Every week , we explore common expressions in American English . If conditions get bad enough , almost any kind of weather can become a storm . Stormy weather can cause people to cancel their plans . It can cause major events to be postponed . And severe stormy weather can be dangerous to people , property and animals . Now , let's flip around the term “stormy weather .” If you weather the storm , or ride out the storm , you survive and move on without harm or injury . For example , let's talk about Tornado Alley , the name for part of the central United States . During springtime , this area often has a large number of powerful tornadoes . People who live there are taught to hunker down in the safest place they can find and wait for the storm to pass . People who live in Tornado Alley are used to weathering many storms ! "To weather the storm " can also mean to make it through a difficult experience or trying times . So , if the stock market crashes , you might have to weather a financial storm . If you are a politician who gets discredited in public , you may have to lie low and weather the political storm . Often before a big storm , conditions are calm . The calm before the storm can happen anytime . It is the time before something bad happens . For example , at the beginning of a family reunion , the adults were all talking happily . But the older children knew it was just the calm before the storm . They've seen it happen before . The adults talk happily for about an hour . Then they start arguing about events from the past -- things that should really stay buried ! But after the storm begins and you find yourself in the middle of it , you are in the eye of the storm . In the world of weather , the eye of the storm is the calmest part , in the center of a hurricane , for example . However , in the English language , if you are in the eye of the storm , you are in the most intense part of a conflict . For example , she had no idea that walking into the meeting would put her in the eye of the storm . Now , a storm can cause great destruction , but it can also cause excitement . It's something people talk about . If you want to give people something to talk about , you might want to use the following "storm " phrasal verb . Combining a verb with "up " and then the words "a storm " gives you a very useful phrasal verb . It means doing something to a great extent or degree . For example , if you danced all night , you can say you danced up a storm . If you spend the whole month writing a book , you can say you wrote up a storm . If you are at a party and meet someone who won't keep quiet , you can say they are talking up a storm . I think you get the idea . Let's look again at the verb "to storm ." It can also mean to attack . If soldiers storm a military base , they are attacking it . Used another way , you could say one storms into a place . We only do this when we are angry and/or full of purpose . There is another very useful expression involving the word "storm ." But it has two very different meanings . Taking something by storm can suggest a sudden , perhaps violent attack . For example , the police took the bank by storm and arrested the bank robbers . But this term can be used in another way . "To take something by storm " can mean to have great and sudden success in a certain field . And that field can be just about anything . Let's say you are a great cook and open a new restaurant . Everyone loves it and it quickly becomes a big success . You can then say you took the restaurant world by storm . Or maybe you are a gifted violinist and perform in over 100 cities . Critics love you and they say you are taking the classical music world by storm . So , taking something by storm is a good thing . But a perfect storm is not . In the world of weather , a perfect storm is a violent storm that results from a rare combination of severe weather events . We can use this expression in other situations , but the meaning is the same . It's when a particularly bad or critical situation arises from several bad and usually unpredictable events . Let's hear this one in an example . You are going on a trip and you are very excited ! You have no idea that a perfect storm is building to ruin your vacation . First , the city where you're going has an unexpected electrical outage . Then when you arrive you find that the airline has lost your luggage . And finally you discover that a person you really don't like is staying in the same hotel and wants to hang out the whole time ! There are other kinds of storms . Firestorm is also another "storm " word that can used when talking about the weather and real life . An actual firestorm is a strong , damaging fire that often has tornado-like columns of fire . In conversation , a "firestorm " is a violent outburst or disagreement that causes damage . For example , the movie star created a firestorm when she made comments about the political situation in her home country . However , a brainstorm does not exist in the world of weather . To brainstorm means to try to solve a problem by talking with other people . And don't worry . If we have trouble thinking of an idea for the next program , we can always brainstorm with you !