A tornado is a funnel-like storm of strong winds.
The United States gets about a thousand tornadoes a year.
Causes
• Formed by an instability in the atmosphere.
• Usually form during thunderstorms.
• A downward flow of cold air from clouds meets a rising flow of warm air from the ground.
• When the conditions are just right, a tornado will start.
Effects
• Houses are destroyed
• People and animals can be killed
• Crops are destroyed
• Disease can spread
• Water gets contaminated
• Communities are demolished and must be rebuilt
Types of Tornadoes
They are categorized as F0-F5 on the Fujita-Pearson Scale.
• F0 - light
• F1 - moderate
• F2 - considerable
• F3 - severe
• F4 - devastating
• F5 - incredibly powerful
Top Ten Disasters
March 18, 1925 Illinois, Indiana, & Missouri 689 People Dead F5
May 7, 1840 Louisiana & Mississippi 317 People Dead F?
May 27, 1896 Missouri & Illinois 255 People Dead F4
April 5, 1936 Mississippi 216 People Dead F5
April 6, 1936 Georgia 203 People Dead F4
April 9, 1947 Texas, Oklahoma, & Kansas 181 People Dead F5
April 24, 1908 Louisiana & Mississippi 143 People Dead F4
June 12, 1899 Wisconsin 117 People Dead F5
June 8, 1953 Missouri 115 People Dead F5
May 11, 1953 Texas 114 People Dead F5
Safety Tips
• Stay calm!
• Look for safe shelter like a basement, small closet or bathroom
• Stay away from windows - the broken glass can cause injuries
• Listen for reports on a portable radio
• Keep a weather radio with batteries if you live in an area with lots of tornadoes
• Protect your body with a mattress or blankets
• Evacuate mobile homes and find shelter in a solid structure
• If you are out in the open, find a ditch or overpass to hide in
Facts
• Tornado came from the Spanish word tronada.
• Other names are twisters or cyclones.
• Characterized by rapidly rotating columns of air hanging from cumulonimbus clouds.
• At ground level they usually leave a path of destruction only about 50 miles wide and travel an average about 8 to 24 kilometers.
No comments:
Post a Comment