Tornadoes

Yes.

Tornadoes typically last for a few minutes to about an hour, with the average time being around 10 minutes. However, some may last longer, especially if they are part of a long-lived tornado outbreak.

The funnel of a tornado can appear white, black, or gray depending on lighting conditions. Usually it is the same color of the clouds it extends from.

Additionally, dirt and debris picked up by the tornado may turn it black, brown, gray, tan or red.

Texas averages 135 tornadoes per year.

About 4-5% of tornadoes are rated F3 or higher.

Winds in a tornado that are strong enough to tear off roofs from buildings can reach speeds up to 200-300 mph (320-480 km/h). This extreme wind speed, combined with the rotating nature of tornadoes, creates incredibly destructive forces that can cause significant damage to structures in their path.

Yes. Tornadoes often cause widespread power outages as even weak tornadoes can knock down power lines. Tornadoes have also been known to start fires by breaking gas lines or, in older times, knocking over wood and coal burning stoves.

At least one tornado contributed to flooding after the debris it left behind clogged storm drains.

The best thing to do is abandon the car and seek shelter in a sturdy building.

If no shelter is available take cover in a ditch or depression. Do NOT seek shelter under a bridge.

1999

Tornadoes can vary greatly in size, but the smallest tornadoes typically have a diameter near 10 meters (33 feet) at the ground. These smaller tornadoes are often classified as EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Dust devils are more likely to form on hot, sunny days when the ground is dry and the air near the surface is rapidly heated. This causes the air to rise quickly, creating a spinning column of air that picks up dust and debris. Flat, open areas with minimal wind are also more conducive to dust devil formation.

Go to a place without windows. Preferably a basement or cellar. If you do not have one get to the center part of you house.

First, in the coming year there will be hundreds of tornadoes.

Second, there is no way of knowing where they will strike until it happens.

The Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes based on wind speed. It ranges from F0 (weakest) to F5 (strongest), with each category corresponding to a range of wind speeds and associated damage.

In the aftermath of a tornado, it is not uncommon for roads to be blocked by debris and downed trees and power lines. In rare cases, extremely violent tornadoes have been known to peel asphalt from roads.

Fill one empty bottle partway with water, take a second, identical empty bottle and connect it neck-to neck with the other bottle. The are special connectors for doing this, but duct tape can work if you don't have one as long as you hold on to that part.

Once they are connected turn the whole thing upside down and briefly shake it in a circular motion. A "tornado" should form in a couple seconds.

Tornadoes can cause varying degrees of damage to a home ranging from minor roof damage and downed gutters (EF0 damage) to wiping the house clean off its foundation (EF5 damage, rarely occurs).

EF0 is the weakest category on the Enhanced Fujita scale which runs from EF0 to EF5. It is a system of rating tornadoes that uses damage to estimate a tornado's wind speed and then assign a rating.

An EF0 tornado has estimated winds of 65-85 mph and causes relatively minor damage.

Typical EF0 damage includes removal of small amounts of roofing material, some shedding of aluminum or vinyl siding, down gutters and awnings, and broken tree limbs with some weak rooted trees uprooted.

avoid its path or hide somewhere underground

It is impossible to know when the "next tornado" or other weather event will be anywhere. Weather forecasts don't work that way.

A number of climatic factors come together in the region known as Tornado Alley.

Warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico moves over the region, carrying enormous amounts of energy to fuel thunderstorms. It can then collide with cool air from Canada (along a cold front) or dry air from the Rockies (along a dry line). This releases the energy carried by the warm, moist air producing thunderstorms that can become very strong. They can be especially violent where a dry line intersects a cold front. Additionally, Tornado Alley gets a lot of strong wind shear. This can intensify the storms even further and can also give the the rotation they need to produce tornadoes and generally speaking the stronger the storm, the stronger the tornado it can produce.

Worldwide the worst tornado of the 1980s was the Daulatpur-Saturia tornado of April 26, 1989. It tore through two cities in central Bangladesh, killing an estimated 1,300 people, making it the deadliest tornado ever recorded.

The deadliest tornado to hit the U.S. in the 1980s was the F4 Saragosa, Texas tornado of May 22, 1987, which killed 30 and injured more than 120. Honorable mentions include the F4 Huntsville, Alabama tornado of November 15, 1989 and the F5 Niles OH/Wheatland PA tornado of May 31, 1985.

Damage can range from Minor roof damage and broken tree limbs in a very weak tornado to the complete obliteration of well built structures. For more details see the link below.