Tornado Safety

Tornados are violent rotating columns of air extending from a cloud to the ground. Most tornados are birthed by thunderstorms, but they have been known to occur without rain.

Wind speeds are estimated after the fact based on the damage they produce. Tornadoes are catergorized by the enhanced Fujita Scale, from 0 (the weakest) to 5 (the strongest). Weak tornadoes have average wind speeds of 70 to 80 miles an hour, while the strongest can have wind speeds that exceed 200 miles per hour.

The United States has the highest incidence of tornadoes worldwide, with more than 1,000 occurring each year. This is generally caused by geography that brings polar air from Canada, tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico, and dry air from the Southwest to collide and produce the thunderstorms from which tornadoes typically come from. The area of the country where tornadoes occur most frequently is called "tornado alley" and includes Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Tornadoes can come one at a time, or in clusters, and vary in length, width, direction of travel and speed. They can range in width from 50 yards to over a mile. They may touchdown for a few seconds or stay on the ground for an hour or more.

Tornadoes can occur anytime of the year, but most frequently occur during the summer months. Similarly, tornadoes most often occur between 3:00 and 9:00 PM, but they can happen at any time of the day.

Tornadoes, on the average, travel at about 35 miles per hour, but some have been clocked at over 70 miles per hour.

Tornado Watches and Warnings

Don't confuse a "watch" with a "warning."

Tornado Watch: Conditions are favorable for a tornado to develop in and close to the watch area.

Tornado Warning: A tornado has been sighted by spotters or is indicated by radar, and is occurring or imminet in the warning area.

Tornado Facts

It is very difficult to generalize about the clues that predict tornadoes. Relying on clues can be dangerous because you may be looking for certain clues that are not present.

• A tornado may occur in sunshine, or in may be hidden by heavy rain.
• Sometimes the air becomes very still just before a tornado strikes, or there are strong, gusty winds just before a tornado strikes.
• Large hail and tornadoes can be produced by the same thunderstorm, however, hailstones can occur without a tornado and vice versa.
• Most tornadoes move from a southwest direction, but they can also travel from other directions such as west or northwest.
• Tornadoes can take on a variety of sizes and shapes.
• The sound of a tornado has been described as a freight train or a jet engine, but there is no guarantee that you will hear this sound before it's too late.

Once a tornado warning has been issued, you may have very little time to get to a safe place. Here are some general tips:

In a frame home:

• Go to the lowest level of your home, preferably the basement or storm cellar. If there is no basement, go to an inner hallway, a small inner room, or a closet. Keep away from the windows.
• Bring a battery-operated portable radio, or a NOAA weather radio with you for information.
• Use a blanket or a coat to cover your hands and eyes in order to protect against flying glass and debris.
• Have your pets in a carrier or on a leash.
• Don't go outside until you know the storm has passed.
• Don't leave your home in an attempt to "escape" from a tornado.

In a mobile home:

• Leave immediately and take shelter elsewhere.

Outside:

• Try to get inside and find a small protected space with no windows.
• Avoid large-span roof areas like school gymnasiums, arenas or shopping malls.
• If you can't get inside, lie flat in a ditch or low-lying area, and cover your head and neck with your arms or a piece of clothing.

In a car:

• Your best option is to get out of the car and lie flat in a ditch or other low-lying area that is deep enough to protect you against the wind.
• Be aware of water runoff from heavy rain and get as far away as possible from your car. Protect your head from flying debris.
• If you are close to a building, get out of the car and seek shelter inside.

In a school:

• Leave auditoriums, gyms, and other free-span rooms. Go to an interior hallway or room on the lowest level.
• Stay away from glass, both in windows and in doors.
• Crouch down and protect your head and face.

In shopping centers, hospitals or factories:

• Go to interior rooms and halls on the lowest floor.
• Stay away from glass windows and doors.
• Crouch down and protect your head and face.

What is your Tornado IQ?
True or False:

1. Tornadoes are always visible from a distance.
2. Balance the air pressure inside and outside your home by opening a window so your house won't explode.
3. The best place to be during a tornado is the southwest corner of the basement.
4. Tornadoes will not cross water.
5. A tornado is always accompanied or preceded by a funnel cloud.
6. Downward-bulging clouds mean tornadoes are on the way.
7. The larger the tornado, the stronger the tornado.
8. If you see a tornado while driving, turn at right angle away from the tornado.
9. Highway overpasses are safe shelters if you are the road and see a tornado coming.
10. Tornadoes are the number one weather killer in the United States.

1. False.
   Tornadoes can be hidden in heavy rainfall or by dust clouds.
2. False.
   Homes are damaged by strong winds, not by air pressure changes. Tornadoes will tear through a building, whether the windows are open or not. In fact, open windows may increase the amount of damage that occurs by allowing flying debris inside. Besides, if the tornado wants the windows open, it will open them for you.
3. False.
   This used to be the safety rule based on the idea that debris would not be deposited there. The current best advice is to move to a protected interior room on the lowest floor of the building, away from exterior walls and windows.
4. False.
   Tornadoes can, and do, cross water and hillsides. The belief that a body of water or a hill will protect you could prove to be a deadly misconception.
5. False.
   Especially in the early stages, tornadoes can cause damage on the ground even though a funnel cloud is not visible. If you see a funnel cloud but it does not appear to touch the ground, do not assume it is not as it may be in contact with the ground.
6. Not necessarily!
   It may be the case, especially if there is rotation, but not all low lying or bulging clouds are associated with tornadoes and they may be completely harmless.
7. False.
   The size and shape of a tornado does not predict wind strength. A rope shaped funnel may not look as dangerous as a wide, wedge-shaped funnel, but the opposite may be completely true.
8. False.
   Tornadoes do not necessarily follow straight lines, nor do they give you any warning that they are going to change direction. You cannot always tell what direction the storm is coming from, and the road you turn on may curve into the storm rather than away. There may be more than one tornado associated with the storm and your visibility may be diminished by heavy rainfall or wind-blown debris.
9. False.
   The truth is anytime you deliberately put yourself above ground level during a tornado, you are putting yourself in harm's way. Wind currents become concentrated and increase in speed as they squeeze under the overpass, which just might take you along with them.
10. False.
    Weather related fatalites 1960 - 1996 (www.noaa.com)
    Flash Floods: 4,629
    Lightning: 3,221
    Tornadoes: 2,734
    Hurricanes: 1,104