...Tornado Research Paper Tornados, extremely violent storms consisting of air that spins very quickly. We all know what tornados are. Although there are many natural disasters that occur, tornadoes are among the most frequent storms that cause devastating damage, as described by the main points. Tornadoes are formed when cold and hot air mix together. The cold air is dry and the warm air is moist, and once they meet there is nothing you can do. The two types of air will eventually start to swirl and form a funnel. They are usually a result of huge thunderstorms. The winds from a tornado can get up to 300 miles per hour, which some people call an F5. Also, the damage paths can get up to 1 mile wide and 50 miles long. When a tornado occurs the atmosphere is very unstable....
Words: 566 - Pages: 3
...classify types of tornadoes, and odd occurrences that may be associated with tornadoes. Organizational Pattern: Topical I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: What can hurdle automobiles through the air, rip ordinary homes to shreds, defeather chickens, and travel at speeds over 60 mph? B. Relevance: Illinois rests on the boundary of what tornado researchers call tornado alley. This is the area of the country that receives the most tornadoes every year. According to a 1995 brochure distributed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Illinois averages 27 tornadoes a year. Also, nearly 5 people die every year in Illinois as a result of tornadoes [VISUAL AID]. In fact, according to Tornado Project Online!, a website hosted by a company that gathers tornado information for tornado researchers, the deadliest tornado in U.S. recorded history occurred in Murphysboro, Illinois. In 1925 a violent tornado killed 234 people in this Southern Illinois town. Your statement of relevancy doesn’t have to be quite so long. C. Credibility: I grew up in the heart of tornado alley and have been interested in this weather phenomenon for a very long time. Also, I am a trained weather spotter for the Bloomington/Normal civil defense agency. D. Thesis/Central Idea: In order to better understand tornadoes, it is important to explore what causes tornadoes to develop, how researchers classify types of tornadoes, and odd occurrences...
Words: 1312 - Pages: 6
...hour, rain pounded on the rooftops, flooding imminent as levees strained and gave way pouring into New Orleans. The Category 5 hurricane terrorizing all cities and states on its war path of destruction; Katrina is what they call her and her storm surge reached 20 feet high. 1,836 was the final death toll that Hurricane Katrina caused and her affects were impacted over approximately 90,000 square miles. 80% of New Orleans was underwater and some places were up to 20 feet under. (11 Facts About Hurricane Katrina) This destruction is unimaginable to most of us but for those that experienced it, it is something they never want to experience again. Along Katrina’s route of destruction, tornados were developed wreaking havoc in other states. In this paper I will discuss, in depth, hurricanes and tornados and the destruction they cause to our nation. The word hurricane was derived from the Spanish word “huracan” this word originated from a Mayan storm god. The word hurricane was used in the West Indies where they described any tropical cyclone. (Hurricane: What is a Hurricane?) The accurate definition of a hurricane is a “tropical cyclone with sustained winds that have reached speeds of 74 mph or higher” the storms are labeled as hurricanes when they gain their strength over days and weeks time. (Hurricane: What is a Hurricane?) Storms developing over the Atlantic Ocean or eastern Pacific Ocean are coined hurricanes. Regardless the name, all tropical cyclones develop the same...
Words: 3615 - Pages: 15
...Storm Chasers Killed in Oklahoma Tornado Storm Chasers Killed in Oklahoma Tornado Growing up in “Tornado Alley” we know the risks that come along with the Oklahoma tornados. There are many people that put their lives on the line every time one of these storms decide to make an appearance. Most of these individuals do this job because they enjoy studying these storms and want to do their part in informing the people of the possible destruction heading their way. A majority of these men and women get to come home to their families and tell of their wild experiences “riding out the tornado”, but for others, they are not as fortunate. This would be the last storm for Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young. (Allen & Trotta, 2013). The purpose of this article is to make people aware of the dangers associated with chasing tornados. This article was also written to give remembrance to the brave men who put their lives on the line to research these deadly storms. Three brave men lost their lives doing what they loved to do. Unfortunately these are some of the risks that come with the job. One of the main problems that we often hear about with storm chasing is inexperience. A lot of people get severely injured or even die due to not seeking shelter, rather trying to get video and pictures of the twister. Even the most experienced sometimes suffer consequences when not fully prepared for an unpredictable tornado. These skilled storm chasers usually receive information...
