...weather 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...
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...radar can predict or see a tornado coming in the area. Doppler radar makes it easier to see the storm and to see if it is a tornado. If the radar shows up in orange and yellow in color, it’s a tornado. If there is tornado by one county, the radar can warn the people in the next county that there is a tornado coming. Doppler radar can tell you what direction the storm is headed, and tell you how fast the storm is approaching. The radar can predict a tornado before a storm as popped up. Once the tornado as popped up on the radar, they can watch the rotation of the storm to see which way the tornado is headed. A tornado watch means there could be a tornado coming to your area. Be prepared for a tornado to hit at any moment. There...
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...following the recent tornado, we have received numerous calls and messages offering to help UA and the Tuscaloosa community. We are humbled by your generosity and appreciative of the thoughts and well wishes we have received from so many. The information on this page will connect you with some of the most effective ways to help during this challenging time. Thank you. Touching Lives Through Service In the aftermath of the storm of April 27, 2011, The University of Alabama's spirit of kindness shone through in countless ways in our community. Students, faculty and staff took action collectively and independently to come to the aid of neighbors in need and to reach out to a community that is so closely intertwined with our university. • Touching Lives Through Service The University of Alabama has established the UA Acts of Kindness Fund to support an emergency-assistance program for UA employees and students. Anyone who is interested in contributing to the UA Acts of Kindness Fund may donate online using the link below (you may leave the donation code blank on the form). Your gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. • Donate to the UA Acts of Kindness Fund • How to Apply for Assistance The UA Acts of Kindness Fund will be used to provide financial assistance to employees and students who qualify under the guidelines of this emergency-assistance program. Emergencies usually are related to loss and damage caused by fire, tornado or other natural disaster...
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...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...
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...The long summer day had been filled with dark and gloomy clouds. The air was so thick I could hardly breathe. My pajama's clung to my body as if I had just been sprayed with the garden hose. I remember thinking that I wished that it would just hurry up and rain already. The next thing that I remember is running to my parent's car in the middle of the night. With the distinctive loud wail of a tornado siren, the wind howling, and lightening filling the dark sky, I have never been so afraid in my life. The loud tornado siren was not something new to me, even though it frightened me every time that it went off. Most times, though, it was just going off for a weekly test and was not in the middle of the night. That night it was no test. It was the real thing. We had to jump into the car for the short drive to my memaw's house, running over my dog Joe in the process. Even though my memaw only lived a mile away, the drive seemed to take forever. Would we ever reach her house and the safety of her cellar? I have never run so fast in my life as I ran that night, from the car to the ground cellar in the back yard. The wind was blowing so strongly that I felt as if I wasn't moving at all. The lightening filled the dark cloudy sky and, all I could see was the shadow of my silhouette on the ground in front of me. Loud thunder clapped in my ears and made me shudder, the ground shaking under my feet. Finally, I felt relief and fear at the same time as I reached the cellar door. I climbed...
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...A tornado is an atmospheric vortex mainly formed overland causing debris to become airborne resulting in great damage and destruction. Over 1000 tornadoes occur overland each year, the main pathway is ‘Tornado Alley’ in The United States of America stretching from Texas to Canada through Kansas and Oklahoma. As noted by Burton, Kates and White (1993) “tornadoes are intensive hazards that threaten about 40 million people living in the areas of high tornado incidence.” Although this figure is only around 0.5% of the world’s total population and therefore may only be seen as a small number, it is in fact the population of Spain, put in this context a substantial number is at risk of the hazards caused by tornadoes. According to Whittow (1979) tornadoes are formed as “the airflow is deflected around obstacles whereupon the hot spinning air eventually reaches an altitude.” There are some characteristics that are needed for the tornado to be formed. First being the surface air must be moist and there must be a layer of dry air above it. The second being that the wind distribution along a band must show a very high speed and the distribution of temperature in the air column must be conditionally...
