Tornadoes



Have you ever wondered the real truth behind one of Earth's more destructive, natural disaster? Though these natural disasters occur around the world, you are more likely to find them in the United States, east of the Rocky Mt, during the spring and summer months. 800 tornadoes are reported nationwide on average, creating around 80 deaths, and over 1,500 injuries.

=Severe or Safe Weather?= Tornadoes can cause catastrophic, and very severe weather. Before we go any farther, I want to make sure you are aware of what severe weather actually is. In a vague sense, "severe weather" is interpreted as any aspect of weather that could possibly "pose a threat to life and property." So, any natural weather disaster that could harm you, your home or property, can be considered severe weather. Pretty simple right? Well, not exactly, there is more to the story. Actually, there are three main types severe weather. Those being, approaching severe, severe, and significant severe weather. Approaching sever weather, for tornadoes, are winds between 50, and 58 mph, not too dreadful, but it gets worse. Sever weather on the other hand, are winds that reach 58 mph or higher. Winds like that could cause damage to chimneys; break twigs and branches off trees; push over shallow-rooted trees; damages signboards and more. Significant severe weather is pretty destructive. Peeling surfaces off roofs; cause mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned or outbuildings demolished; as well as push moving autos off the roads.

media type="file" key="Tornado1.mov" = What can you expect before a tornado hits =

Tornadoes are spawned from powerful thunderstorms and the most powerful thunderstorms produce large hail.

Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still

An approaching cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible

The high winds of a tornado can cause a roar that is often compared with the sound of a freight train.

Calm behind the storm
Tornadoes can occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.

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 * 1) “Tornado Information Table,” http://www.csgnetwork.com/tornadotable.html.
 * 2) “Top Ten US Killer Tornadoes,” http://www.tornadoproject.com/toptens/toptens.htm.
 * 3) “Tornadoes....Nature's Most Violent Storms,” http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/safety/tornadoguide.html.