Words: 708 - Pages: 3
...to dangerously violent storms. Despite the great variation in weather patterns among the world’s many climates, tornadoes are one weather phenomenon that have been known to occur in almost every climate on Earth. Because a tornado is one of the world’s most deadly forces of nature, it is important for humans to strive to understand what tornadoes are, how they are formed, their potential dangers, and how to better predict the formation of tornadoes so that effective warnings can be issued. In order to completely understand the dangers of tornadoes, it is important to examine the current explanations for how and why tornadoes form. Tornadoes are most often generated by supercell storms. Supercell storms are particularly large, severe storms that develop in highly unstable environments in which cool, dry air lies above warm, moist air. Supercells typically form in the United States during the Spring as warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico flows north and comes in contact with cooler, dryer layers of air. The Midwestern section of the United States tends to be the location for the majority of the country’s tornadoes. Because of this, the area from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes, spanning over one thousand miles wide, is referred to as “tornado alley”. Although the number of tornadoes reported in the United States each year may seem rather high, in actuality only one percent of all thunderstorms make tornadoes. Of the total number of tornadoes recorded each year, on...
Words: 1038 - Pages: 5
...regions. Tornadoes cause damage, devastation, and sometimes loss of life can occur. The approach to convey is to understand how Tornadoes are formed, and what causes them? What are the elements, and components that make up this phenomenon? What is the process, methods, and/or tools used by scientists to study, and investigate this environmental disaster? The attempt to be made is to give a general overview, and some clarity, with regards to the topic of tornadoes. General Overview The United States has the most tornadoes than anywhere in the world. Tornadoes are very rare and unpredictable. There is an area in the United States that is hit by tornadoes, more than most places due to its weather. This place is known as Tornado Alley, which covers a region from Texas to South Dakota, and Oklahoma. This area has the highest frequency of tornadoes in the world. Tornadoes begin formation through a thunderstorm. This is when the warm air flows up from the Gulf of Mexico in the spring, and summer then clashes, with the cold air that is pushing down from Canada. The joining between the warm and cold air produces terrible rotating thunderstorms called super cells (Retrieved from http://www.environment.nationalgeographic. com/environment/natural-disasters). Let’s proceed further, with more information regarding super cells, and what it actually entails....
Words: 960 - Pages: 4
...some tornado safety tips. Usually tornadoes will form from thunderstorms. For a thunderstorm to spawn a tornado the storm must contain rotation. For this rotation to develop within a thunderstorm there must be warm, moist air and cool, dry air that meet which form the rotation. From this rotation a cone-shaped column of air coming from the thunderstorm is formed, which is known as a funnel cloud. But, when the funnel cloud touches the ground it becomes a tornado. Tornadoes are very unpredictable and could happen at any time of the day or anytime of year. For southern states, like us, tornado season is not only at its peak from March to May, but also in the fall. For the nothern states tornadoes usually occur during the summer. However, in the north and south of the United States the most likely time for a tornado to happen is between three o'clock and nine o'clock p.m. More than half of the nation's tornadoes occur in the central part of the United States, this area is known as the Great Plains. The Great Plains is made up of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and South and North Dakota. This area of the United States is also known as Tornado Alley. This area of flat land combines all of the elements needed to form tornadoes. The Fujita Tornado Intesity Scale was developed to measure the strength of a tornado by the damage it made. The Fujita Scale, also known as the F-Scale, was invented in 1971 by Ted Fujita. The National Weather Service uses the Fujita Tornado Intensity...
