Tornadoes

We have learned to avoid evacuating towns, as this only leads to people getting caught in their cars. This came from the tragic Wichita Falls, Texas tornado in 1979, which killed a number of people as they attempted to flee.

We have learned the value of live broadcast warnings, such as in the Oklahoma City tornado of 1999, where warnings saved hundreds of lives

Most of the damage caused by tornadoes is the result of extremely powerful winds.

There are essentially two levels of tornado prediction: long-term general forecasts and short-term specific warnings.

Long-term forecasts, which are made over the course of hours and days, give an idea of what general regions are at risk on a given day, but cannot tell where or when individual tornadoes will occur. Such forecasts are put together using a variety of tools such as barometers, anemometers, thermometers, and hygrometers. This information is processed using supercomputers to study conditions at different locations and altitudes, and then predict how systems will behave.

Short-term forecasts are given over the course of minutes. These warnings are applied to specific areas that are threatened by a tornado or a thunderstorm that could soon produce one. The primary tool used here is Doppler radar, though forecasters also receive eyewitness reports.

Depends on what you're comparing it to. Do you mean fewer tornadoes than in Oklahoma, or simply compared to other parts of North Carolina? If you're comparing to Oklahoma, the difference in number of tornadoes has more to do with climate than geography. Compared with other parts of North Carolina, the rugged terrain may play a role in blocking moisture and inhibiting tornadic thunderstorms from organizing.

The Joplin tornado was a devastating EF5 tornado that struck the city of Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011. It is most notable for killing 158 people, making it the seventh deadliest tornado in U.S. history and the deadliest to strike the U.S. since 1947. It was by far the deadliest U.S. tornado in the era of modern weather forecasting, killing more than twice as many people as the runner-up. It was also the costliest tornado in U.S. history, causing $2.8 billion worth of damage. It was the culminating event of an extremely brutal series of tornado outbreaks that had begun in April.

While a tornado can occur at any time of day or night, most tornadoes occur in the late afternoon and early evening.

The Waco tornado of 1953 was a third of a mile wide had a path length of 23 miles. Data does not appear to be available on how long it lasted.

Play dead and don't look at it's eyes. If you run the bear will see you as prey, you only have a chance if you let the bear appear he is dominant.

1. Since 1950, the US has recorded more than 57,000 tornadoes. However, since we missed many of the weaker ones, the number is probably closer to 80,000.

No. Tsunamis are not caused by wind. They are generally caused by underwater earthquakes or landslides. Tornadoes have caused water levels to fluctuate while crossing small lakes, but this phenomenon is more similar to seiches than to tsunamis.

It depends. Most tornadoes are preceded by very heavy rain, but they sometimes form in low-precipitation (LP) storms, which produce little or no rain.

Tornadoes are often, but not always, preceded by heavy downpours, which may or may not stop before the tornado strikes.

Accurate global statistics are hard to com by, but in the U.S., where the most deaths usually occur, tornadoes kill an average of 50 to 60 people per year. Note that this is just an average. In any given year the number of deaths may be significantly higher or lower.

Yes. In a strong enough tornado wind and debris carried by the wind can destroy houses.

Tornadoes can form in mountains, but most do not.

The largest tornado on record struck near El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31, 2013. It was 2.6 miles wide.

The Hallam, Nebraska tornado struck on May 22, 2004.

The visible funnel of a tornado is the result of moist air being pulled into the vortex. The low pressure in the tornado causes a temperature drop, which in turn causes the moisture to condense. Temperature continues to drop as the air rises in the tornado, causing more moisture to condense at higher altitudes..

Yes. The majority of people who experience tornadoes survive without serious injury.

Tornadoes produce very strong winds that can tear structures apart. People are typically killed by flying debris or collapsing buildings.

The most dangerous time of day for tornadoes is generally the late afternoon and early evening.

Tornadoes are very unlikely to form in the Pacific Northwest because the weather conditions are not favorable. The ocean water off the coast of the Pacific Northwest is cold. This tends to stabilize the atmosphere, making it difficult for the severe thunderstorms that spawn tornadoes to form.

Tornadoes pose an immediate threat to anyone in their path. The primary danger is from flying or falling debris and collapsing structures, but people themselves may be picked up and thrown by the wind. After a tornado dangers can include downed power lines, broken gas pipes, and sharp pieces of debris.

No month holds this distinction. Until recently, there had been no February tornadoes on record in Nebraska, but this changed on February 28, 2012 when two EF0 tornadoes damaged fences and irrigation systems.

Most people in the path of a tornado will survive without serious injury, but they will have to deal with the aftermath of property damage and a loss of electricity. Some people, are however, killed or injured, mostly by flying debris.