Tornadoes

It is safer than flat ground or flimsy structures, because a) you are less directly in the wind flow, and b) you are out of the path of some of the debris being carried by the wind. An enclosed underground or concrete structure is the only truly safe refuge, as bridges and culverts can funnel the wind, dust, and debris.

No, not one that is full of fuel. Rockets weigh tens or hundreds of tons, and it is much more likely that it could blow one over. Even then, they are typically connected quite strongly to a gantry until just before launch.

Tornadoes may lift trucks and train cars briefly, but that is because of their lower average density and large surface areas. Heavier vehicles such as locomotives, bulldozers and steamrollers are seldom if ever lifted airborne.

I searched and I found out that since 1851, when hurricane record keeping began, Florida has seen most of the nation's hurricane action. No other state even comes close. Of the 277 hurricanes that have hit the U.S. coastline, 112 hit Florida. Of the 96 major hurricanes (a Category 3, 4 or 5) to batter the United States, 37 barreled into Florida. ................(source: sarasotamagazine.com) According to Hurricane City.com Sarasota has the following history (br)=brush (ts)=Tropical Storm (bd)=Back Door,meaning coming from over land from opposite coast.Not all names are noted,also storms before 1950 were not named.Not every stat on every storm description is given(since 1871).

Years within 60 miles

1873br,1885br,1887tsbr,1888bdts,1891-92ts,1894,1896br,1897ts,1901bdtsbr

1903bd,1910bdtsbr,1921br,1925,1926bdbr,1933bdts,1935,1941bdbr,1944,1945tsbr,1946,1950br,

1951-59tsbr,1960bd,1966-68br,1988ts,1990ts,2001ts,2004br,2007ts

32 times in 138yrs end of 2008

Names from list above

Easy,How,Hazel,Judith,Donna,Abby,Alma,keith,Marco ,Gabrielle,Charley,Barry,

How often this area gets affected?

brushed or hit every 4.31 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits.(usually within 40 miles to include small hurricanes,not including back door hurricanes)

(7h)once every 19.71 years

Statistically when this area should be affected next

before the end of the 2012 season

Last affected by

Affected by TS Barry on June 2nd ,2007 passing just west while moving NE & weakening with 40mph winds.

Louisiana averages 38 tornadoes per year, but the number of tornadoes in any given year can vary significantly.

Yes. The storm prediction center has specifically mentioned the threat of tornadoes and anticipates that the threat will increase as the front shifts. Given the large area placed under a moderate risk (though this may be due to the hail threat), there is likely some potential for strong tornadoes. More information will become available when the first Day 1 outlook for April 3 is issued at around midnight central time.

No. Supercomputers are used to run forecast models, which are used for longer time frames of hours to days. Such models can predict that tornado activity may occur across a region on a given day, but cannot predict where or when individual tornado will form.

Down to the minute forecasts are made using Doppler radar images and, in some cases, eyewitness reports. Human meteorologists then judge, based on this information, whether a tornado warning is warranted. Computer forecast models are useless in these scenarios, as they take too long to run.

A tornado is a localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground, coming into contact with this can literally tear a building to pieces.

Yes. Tennessee is a tornado-prone state, and no location is "safe" from them. Knoxville has had 3 or 4 recorded tornadoes since official records began in 1950, with more tornadoes occuring in the surrounding areas.

The 2013 Moore tornado happened in much the same way that other violent tornadoes happen.

A slow-moving low-pressure system moved out over the Great Plains. The collision of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, cool air from Canada, and dry air from the Rockies associated with this system caused severe thunderstorms to develop across the Great Plains. Strong wind shear set some of these storms rotating, turning them into supercells, the kind of thunderstorm most likely to produce a tornado. Some of these did go on to produce tornadoes. On May 20, a particularly intense supercell spawned a tornado near Newcastle, Oklahoma. The west-northwest track of this tornado, a common direction to take, sent this tornado straight through Moore.

The central region of the US, known as "Tornado Alley," has the highest incidence of tornadoes. States like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska experience a high frequency of tornadoes due to the clash of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cool, dry air from the Rockies.

Scientists keep track of the number of tornadoes that hit each month to monitor trends, patterns, and changes in tornado activity. This data helps improve forecasting and preparedness efforts, as well as study the impacts of climate change on tornado frequency and severity. Tracking tornadoes also helps identify high-risk areas and develop strategies to mitigate potential damages.