Words: 572 - Pages: 3
...David Griswold April 20, 2014 Natural Disasters ES117-01-77 DR. Brazell Tornadoes A tornado is one of the few natural disasters that have taken place in the Midwest, but its effects can cause devastation that can be felt worldwide. Tornadoes destroy entire towns. In some cases they will level an entire block, but leave one house standing almost untouched. Their paths can be unpredictable, and cost of the destruction almost immeasurable. A major natural disaster such as this could wipe out people’s way of life and a food supply that helps to feed the world. In many cases flooding accompanies tornadoes. These super cell storms can drop several inches of water in a very short time. Tornadoes can also destroy water towers leaving communities without drinkable water, knock over power lines leaving communities in the dark and tear open gas lines creating a very high risk of fires and explosions. Tornadoes have been somewhat sensationalized in media. There have been books written about tornado events such as The Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman, the story of her cousin’s families bout with the June 3, 1980 Grand Island, Nebraska tornadoes, to movies such as the made for TV movie of the same name and The Wizard of Oz, not to mention the Blockbuster Twister. Although these movies are entertaining, they are far from accurate. “A storm chasers dream come true is to get close enough to a mile-wide tornado to shoot unique video of nature's extreme fury. Maybe even take some close-up measurements...
Words: 2257 - Pages: 10
...Hurricane vs. Tornado Two devastating and deadly natural disasters are the hurricane and the tornado which both cause heavy amounts of damage and are uncontrollable. There are many similarities in how hurricanes and tornadoes are formed. Although they are distinct disasters, hurricanes, and tornadoes pose similar threats to resources because of high winds which can destroy properties and affect the economy along with people’s lives. Both the hurricane, and the tornado are rated on a category scale. First, devastating, and deadly natural disaster is a hurricane. In order for a hurricane to form it has to begin in a warm atmosphere. The seas are normally at their warmest from June to November. A hurricane requires sea- surface temperatures of at least 26 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit). This provides energy for the hurricane and causes more evaporation making humid air and clouds. The winds coming together force air upwards and winds flow outwards above the storm, allowing the air below to rise. Now this is what makes the storm and the light winds outside the hurricane steers it and this is how it grows into a formation of a hurricane. All hurricanes are dangerous and can cause numerous amounts of damage but the most dangerous parts of hurricanes are storm surges which also cause huge amounts of damages because of flooding. The flooding is caused by winds pushing ocean water toward sand. It is estimated that ten-thousand people die each year because of hurricanes. Many...
Words: 907 - Pages: 4
...The resource shows the trail of a tornado which has swept through the urban areas of Atlanta with a relatively narrow corridor of around 100m. The enhanced Fujita reading suggests that this tornado read predominantly a 1 meaning that this was not a particularly devastating tornado yet the damage will still have been overwhelming. However tornadoes are not scarce across North America with an average of 1000 tornadoes touching down per annum. This is the case as the warm moist air fronts travelling north across America often meet the cold dry fronts travelling south from the arctic. These two temporal changes and density changes along with a strong Coriolis force combine to create the perfect conditions for tornadoes. The resource also shows that the tornado touched down at 9:38 pm on the 14th of March. This again is no anomaly as this is a perfect time for tornadoes to strike. First of all the tornado touched down in spring when there is the highest chance of warm moist air (adding power to the air) coming into contact with cold dry air but also at 9:38 pm the juxtaposition in air temperature could have easily lead to a tornado as long as the area was not along the equator were Coriolis force is weak. The tornado would perhaps leave behind a devastating ruin particularly in an LEDC were structures would be weak and health and insurance low, leaving issues politically, economically and socially. This is why community preparedness would be the most appropriate...
Words: 1030 - Pages: 5
...Hurricanes and Tornados By:Ryleigh Turman Hurricanes and Tornados are a very scary but interesting topic, both of them can have a great effect anywhere. In the upcoming paragraphs are many facts about hurricanes and tornados that will be shared. Also, I will be comparing and contrasting the many facts shown by tornados and hurricanes from the past. Facts from source one, Source two, Source three, Source four and from Spencer Adkins, our local meteorologist, will be stated. So let's go on and begin to talk about the tornadoes and hurricanes. There are many facts about tornados that we've been reading about, but here are a few of the main ideas shared. Source two told us that there was a place called "Tornado Alley", located in the United States. States located in tornado alley are Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas. Source three stated that tornados come from the sky spinning in a clockwise motion in the South and counter clockwise in the North. Also, in source three it stated that tornados are shaped like...