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...“How to Prepare for a Tornado” Tornadoes can be devastating acts of nature. Part of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are rotating, whirling winds that appear in a funnel shape. These storms can reach winds of 300 miles per hour, and can devastate neighborhoods and towns in minutes and is very dangerous. In order to protect yourself and your family from this natural disaster you will need to prepare before the disaster even occurs. Tornados can be a very frightening disaster and it’s always the best to prepare beforehand so in the next few paragraphs I’m going to explain the steps of how to prepare for a tornado, such as prepare your family, prepare your house, stay alert/informed, and the steps to take once a tornado has occurred. First, discuss a plan and practice it. Create a list with contact information, insurance information, and in case of emergency out of town contacts. Make sure everyone in the family knows where to go, what to take, and how to be safe if a tornado hits. Store important documents, just in case. Make copies of birth certificates, insurance information, and social security cards to bring with you if you need to evacuate. This will be valuable if you aren't able to return home immediately after the tornado. Set up means of communication. Make sure everyone in the family knows how to get in contact with everyone else. School number, work number, and cell phone numbers should be compiled on a list. Anyone, such as a babysitter, that your children...
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...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....
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...The Joplin Tornado was a deadly tornado that made it's way through Joplin, Missouri in 2011. The two articles about it, “The Evil Swirling Darkness,” and “A storm chaser’s first hand account of the Joplin Tornado,” are alike and unalike in many ways. First and foremost, a similarity is, both texts tell us that "nothing could prepare" Jeff Piotrowski for the Joplin Tornado. The scope article (“The Evil Swirling Darkness,”) states, "he could not have imagined the horror that was about to strike in Joplin." and the interview (“A storm chaser’s first hand account of the Joplin Tornado,”) declares, "but nothing could prepare him for what's he's witnessed this week." The article is talking about the Joplin Tornado. Second, a difference between the two texts is, that in the interview with Jeff Piotrowski, it tells us that after the tornado, there was not nearly enough help and ambulances to help all of the people...
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...dangerous and destructive tornado struck the city of Cullman, Alabama at around 3:00 p.m. CDT (2000 UTC). This large, multi-vortex tornado was captured on several TV tower cameras from stations such as Birmingham's Fox affiliate WBRC (channel 6) and ABC affiliate WBMA-LD/WCFT/WJSU (channels 58, 33 and 40). The tornado caused extensive destruction in downtown Cullman, a city of about 20,000 people; the tornado has been rated an EF4.[36] The final damage count was 867 residences and 94 businesses in Cullman.[37] At 4:00 p.m. CDT a tornado struck Lawrence County, Alabama, causing severe damage and killing a couple dozen people. At around 5:10 p.m. CDT (2210 UTC), a very large and exceptionally destructive tornado struck Tuscaloosa, Alabama.[38] About 40 minutes later, the same tornado struck the northern suburbs of Birmingham. A tornado emergency was issued for both cities, and many other tornado emergencies were issued that day. Many local TV stations, including WBRC and WBMA-LD/WCFT/WJSU, as well as CBS affiliate WIAT (channel 42), captured footage of this long-track tornado in both Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. A debris ball was observed by the Birmingham NEXRAD,[39] indicating that the tornado was causing extreme damage. Photos from the damage path showed total devastation. The path of this tornado struck the same small communities as the F4 storm on April 1956 Birmingham tornado, and the F5 storms on April 1977 Birmingham tornado and April 1998 Birmingham tornado. The supercell responsible...
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...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...
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...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...
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...Arkansas, when more than one tornado was reported as striking the town, according to reports on KSLA-TV (www.ksla.com). At least one person was killed by the storms in Eastland County, Texas, and 20 or more others were injured in Van, Texas due to the storms and tornadoes in these areas, and several others were missing, according to reports from KLSA-TV (www.klsa.com). Dozens of people were taken to hospitals after being injured in the storms. In the Dallas area, authorities are going door to door to look for possible injured or missing...
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...The topic for this PT is tornadoes. Tornadoes are one of the earth’s most dangerous strom’s and it can be real violent. These tornadoes also can be unpredictable and strike without anyone knowing. Overall here are causes and effects for tornadoes. Causes for tornadoes can be because of large variations in air pressure or temperature exist in different parts of the region's atmosphere. Then finally, it would form a vortex by moving one part of the atmosphere to another. There are 3 categorized tornadoes, weak, strong, and violent. The violent tornado is one of the causes to which why most of our tornadoes are tornado-based fatalities. Then there’s Effects of the tornado. Effects of tornadoes can be destructive and badly damaged when...
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...weather does a tornado bring? How is a tornado formed Tornado Dangers Safety Conclusion Introduction Tornados are a type of extreme weather that are very dangerous. What is a tornado? How are they formed? Are they dangerous? Are there any safety precautions can people take? People around the world are asking questions like that. Are there answers? Defining A tornado is a funnel shaped storm that moves from one place to another. With it’s destructive rotating winds, the storm can...
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