What is a Tornado?

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.

Hurricanes and tornadoes are both severe weather events that can potentially cause a great deal of damage to property. Both of these storms can threaten human life and in severe events with either a hurricane of a tornado there may well be a loss of life. They may be quite different in how they form and what they actually do but on the other hand those storms are both potentially devastating so they fall into the same category of potential severe weather danger. People who live in areas where hurricanes and tornadoes are known to appear during certain seasons of the year are always urged to be alert to weather warning systems. Those same residents know from experience to keep their radios tuned to weather emergency stations and they are in many cases prepared for the brunt of a storm by building basement shelters.

The first thing that starts a tornado would be the winds. The wind updraft can form a funnel. This funnel is called a Mesocyclone and when the mesocyclone touches the ground it is considered a tornado. Clouds play an important role in forming tornadoes too. Some other clouds are called, Wall Clouds. These clouds protrude from the sky and look like a giant waves coming down about to crash on earth. When wall clouds form the sky might turn to a greenish color or some other color. This wall-cloud

A tornado watch when issued is just a reminder that the weather does have the potential to produce a tornado and that caution should be used when traveling and doing outdoor activities. However, when a tornado warning is issued this is a warning to take cover in a cellar, basement or other safe places; away from windows and other places where one may be harmed.

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

The Joplin tornado was the biggest tornado on the record for that year. The Joplin tornado was the most powerful tornado that people have ever seen. After the tornado was over there was no building without debris on or in or by them everything was destroyed. The tornado killed thirty-eight people and over 1,000 people were injured. The cost of everything was about 2.8 billion dollars for stores, houses and even cars. The Joplin tornado was the tornado that caused the most damage that year. Now learning from that I have some tips for you. Some tips for you when there is a tornado in the area: If you see a tornado then run to the lowest area in your house and protect yourself. If you don't have a lower level then go to a room without a window. When the tornado hits keep covering yourself till it

Tornadoes can tear apart buildings, cars, forests, and can kill numerous people. In the U.S. alone, tornadoes cause 70 fatalities and 1,500 injuries on average annually (“Tornado Facts And History”). A tornado swept through Yellowstone in the late 1980’s which left a path of destruction up and down a 10,000-foot mountain (“Tornado Facts”).

It is vital for the survival of mankind that we respect and understand the severity and danger of natural forces and weather conditions. Although advances have been made in the predictions and warning systems of the National Weather Service, or NWS, we must be vigilant in our efforts to always respect what is coming. It is also imperative that we learn from the mistakes we have made in the past and grow from them. One such piece of literature which can help to do this is "Storm Warnings: The story of the a Killer Tornado", by Nancy Mathis, which depicts an amazingly horrific incident where mankind was not prepared for what was coming. The following is understanding of the events that took place on May 3rd, 1999, which showcased an amazing, and terrible, spectacle of tornadoes in Oklahoma. Furthermore we will delve into what has changed since this to better our understanding of upcoming weather related dangers as well as planning for said forces of nature.

A tornadoes form when it is humid but the ground is wet and slower winds are by the ground as the fastest wind are higher in the sky. Because of this the wind starts to circle around when the slow wind moves up higher. Rain will fall and so will a funnel which is the tornado. The reason twister in Florida left extreme damage and many houses were being fixed or covered with tarp. Today they are cleaning up the damage or debris all over town. Other places tornadoes have touched down resonantly are Virginia and North Carolina the worst one was the one in Carolina taking three lives. To not be one of those three you must find shelter once you hear the word "WARNING." if you hear "watch" then prepare to go into "WARNING." Pleas remember that.

Tornadoes make full use of the element of surprise. They seemingly form out of nowhere, varying greatly in size, strength, agility and speed, unpredictably destroying some or all of life’s most prized possessions, including the most precious of all – life. Leaving in their wake only remnants of physical memories carelessly scattered about. Living in “Tornado Alley” or any other tornado prone region is at times a leap of faith which only Mother Nature controls, yet societally this is an excepted risk. We have many advantages over our predecessors; statistic and evidence based weather forecasting improvements, radar, satellite imaging, warning and alert systems of various kinds, field Storm Spotters and Chasers documenting these magnificent wonders. However, we still professedly fail to convincingly communicate the dangers of these destructive beasts.

Each tornado differs, but they do have some common patterns to their travel and types of damage, which allow for a set of general predictions and precautions. In the interest of the preservation of life and property and to reduce the destructive effect of tornado pressures and flying debris, we have developed the following procedure.

In order to survive a tornado you must be listening to see if you can hear the tornado warning and if you do than you must grab the children (if you have them at home) and preferably the pets to. Than if you have a cellar, or a basement than I suggest you go down there and stay clear of windows, but if you don’t than just find a small space or hide in a closet that has no windows. If you ae in a car and you hear the tornado siren go off, than I highly suggest you get out of the car and grab the kids and go into the closet store to you. And if you are in the middle of nowhere and there is no store by you than see if you can find something to hide under, because I can guarantee you that hiding under something is a lot safer than staying in your

     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.

The damage from tornadoes comes from the strong winds they contain. It is generally believed that tornado wind speeds can be as high as three hundred miles per hour in most violent tornadoes. Wind speeds that high can cause automobiles to become airborne, rip ordinary homes to shreds, and turn broken glass and other debris into lethal missiles. The biggest threat to living creatures, including humans, from tornadoes is from flying debris and from being tossed about in the wind. It used to be believed that the low pressure in a tornado contributed to the damage by making buildings "explode" but this is no longer believed to be true.