Words: 750 - Pages: 3
...On April 27, 2011, a devastating tornado swept through the city of Tuscaloosa, leaving fifty-two people dead in its wake. On this particular Wednesday in late April, Alabama and a few other southern states (Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee) were ravaged with a total of 199 tornadoes. The storms began shortly after midnight on April 27 with the majority of them happening from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm as supercell storms formed over Mississippi and Alabama. The violent EF4 tornado that damaged Tuscaloosa began at 4:43 pm in rural Greene County. It quickly trekked over southwest Tuscaloosa and into downtown at 5:13 pm destroying anything and everything in its path. As it continued on its journey, it hit the poor areas of Alberta...
Words: 1521 - Pages: 7
...what causes tornadoes to develop, how researchers classify types of tornadoes, and odd occurrences that may be associated with tornadoes. Organizational Pattern: Topical I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: What can hurdle automobiles through the air, rip ordinary homes to shreds, defeather chickens, and travel at speeds over 60 mph? B. Relevance: Illinois rests on the boundary of what tornado researchers call tornado alley. This is the area of the country that receives the most tornadoes every year. According to a 1995 brochure distributed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Illinois averages 27 tornadoes a year. Also, nearly 5 people die every year in Illinois as a result of tornadoes [ AID]. In fact, according to Tornado Project Online!, a website hosted by a company that gathers tornado information for tornado re searchers, the deadliest tornado in U.S. recorded history occurred in Murphysboro, Illinois. In 1925 a violent tornado killed 234 people in this Southern Illinois town. C. Credibility: I grew up in the heart of tornado alley and have been interested in this weather phenomenon for a very long time. Also, I am a trained weather spotter for the Bloomington/Normal civil defense agency. D. Thesis: In order to better understand tornadoes, it is important to explore what causes tornadoes to develop, how researchers classify types of tornadoes, and odd occurrences that may be associated with tornadoes. E. Preview: So, let's...
Words: 1185 - Pages: 5
...Tornado Disaster Plan It is 1:30 pm in Indianapolis, Indiana on a Tuesday afternoon, and your boss has just learned that the National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. Thunderstorms are building to the west and are expected to hit your building in less than an hour. He decides to cancel all meetings, make sure shelter areas are unlocked, and make an announcement to inform all the staff. At 2:05 pm, it begins to get very dark outside and there is a rumble of thunder. The designated spotter steps out to have a look. The sky appears as if it’s boiling and has taken on a green tinge. The wind picks up and the trees begin to sway. A cool blast hits him and a cloud of dust blows across the parking lot. "This storm doesn't look good." He reenters the building and hears the NOAA Weather Radio tone-alert, and is told the National Weather Service has just issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for their county. Suddenly, he hears a roar of wind and a crash. The storm has let loose a downburst - a sudden, strong rush of wind. He rushes toward the source of the noise. A branch from a nearby tree shattered a window in a room. A few staff was injured from the flying glass. Two will need stitches. He evacuates the rooms on the windward side and moves the staff into the conference room which has no windows. They will be safer in there. Hail begins to fall and grow larger in size. Large hail can impact at one hundred miles per hour (100 mph) (NSSL, n.d.). Suddenly, the...
Words: 2767 - Pages: 12
...names B. Tornadoes 1. Tornado alley 2. Tornado drills II. Similarities A. Hurricanes 1. Wind 2. Categorized 3. Rain B. Tornadoes 1. Wind 2. Categorized 3. Rain III. Differences A. Tornadoes 1. Form on water 2. Named 3. Predicted early B. Hurricanes 1. Form on land 2. Predicted last minute IV. Differences A. Hurricanes 1. Can last for days B. Tornadoes 1. Last for couple minutes 2. Alerts Hurricanes vs Tornadoes Hurricanes and tornadoes are both dangerous systems that have potential to cause destruction. Many people confuse hurricanes and tornadoes and sometimes even think they are the same thing with different names. However, that is not true. They both share similar characteristics, but are completely different. Hurricanes are also known as cyclones, typhoons or tropical storms depending on where the storm started to form. Tropical storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean or Northeast Pacific, near the united states are called hurricanes. Those that form in the Northwest Pacific, near Japan are called typhoons and those that form in the South Pacific or Indian Oceans are called cyclones. Tornadoes form under certain weather conditions, when cold air and warm air meets which is normally in the fall and spring. The great plains in the United States are well known to tornadoes, in which earned their nickname “tornado alley.” Tornado drills are done throughout the...
Words: 1139 - Pages: 5
