Interesting Facts About Tornadoes

F5 in Manitoba by
Justin1569

Tornadoes are dangerous, violent and unpredictable storms. Even the weakest of them can harm people and cause property damage. Scientists measure them on the Fujita Scale. Those in the middle of the Fujita Scale–F3s–are as strong as or even stronger than Category 5 hurricanes in terms of wind speed. They have been portrayed in fiction as magical cyclones that can whisk you away to far off lands and as interesting funnels that harmlessly move things about. The reality is far more frightening, though no less interesting.

Tornadoes are Most Common in the United States

While not constricted to the United States, tornadoes most often occur in the spring and fall months in the U.S. An average of 800 to 1,000 reported tornadoes occur in the United States annually. They cause an average of 70 to 80 deaths in the country and more than 1,000 injuries–much more some years. Property damage from tornadoes can be in the billions in a single year.

Tornadoes Can Move and Spin Very Fast

Tornadoes are columns of air that appear during thunderstorms, however small. The columns spin or rotate at varying speeds from 400 miles per hour to more than 300 miles per hour. Tornadoes can travel at speeds up to 70 miles per hour, making them very difficult to outrun, even in a vehicle. They are also quite unpredictable, which lends to the danger they present.

The Paths of Tornadoes Can be Terrifyingly Wide and Long

The width of a tornado can be as much as a mile and wipe out whole neighborhoods as it goes along. Once it touches down, a tornado can cut a path 50 miles long before dissipating. Tornadoes like these are the exception rather than the rule, but it is best to stay out of the way of any tornado.

Not All Tornadoes Form Noticeable Funnels

It is a mistake to be on the lookout for noticeable funnels during thunderstorms, despite them being a tornado's most noteworthy characteristic. Tornadoes are, by nature, invisible. Only when a tornado sucks in moisture, dirt or debris does it become visible. Even then, rain or dark clouds may hinder a person's view of the tornado.

Tornadoes Can Last More than the Usual Few Minutes and They Can Happen at Any Time

Tornadoes are more common in spring and summer, as mentioned above. However, they can happen at any time of year. Furthermore, they are more common in the afternoon, but that does not mean they cannot happen at night or in the morning. Once they get started, they can last anywhere from a brief moment to an hour.

It is Impossible to Give Significant Warning for a Tornado

Unlike other weather events, it is not possible to give more than a few minutes of warning for a tornado. Tornadoes are much like tsunamis in that the situation must be read properly in order for people to predict the outcome. Weather experts can put out tornado watches hours in advance when they see a storm that may produce tornadoes. However, they cannot give a tornado advisory more than an average 13 minutes in advance at this time. That is why it is essential to listen carefully to the weather when there is a tornado watch.

When it comes to tornadoes, preparing for the unexpected is the only safeguard. Even homes that are built to withstand tornadoes can be leveled in a strong one. It is important to know where to take shelter in the event of a tornado and to pay attention when there are thunderstorms, especially if you are east of the Rockies in the United States.

Sources

Tornadoes, retrieved 6/5/11, environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/tornado-profile

5 Facts About Hurricanes

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricanes are among the most feared storms that occur on Earth. They are destructive, powerful and deadly. What hurricane facts science does possess do very little to protect us from their awesome power as evidenced by the aftermath of such hurricanes as 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

1. A hurricane by any other name is still a hurricane

Hurricanes have several names, though the storm is the same. Depending on where you are in the world, people may call a hurricane a hurricane, severe-tropical cyclone, severe cyclonic storm, tropical cyclone or typhoon. All of these names signify storms with winds of 74 miles per hour or greater.

2. Being in the eye of a hurricane is not as nice as it seems

One of the most interesting facts science knows about hurricanes is that the very center of these powerful storms can be as calm as a clear day. The eye of a hurricane can measure anywhere between 5 and 120 miles across. Inside of this eye, there are often weak winds, though there are sometimes strong winds within the eye. There is significantly less rain if there is any rain at all. Seems nice, right? Well, lurking right outside of the eye is the eyewall, which is the strongest part of a hurricane. If you find yourself in the eye, you have already seen the worst of the storm, are about to see the worst of it or both.

3. The NOAA has actually tried to weaken hurricanes

As science fiction as it seems, the NOAA, with the help of the U.S. government, actually took what they know about hurricanes and tried to use it to create hurricane-altering technology. The project was called PROJECT STORMFURY. The method they concocted involved dumping silver iodide into hurricanes in what they called "seeding clouds." For all intents and purposes, PROJECT STORMFURY was a failure. Since then, the NOAA has reverted to learning more about hurricanes instead of trying to change them.

4. Hurricanes can come in packs

In both August of 1893 and September of 1998, there were four hurricanes in the Atlantic at one time. That is the most ever in recorded history. In 1893, the hurricanes remained unnamed, but we know one was responsible for the deaths of at least 1,000 people in the United States. As for the 1998 pack of hurricanes, they were Karl, Ivan, Georges and Jeanne. Georges killed roughly 400 people when it made landfall in Haiti.

5. Hurricanes are monstrously strong

One of the hardest things to learn about hurricanes is their maximum wind speed potential. That is because the winds can be so strong that they destroy measuring devices. Wind speeds in a hurricane get up to more than 160 mph. How much more is not certain.

The winds of hurricanes are enough of a destructive force to kill. However, one of the most terrifying hurricane facts has nothing to do with wind. It has to do with rain. A powerful hurricane can dump more than 2.4 trillion gallons of rain in one day.

Since these storms have been studied, we have come to know quite a bit about hurricanes, though there are surely many more hurricane facts we do not know. Whether or not any new hurricane information will prevent human deaths is another matter, but that tends to be the aim of much hurricane research.

Sources

Landsea, Charles, What was the largest number of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean at the same time?, retrieved 3/1/11, aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/E18.html

Hurricane, retrieved 3/1/11, environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/hurricane-profile

Facts about the Eye of a Hurricane, retrieved 3/1/11, gohsep.la.gov/factsheets/FactsAboutHurricaneEye.htm

Landsea, Chris, What is a hurricane, typhoon or tropical cyclone?, retrieved 3/1/11, aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A1.html

Landsea, Chris, Has there ever been an attempt or experiment to reduce the strength of a hurricane?, retrieved 3/1/11, aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/C4.html