Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Every state is at some risk from this hazard.
Some tornadoes are clearly visible, while rain or nearby low-hanging clouds obscure others. Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that little, if any, advance warning is possible. Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still. A cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.
The following are facts about tornadoes:
They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a
cloud forms in the funnel.
The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes have been known
to move in any direction.
The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 MPH, but may vary from stationary
to 70 MPH.
Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land.
Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring
and summer months.
Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern
states, it is late spring through early summer.
Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at
any time.
Familiarize yourself with these terms to help identify a tornado hazard:
Tornado Watch
Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and
stay tuned to Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.
Tornado Warning
A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Take shelter
immediately.
Before a Tornado
Be alert to changing weather conditions.
Listen to Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the
latest information.
Look for approaching storms.
Look for the following danger signs:
Dark, often greenish sky
Large hail
A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
Loud roar, similar to a freight train.
If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take
shelter immediately.
Use storm shutters to protect windows and glass. Use them when severe weather is coming.
The storm shutters protect against flying debris like tree trunks or other things carried
by strong winds.
During a Tornado
If you are under a tornado WARNING,seek shelter immediately!.
If you are in:
A structure (e.g. residence, small building, school, nursing home, hospital, factory, shopping center, high-rise
building) Then go to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building
level. If there is no basement,go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior
hallway) away from corners, windows,doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the
outside. Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck. Do not open windows.
If you are in:
A vehicle, trailer, or mobile home get out immediately and go to the lowest
floor of a sturdy, nearby building
or a storm shelter. Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection
from tornadoes.
If you are in:
The outside with no shelter Lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover
your head with your hands. Be
aware of the potential for flooding.
Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location.
Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a car or truck.
Instead, leave the vehicle immediately
for safe shelter.
Watch out for flying debris. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities
and injuries.
Preparing a Safe Room
Extreme windstorms in many parts of the country pose a serious threat to
buildings and their occupants. Your
residence may be built “to code,” but that does not mean it can withstand winds
from extreme events such as
tornadoes and major hurricanes. The purpose of a safe room or a wind shelter is
to provide a space where you
and your family can seek refuge that provides a high level of protection. You
can build a safe room in one of
several places in your home.
Your basement.
Atop a concrete slab-on-grade foundation or garage floor.
An interior room on the first floor.
Safe rooms built below ground level provide the greatest protection, but a safe
room built in a first-floor interior
room also can provide the necessary protection. Below-ground safe rooms must be
designed to avoid accumulating
water during the heavy rains that often accompany severe windstorms.
To protect its occupants, a safe room must be built to withstand high winds and
flying debris, even if the rest
of the residence is severely damaged or destroyed. Consider the following when
building a safe room:
The safe room must be adequately anchored to resist overturning and uplift.
The walls, ceiling, and door of the shelter must withstand wind pressure and
resist penetration by windborne
objects and falling debris.
The connections between all parts of the safe room must be strong enough to
resist the wind.
Sections of either interior or exterior residence walls that are used as walls
of the safe room, must be separated
from the structure of the residence so that damage to the residence will not
cause damage to the safe room.
F-0 Gale Tornado
40 - 72 MPH
Chimneys damaged; branches broken off trees; shallow-rooted trees uprooted; sign
boards
damaged.
F-1 Moderate Tornado
73 - 112 MPH
Roof surfaces peeled off; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned;
moving autos pushed off roads.
F-2 Significant Tornado
113 - 157 MPH
Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; box cars pushed over;
large trees snapped or uprooted;
light-object projectiles generated.
F-3 Severe Tornado
158 - 206 MPH
Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed houses; trains overturned; most
trees in forest uprooted; heavy
cars lifted off the ground and thrown.
F-4 Devastating Tornado
207 - 260 MPH
Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations relocated;
cars thrown and large projectiles
generated.
F-5 Incredible Tornado
261 - 318 MPH
Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distance to
disintegrate; automobile-sized
projectiles hurtle through the air in excess of 100 yards; trees debarked; other
incredible phenomena expected.
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