DISCUSSION The results from the Analytical phase of the project yielded useful information on the temporal trends and spatial pattern of tornado activity in the state of Georgia. Before discussing the results, it is worth recalling that only “strong tornadoes” were studied in this project. Strong tornadoes, in this case, is defined by having an F3 or higher rating on the Fujita Scale and an EF 3 or higher rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The reason for excluding weaker tornadoes is to attempt to account for any reporting or technological bias inherent in studying report data over a long stretch of time. By plotting the tornado frequency on the y-axis and the years on the x-axis, we can discern a trend in the number of the tornadoes …show more content…
Perhaps the second most apparent detail shown in Figure 4 is the dramatic lack of strong tornadoes in June through October. During this time period, there hasn’t been one “strong” tornado since 1966. It is likely the case that conditions in Georgia during this time are simply not ideal for the formation of tornadoes. Note, that this is not same as saying thunderstorms are not typically formed during this time. Given the heat and humidity between June and August, this is likely the time of year where most storms form. However, during summer and early parts of fall, there is a noticeable lack of a cold front to provide the wind shear necessary for tornadoes. Prior to learning how tornadoes form, one might also be shocked to see tornadoes form so readily in January and February. These are usually cold times of the year for Georgia and cold weather is usually not conducive for thunderstorms. Incidentally, when taking into account the cold fronts and wind shear, it is not so unusual to see more tornadoes form in winter than in the summer. Notice also the trend line. The trend line fit is not exact and this would be a reasonable result. Temperature and climate condition do not change in one direction over the course of a year.
This project also looked at tornado frequency during different times of the day. The result of this analysis is displayed in Figure 5. Tornado activity is usually greatest between roughly
Tornados are one of the most destructive and devastating natural forces on Earth. When a tornado is fully created, wind speeds can reach up to more than 300 mph (483 km/h). Most tornadoes that occur are between the Appalachians and Rocky Mountains, but tornados can happen where ever the conditions are right. 90% of tornadoes that happen in the United States, happens in the Central United States. Even though scientist have not yet understood how tornadoes are formed, they’ve developed a theory that consist of the process and conditions of which a tornado must have to form.
Meanwhile tornadoes are dramatically different from hurricanes. Hurricanes form over vast stretches of water, and the warmer the water the more the potentially deadly the hurricane will be. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 ""¦was responsible for at least 8000 deaths" (Blake, et al, 2011). Hurricanes develop in tropical oceans and move westward in the direction of the southern and eastern United States. Tornadoes also affected by the jet stream form over land, not over water, and although they can be up to a mile wide, they are generally a quarter of a mile wide. Hurricanes are sometimes several hundred miles wide which makes them a far
Tornadoes are devastating atmospheric events that affect the ecology and the lives of people in their paths. Tornadoes are defined as “a violently rotating column of air, in contact with the ground, either pendant from a cumuliform cloud or underneath a cumuliform cloud, and often (but not always) visible as a funnel cloud” (Glossary of Meterology, 2011). The Tri-state tornado was the most deadly tornado in the United States. It stayed on the ground for a total of 219 miles through areas of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killed a total of 695 people, and an estimated $16.5 million in damages (National Weather Service, 2011). Luckily, the tornado’s path was largely rural farmland with scattered small towns between them. <Add thesis>
When tornadoes do form; such places as the National Weather Service (2014) classify tornadoes into three categories. These categories are weak, strong, and violent. “
In 1953, the Waco tornado was part of a tornado outbreak sequence with a series of at least 33 tornadoes occurring in 10 different U.S. between May 9-11, 1953. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) a research
The most area that gets thunderstorms more frequently is the Gulf Coast. This area includes all of Florida, to include parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. “We also find that, in summer along the Gulf Coast, a thick layer of warm, moist air extends upward from the surface” (Ahrens, 2015, p.303). This also makes a point that more storms consuming Hail are located in the Great Plains. Thunderstorms typically form more in the tropical latitude, which makes the gulf coast a prime location. The two areas that tornados occur most is the Tornado Alley and the Dixie Alley. Tornado Alley stretches from Central Texas to Nebraska, as Dixie Alley over Mississippi to Alabama. “The Central Plains region is most susceptible to tornadoes because it often provides the proper atmospheric setting for the development of the severe thunderstorms that spawn tornadoes”
Some tornado specifics can be interesting, some can be boring but these are the fascinating ones. There is a part of land in the Midwestern U.s where more than 1,000 tornadoes form. Most tornadoes only stay on the ground for less than five minutes and some tornadoes stand still while others can go on devastating speeds. The destruction tornadoes make is mostly from the debris that it picks up. More than half of tornadoes are weak and don’t cause many
A total of 36 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above
What is a tornado?A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Because wind is invisible, it is hard to see a tornado unless it forms a condensation funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris. Tornadoes are the most violent of all atmospheric storms.Where do tornadoes occur?Tornadoes occur in many parts of the world, including Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Even New Zealand reports about 20 tornadoes each year. Two of the highest concentrations of tornadoes outside the U.S. are Argentina and Bangladesh. How many tornadoes occur in the U.S. each year?About 1,200 tornadoes hit the U.S. yearly. Since official tornado records only date back to 1950,
May 3rd, 1999 is day that bore witness to one of the strongest spectacles of weather that mankind has ever seen. The storm is one of the largest, and deadliest, tornados in history. The definition of a tornado is "a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system". A tornado is rated on a Fujita-Pearson scale which takes into account, overall damage reports, ground swirl patterns, as well as eyewitness and media accounts of the
Tornadoes are very complex natural events. The tornado has to be the right size so that the tornado can release the rain at the precise amounts. If the tornado was too small the tornado would not produce enough heat to create a vacuum. The height from the ground is also a really important factor in the creation of a tornado. This is because the higher up the tornado is from the ground the more air the tornado will have rushing into it. These are just some of the many factors that have to be exactly perfect for a tornado to be naturally created and sustain the wind speed required for it to be a tornado.
A tornado is a violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent tornadoes can produce massive destruction with wind speeds of 250 miles per hour or more. The typical tornado moves from southwest to northeast, but they have been known to move in any direction. The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 miles per hour but it may vary from stationary to 70 miles per hour. Although tornadoes occur in many parts of the world, they are found most frequently in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains during the spring and summer months. In an average year, 800 tornadoes are reported nationwide, resulting in 80 deaths and over 1,500 injuries.
In the area of, Ashford University and Clinton Iowa, tornadoes can occur at any time, but primarily occur between the months of April through October. Tornadoes can be the most brutal of storms. Winds speeds can reach speeds nearing 300 miles per hour and can destroy anything in its path. Tornadoes form rapidly and can travel for miles along the ground and lift up from the ground, and then suddenly change directions and touchdown again! There is little you can do to protect your property from a direct hit by a tornado; however, many actions can be taken to protect you and your family.
Tornadoes are one of the deadliest and most unpredictable villains mankind will ever face. There is no rhyme or reason, no rhythm to it’s madness. Tornados are one of the most terrifying natural events that occur, destroying homes and ending lives every year. April 29th, 1995, a calm, muggy, spring night I may never forget. Jason, a buddy I grew up with, just agreed to travel across state with me so we could visit a friend in Lubbock. Jason and I were admiring the beautiful blue bonnets, which traveled for miles like little blue birds flying close to the ground. The warm breeze brushed across the tips of the blue bonnets and allowed them to dance under the perfectly clear blue sky. In the distance, however, we
There are many types of tornadoes. The average tornado is usually split up into categories based on the