Tornadoes

The Joplin, Missouri tornado of 2011 was what is known as a rain-wrapped tornado, meaning it was surrounded by heavy rain. This rain obscured the tornado from view and may have contributed to the extremely high death toll.

Tornadoes are not part of a hurricane, but they can happen during a hurricane. Tornadoes in hurricanes tend to be weaker and more short-lived compared to standalone tornadoes, and they form under different conditions. They are often associated with landfalling hurricanes and occur as a result of the intense weather patterns within the storm.

A tornado itself does not cause explosions. However, a tornado's strong winds can damage infrastructure such as gas lines or electrical equipment, leading to the potential for explosions if these systems are compromised.

Tornadoes are most likely to occur in the United States during the spring months of April, May, and June. However, tornadoes can occur throughout the year with some regions experiencing a secondary peak in tornado activity during the fall months.

A large swirl shaped cloud formation is typically called a cyclone or a tropical storm/hurricane, depending on its location and intensity. These formations are characterized by strong winds circulating around a center of low pressure, and they can bring heavy rainfall and potentially destructive weather conditions.

Ecuador experiences very few tornadoes due to its geographical location and climate. Tornadoes are rare in the country, with only a handful reported in the last century.

The scale used to identify the severity of a tornado is called the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. It ranges from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest) based on the tornado's estimated wind speeds and resultant damage.

Tornadoes are often associated with frontal boundaries, particularly with severe weather outbreaks. When warm, moist air collides with cool, dry air along a frontal boundary, it can create the conditions necessary for tornado formation. The lifting of warm air by the front can lead to the development of strong updrafts and rotating thunderstorms, increasing the likelihood of tornadoes.

A tornado alarm is a warning system that is used to alert people of an impending tornado. It is typically a loud siren or whistle that sounds when a tornado is spotted or conditions are favorable for one to occur, allowing residents to seek shelter and take necessary precautions.

The Great Plains see a high frequency of tornadoes because of their 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.

Tornadoes alter an area quickly, usually in a matter of seconds. However these effects are generally limited to vegetation and man-made structures. The ground itself is only significantly affected in the most extreme cases.

During a tornado, rain can come down very heavily and quickly, leading to what is commonly referred to as a "tornado downpour." These downpours can be intense and may contain large droplets, along with possible hail and strong winds. The amount and force of the rain can contribute to flooding and overall hazardous conditions during a tornado.

Tornadoes are more common along some places on the east coast, such as the Southeastern United States, due to the interaction of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cool, dry air from the north. This creates favorable conditions for thunderstorms and tornado formation. Additionally, the flat terrain of the region allows for easier tornado formation compared to areas with more rugged topography.

Yes, tornadoes are capable of causing significant damage to houses by generating high winds and flying debris. The severity of the destruction can vary depending on the tornado's strength and the construction of the house. Proper construction techniques, such as reinforced roofs and walls, can help improve a house's resilience to tornado damage.

Kansas gets the most tornadoes per area unit.

Connecticut can experience tornadoes, but they are relatively rare compared to states in the Midwest and central US. Hurricanes can also impact Connecticut, typically as they move up the East Coast, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. However, the state is not as prone to direct hits as states further south along the coast.

Both hurricanes and tornadoes vary in the amount of damage they cause. Both can occur without causing any damage or can caused utter devastation. Overall, damage from tornadoes tends to be more severe,but hurricanes generally cause a greater quantity of damage because they cover much larger areas.

On average, only about 1-2% of thunderstorms produce tornadoes. Tornado formation is a complex process that requires specific atmospheric conditions to be met, which are not present in most thunderstorms.

The outbreak that produced the Joplin tornado started on May 21. A large mass of warm, moist air was over the plains as a low pressure system pulled cooler, drier air from further north, forming a cold front that traveled westward, generating lift that ignited violent thunderstorms which began producing tornadoes. These thunderstorms continued through May 22. One particularly powerful storm developed over eastern Kansas and soon after crossing into Missouri, produced a tornado 1 mile west of Joplin that intensified extremely rapidly.

That would be a tornado. It is a rapidly rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. Tornadoes are capable of causing extensive damage with their high wind speeds.

Kansas gets the highest number of tornadoes per area unit, with about 12 tornadoes per 10,000 square miles per year.

Tornadoes can be very destructive to vegetation and man-made structures, but they generally do not affect the ground itself. In rare cases the very strongest tornadoes can cause severe ground scouring.

Missouri is more prone to tornadoes than hurricanes. Tornadoes are more common in the state due to its location in the central United States, where warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meets cool, dry air from the north, creating conditions favorable for tornado formation. While hurricanes can bring rain and wind to Missouri as they move inland, they typically weaken significantly by the time they reach the state due to its distance from the coast.

New York state generally gets a few tornadoes every year. The last reported tornado in New York was on September 2, 2014. The last tornado in New York City was on September 8, 2012.

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