...If we interpret the 'hard' turbulence report as meaning severe...
Here lays one of the problems. Too many people are inaccuratly reporting turbulance levels, which in-turn becomes the baseline for someones experience level.
When people report a few bumps (2 - 5 knots of airspeed change and no vertical changes as Moderate or Sever turbulance, the inexperienced pilots hearing this, and THEN experiencing THAT turbulance are lead into a false sense of what Moderate or Severe really means.
Then, when a prog report indicates "...Mod to Sev turb associated...", etc, they don't really understand what that will mean should they decide to blunder through that weather system.
According to a NASA document I read several years ago, you are experiencing severe turbulance when your aircraft is experiencing a GREATER then 25 KIAS airspeed
change and close to a 2000 foot per minute IVSI
change.
Keep this in mind that next time you see weather that CAN cause Sever turbulance. And also, when you report it.