on a Friday this year. (Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
A Gallup poll found that 25% of Americans are very or somewhat superstitious of Friday the 13th, but a study published in the Bulletin of The American Meteorological Society found that the weather makes more Americans nervous than a date on the calendar – 85% of respondents said they had some degree of fear about severe weather and 40% said they had a moderate degree of fear.
Phobias related to nature and the environment are one of five subclassifications of fears outlined by the APA.
According to the APA, people are resilient and over time, sometimes with help, most can bounce back from weather-related trauma. People who suffer from these disorders can experience panic, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, trembling and a strong desire to get away wrote MentalHeatlh.gov.
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Fear of tornadoes or hurricanes
An unhealthy fear of tornadoes or hurricanes is called lilapsophobia. The AMS study also showed that more than 40% of people had a fear of tornadoes and tropical storms. People who suffer from this phobia can live their lives like they are constantly under threat. Exposure therapy is a common treatment, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Conquering this phobia led FOX Weather’s Kendall Smith to a career in meteorology. You can read more about her experience here.
Georgia tornado from April 6, 2022 (Brandon Copic/LSM)
Fear of thunder and lightning
An unhealthy fear of thunder and lightning is called astraphobia. More than 90% of AMS study respondents said they have suffered from astraphobia, and the Cleveland Clinic reported that it is one of the most common specific phobias.
Talk or exposure therapy and medication can help ease the symptoms. Meteorologists also suggest weather education to ease anxiety. Read more about how to deal with storm anxiety here.
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A lightning storm above Miami Beach in Florida. (Jeffrey Greenberg / UCG / Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
Fear of wind and drafts
An unhealthy fear of wind and drafts is called ancraphobia. While 90% of people in the AMS study said they have feared high winds at some point, irrational fear of wind is quite rare.
Wind turbines at the San Gorgonio Pass wind farm in Whitewater, California, U.S., on Thursday, June 3, 2021. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Fear of snow
An unhealthy fear of snow is called chinophobia. Nearly 80% of respondents in the AMS study said they have feared heavy snow. Several people with this fear suffered snow-related trauma like losing someone to a car accident in the snow.
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Multiple feet of snow fall in Leavenworth, Wash. on Jan 6, 2022. (Jerry and Sharon Magin)
Fear of rain
Ombrophobia is the fear of rain, which includes heavy rain, acid rain, germs in rain and flooding rain, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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Rain drops create rings of ripples in a puddle. Moist, humid air from rainy weather conditions can compromise the integrity of indoor skating rink ice. (Giovanni Mereghetti / Education Images / Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
Other weather-related fears
- Pluviophobia – fear of weather related to rain and storms
- Antlophobia– fear of flooding
- Heliophoibia – fear of the sun
- Thermophobia – fear of heat
- Cryophobia – fear of cold, ice or frost
- Nephophobia – fear of clouds
- Homichlophobia – fear of fog
- Iridophobia – fear of rainbows
If you or someone you know suffers from these disorders, please seek the help of a medical professional or licensed therapist.