Tornadoes 2
What Is More Deadly, Hurricane Or Tornado?
A hurricane can inflict a higher death toll than a tornado largely because it affects a much bigger area.
What exactly is a tornado?
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air between a cloud and Earth, touching both. When conditions are right, a thunderstorm can spin out one or more tornadoes. There must be moisture in the low to middle levels of the atmosphere, air that is rising from the ground and strong enough to keep rising, and a "lifting force" that causes the air to begin rising. (This happens when air near the ground is warmed.)
They say the sky turns green before a tornado. Is this true?
Clouds of severe storms often take on a greenish hue. No one knows for certain why this happens, and it could be due to a combination of phenomena. One theory suggests that, as storms usually develop in the afternoon, the longer wavelengths (red and yellow) of afternoon sunlight (already deficient in blue), turn the bluish water-heavy clouds green.
What is the difference between hurricanes and tornadoes
Hurricanes and tornadoes are both damaging windstorms, but they are very different phenomena.
How are tornadoes measured?
The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale), developed by Dr. T. Theodore Fujita at the University of Chicago, assesses tornado damage. The scale is a set of wind estimates (not measurements) based on damage. Specifically, it uses three-second gusts estimated at the point of damage based on a judgment of 8 Degrees of Damage (DOD) to 28 Damage Indicators. The DOD reflects the speed of the wind gusts (mph). The Damage Indicators reflect the type of structure/typical construction of what has been damaged (e.g., one or two family residence with brick veneer siding).
Where do the most tornadoes occur?
The United States has the highest incidence of tornadoes worldwide, with about a thousand occurring every year. The country's unique geography brings together polar air from Canada, tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico, and dry air from the Southwest to clash in the middle of the country, producing thunderstorms and the tornadoes they spawn
Is a twister the same as a tornado
The term twister has been used for some smaller tornadoes, and some people use the term interchangeably with tornado. Meteorologists frown on such usage.
What causes tornados
Tornadoes are caused by the interaction of weather systems, which create large thunderstorms (the most powerful and long-lived
Was Elvis ever in a tornado?
Yes! When Elvis was 2 years old, reportedly, a tornado swept through his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi, on April 5, 1936. The storm was devastating, destroying homes across the street from the Presleys', but they escaped unscathed. They say a Tupelo kitchen was blown, intact, to the town of Mooresville, 7 miles away, and that the tornado sucked the feathers off Tupelo chickens. Tupelo lost 235 people in that tornado.
Is there a tornado season?
he combination of conditions that cause tornadoes is common across the southern United States in the early spring. As the season goes on, tornadoes are likely to occur farther and farther north in the plains states and the Midwest. April and May tornadoes are common in the South as well as in those more northern areas. Often a large storm system can create tornado conditions for several days in a row.
