The duration of a tornado can vary considerably. Most tornadoes last less than five minutes, but major tornadoes can easily last half an hour to an hour. A handful of tornadoes have lasted for more than three hours. At the other end, some tornadoes last only a few seconds.
The Tri- state tornado was on the ground for about 3 and a half hours, or approximately 210 minutes.
The Joplin Tornado hit at about 5:41 pm and lasted for 38 minutes, spending about 14 minutes in the city of Joplin.
It depends on how fast the tornado is traveling. The average tornado moves at about 30 mph, so in 15 minutes an average tornado would move 7.5 miles. However, some tornadoes move much faster. The fastest moving tornado on record was found, at times, to travel at 73 mph. At that speed the tornado would travel just over 18 miles in 15 minutes.
It varies, but most of the time a violent, (EF4 or EF5) tornado will last about 30 to 60 minutes. The longest lived tornado on record, a violent F5, lasted 209 minutes, or 3 hours and 29 minutes. The are some cases ov violent tornadoes that have apparently lasted less than 5 minutes, but this is highly unsusual.
It varies, but the average lead-time for a tornado warning is 15 minutes. Sometime lead times of up to half an hour can be issued.
Joplin was under a tornado warning for about 17 minutes before the tornado formed and 19 minutes before it entered the city.
The average tornado lasts about 10 minutes.
A tornado warning means that a tornado has already been spotted or is likely to form in the next few minutes. The tornado may be only minutes away from your location, so if a tornado warning is issued, take cover immediately.
Usually less than five minutes and often just a few seconds. Strong tornadoes can last for over 20 minutes, sometimes over an hour. The longest a tornado has been known to last was three and a half hours.
The average tornado lasts for 5 to 10 minutes.
A Tornado can destroy a village or a small town in a matter of minutes.
It varies widely. A typical tornado lasts a minute or two. Some just last a few seconds. At the other end, some strong tornadoes last for more than an hour. The longest lived tornado on record lasted 3 hours and 29 minutes.