Tornadoes

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.

Nonliving. In the simplest terms, a tornado is wind.

Doppler radar is used to track potentially tornadic storms.

The tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri in 2011 was just under a mile wide. It was rated EF5, though that is a measure of intensity rather than size.

Tornado Alley sees a high frequency of tornadoes because of its ideal climatic setup. In the spring storm systems cause warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico to collide with cool air from Canada and dry air from the Rockies, resulting in the formation of strong thunderstorms. About a mile off the ground a layer of stable air holds thunderstorm activity back, allowing instability to build underneath it. As a result when the storm break through the cap the instability will be enormous, leading to explosively powerful thunderstorms. At the same time wind speed and direction varies with altitude, which sets these storms rotating and also strengthens the updraft. This rotation combined with strong thunderstorm updrafts can then produce tornadoes.

A tornado harms anyone who is or has property in the the path.

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.

Tornadoes often form on plains due to the unique combination of atmospheric conditions that can occur in these flat regions. The lack of significant geographical barriers allows warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico to collide with cool, dry air from the north, creating instability. This interaction can lead to the development of severe thunderstorms, and under the right conditions, these storms can produce tornadoes. The open terrain also allows for the unobstructed rotation of air, which is essential for tornado formation.

The tornado that struck Oklahoma in May 2013 left approximately 33,000 people homeless. The EF5 tornado, which caused widespread destruction in Moore and surrounding areas, destroyed thousands of homes and buildings. Many residents were displaced and required temporary shelter and assistance in the aftermath of the disaster. Recovery efforts were extensive, focusing on rebuilding homes and providing support to affected families.

If a tornado was approaching, I would seek immediate shelter in a sturdy building, preferably in a basement or an interior room away from windows. If outside or in a vehicle, I would find a low-lying area such as a ditch to lie flat and cover my head. I would stay tuned to local weather updates for information and warnings, and ensure I have a way to communicate with family or emergency services if needed. After the tornado passes, I would remain cautious of potential hazards and avoid entering damaged areas until cleared by authorities.

In an F2 tornadoes, houses will often lose their roofs, but most walls will remain standing. Weaker structures such as barns and trailer homes may be completely destroyed. Large trees are often snapped or uprooted.

There were hundreds of tornadoes in the US in 2011. Some of the most notable ones include an EF4 that hit Vilonia and Mayflower, Arkansas on April 27, killing 16. The next day another EF4 hit Louisville, Mississippi, killing 10. On June 16, yet another EF4 tornado destroyed half the town of Pilger, Nebraska.

Tornadoes most often form in the rear portion of a thunderstorm, and are generally preceded by heavy rain, thunder and lightning, and occasionally large hail.

It is impossible to make such a prediction.

The exact setup that led to the formation of the tornado was unknown, as at the time we did not closely study the weather and had no idea how tornadoes worked. However, it almost certainly formed under the same basic conditions that other violent tornadoes do. A low-pressure system was likely moving across the eastern portions of the United States, bringing with it the associated fronts. Along the cold front a comparatively cool air mass would have pushed into a warm, moist unstable air mass, triggering thunderstorms. Wind shear then set these storms rotating, turning them into supercells, which can produce tornadoes. One particularly intense supercell then produced a large, violent tornado that hit Natchez and surrounding areas.

We can, to a limited degree. Tornadoes develop rapidly from relatively small-scale weather systems and are sensitive to small changes in the atmosphere that are difficult to detect. This makes them hard to predict.

No. Trailer parks are no more likely to be hit than any other patch of land of the same size. However, because trailer homes are weakly built and often not tied down, they are more easily destroyed. A trailer home can be completely destroyed by a tornado that would only remove the roof of a typical site-built house. The means that a tornado that hits a trailer park will generally cause more severe damage and is more likely to kill or seriously injure people and therefore more likely to attract media attention.

Yes. Information on tornado warnings is broadcast through TV, radio, and smartphone apps. In some areas, sirens will sound.

The air in and near a tornado generally follows a spiral path as it moves inward and upward around the tornado's center of rotation. In some tornadoes, however, it is more complicated than this as there may be smaller subvortices embedded in the main vortex. The tornado itself usually moves in a fairly straight line.

In many cases, yes. Tornadoes are often made visible by a condensation funnel and a cloud of dust and debris they kick up. In some cases, however, a tornado may be hidden from view by rain or the dark of night.

The deadliest tornado in history was the Daulatpur/Saturia tornado of April 26, 1989. This tornado stuck the Dhaka district of Bangladesh, killing an estimated 1,300 people.