Most of us have seen the power that a tornado has through the television screen, and some of us may have even seen them in real life. These storms posses are not only unpredictable in nature, but they can also become extremely dangerous very quickly. A tornado is defined as a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from 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. In short, they can be the most violent phenomena of all atmospheric storms we experience.
We still don’t know as much about these storms as we’d like, but what we’ve learned in the past 60 years has brought us a lot closer to hopefully, one day, being able to detect them in time to save more lives.
There are six different types of tornadoes.
Supercell Tornado
Supercell tornadoes are the most common type, and the one most people are familiar with. They usually remain in contact with the ground for at least an hour (if not longer), and are more likely to be violent with wind speed exceeding 200 MPH.
Landspout Tornado
Landspout tornadoes are usually weaker than supercells. They may be observed beneath cumulonimbus or towering cumulus clouds and are the land equivalent of a waterspout. These tornadoes often form along the leading edge of downdraft air cooled by rain, usually from a thunderstorm.
Gustnado
Gustnadoes are weak and usually short-lived. Forming along the gust front of a thunderstorm, these tornadoes appear as a temporary dust whirl or debris cloud. Usually, they have no apparent connection or circulation in the air above.
Waterspout
Waterspouts are tornadoes over a body of water. Some waterspouts form from supercell thunderstorms, but most form from weak thunderstorms or rapidly growing cumulus clouds. Although their funnels are made entirely of freshwater droplets, they always form over warm tropical ocean waters. Once they reach land, they almost immediately dissipate.
Dust Devil
Dust devils form during dry, hot, clear days on the desert or over dry land. Generally, they form in the hot sun during the late morning or early afternoon hours usually by harmless whirlwinds triggered by a light breeze. Dust devils are not associated with thunderstorms and are usually weaker than even the weakest supercell tornado. Usually, dust devils form and dissipate within just a few minutes.
Firewhirl
While not a classic tornado, a firewhirl is formed from the heat from a major wildfire or volcanic eruption. They are tornado-like rotating columns of smoke that result when an updraft occurs from a fire. Winds associated with firewhirls have been estimated to be approximately 100 mph.
They can take on different shapes.
The majority of tornadoes take on the traditional form of a funnel, which descends from a cloud. However, tornadoes can also be shrouded by storms, making them next to impossible to see and even more dangerous than the traditional type. They can also be seen as just a swirl of dust when they are relatively weak or dissipating. Tornadoes can be wedges, like a block of dark clouds. Lastly, they can be seen resembling a narrow tube, curling into an array of complex shapes and lengthening their funnel into the sky.
They are almost impossible to detect ahead of time.
Before the 1950s, the only way to detect a tornado was by someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In fact, the first public tornado warnings were issued in 1950, and by 1953 it was confirmed that hook echoes were associated with tornadoes. By recognizing these radar signatures, meteorologists could detect thunderstorms that had a probability of producing tornadoes from dozens of miles away.
Today, most countries have a network of weather radars, which remains the main method of reading the signs of developing tornadoes. Here in the United States, Doppler weather radar stations are used. These stations measure the velocity and radial direction of the winds in a storm and can spot signs of rotation in storms from more than 100 miles away.
The United States National Weather Service increased its efforts in the 1970s to train storm spotters to spot key features of storms which indicate severe hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes, as well as the damage itself and flash flooding. This program, named Skywarn, included local sheriff’s deputies, state troopers, firefighters, ambulance drivers, amateur radio operators, civil defense spotters, storm chasers, and ordinary citizens. Spotters are usually trained by the National Weather Service and can activate public warning systems such as sirens and the Emergency Alert System.
The ability of spotters to see what radar cannot is especially important as the distance from the radar site increases because the radar beam becomes progressively higher in altitude farther away from the radar.
Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean stronger.
Although usually strength can be determined by size, that is not the case with tornadoes. While it is usually true that bigger funneled tornadoes cause an increased amount of damage, it is unknown if this is due to an actual tendency of tornado dynamics or the ability of a tornado to affect a larger area.
In fact, some small, rope-like tornadoes, traditionally thought of as weak, have been among the strongest in history.
There are certain behaviors that can keep you safe from them.
The most basic rule inside any structure during a tornado is to avoid windows at all costs. The safest place in a home is the interior part of a basement. But if a basement isn’t a possibility, you can go to an inside room, without windows, on the lowest floor. This could be a center hallway, bathroom, or closet. For added protection, get under something sturdy such as a heavy table or workbench. If possible, cover your body with a blanket, sleeping bag, or mattress, and protect your head with anything available – even if it’s just your hands. Avoid taking shelter where there are heavy objects, such as pianos or refrigerators, on the floor directly above you. They could fall through the floor if the tornado strikes your house. A bathtub or shower with a fixed glass wall is also something to avoid.
The worst place to be during a tornado is in a car. Cars, buses, and trucks are easily tossed by tornado winds. Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car, even if it’s still a mile away. If you see a tornado, stop your vehicle and get out. Do not get under your vehicle. If you cannot seek shelter in a suitable building, find a low-lying area like a ditch. Stay away from trees as they, like cars, easily become deadly projectiles.
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