There can be a few explanations for this. Most tornadoes start developing a few miles above the ground and descend from the clouds to make contact for the ground. This usually results in a visibly descending funnel cloud. However, if the air under the parent storm is dry, the funnel, which is formed from condensed moisture, may not form. In such a case, the developing tornado may be invisible until it reaches the ground and starts lifting dust, giving the ppearance that it is forming upwards.

Another potetial case of this is with landspouts. These are relatively weak tornadoes that develop without a larger mesocyclone. Landspouts form as low-level rotation in the atmosphere gets caught in the updraft of a thunderstorm and is stretched and intensified into a tornado.

Some data from Doppler radar suggests that some tornadoes in supercells form from the ground up rather than the clouds down as conventional thinking goes. Scientists are still unsure of how this happens.

6pm is typically considered to be evening, as it is after 12pm (noon) and closer to nighttime.

There is no real set lower limit for the wind speed of a tornado. The Fujita scale starts wind speed estimates for an EF0 tornado at 65 mph, but some tornadoes have had estimated winds as low as 55 mph. On the original Fujita scale, F0 wind estimates start at 40 mph. Actual wind measurements from tornadoes are rare, so winds are usually estimated from damage. Many tornadoes, expecially some short-lived, weak ones, stay in open fields and never cause damage, making it impossible to estimate wind speed.

Generally speaking, you want to be as low to the ground as possible during severe tornado conditions. A basement is ideal, as particularly powerful tornadoes can tear buildings apart. If you don’t have access to an underground space, being near the center of the building is the next best plan, staying away from any windows, as flying debris is one of the greatest dangers during these storms. If your interior bathroom has a bathtub, that can also be a sturdy place to stay safe.

Tornadoes generally do not form over large bodies water and usually only cross lakes, ponds and rivers. Their brute strength is equally powerful over land and these small bodies of water. Tornadoes have been known to dry lakes on occasion and cause fish to rain on people's houses in rare instances.

No. Tornadoes have been recorded in Girardville since official records began in 1950 and no significant tornadoes (F2 or stronger or causing a death) have ever been recorded in Girardville. However, at least one tornado has been recorded near the town: an F0 that touched down just outside Fountain Springs in 1954. Tornadoes as strong as F2 have been recorded elsewhere in Schuylkill County, so even if it hasn't been hit yet, that doesn't meant it can't be hit.

Tornadoes always happen during thunderstorms. They cannot occur without them.

Yes. Tornadoes do not occur in Antarctica and likely do no occur in parts of the Arctic and in areas of extreme desert. There are many other regions that are cold or arid that tornadoes occur, but are extremely rare.

The reason why earthquakes sometimes cause tsunamis is because when the epicenter is close to the ocean or in the ocean, the plates that have moved send a shock wave (otherwise known as the earthquake) that then makes waves somewhat like if you dropped a pebble in a puddle it makes a ripple effect.

Yes, Prosper, TX is located in an area known as Tornado Alley, which is a region in the central United States that frequently experiences tornadoes due to the convergence of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cool, dry air from the Rockies.

It is unlikely that a tornado would be able to lift a battle tank due to its weight and low center of gravity. Tornadoes are powerful, but they typically do not have enough force to lift heavy military vehicles.

Tornado warnings are for an area, usually by county or parish. If a home resides within a county or parish in which a tornado warning has been issued, than the home is at risk and the head of household should see fit to warn the inhabitants of that home. Heading to the lowest place in the house is best, and at that one should station themselves under a header, sturdy beam, or under a strong table if necessary (in case of falling debris, or collapse)

No wind measurements were taken from the Wichita Falls tornado, so the actual wind speed is not known. The tornado was rated F4 based on the severity of the damage it caused, which suggests peak wind speeds in the range of 207-260 mph. However, recent evidence suggests that the original Fujita scale used to rate this tornado may overestimate the wind speeds needed to inflict F3 and higher damage, so winds may not have been quite so fast.

Tornadoes occur during strong thunderstorms and so the sky is overcast with clouds that can become very dark. In somce cases it may be as dark as night. You may see the clouds rotating around the tornado. However, in somce sases this may be onscured by heavy rain. Near the tornado you will experience strong winds blowing toward the it. Farther away, beyond the tornado's direct influence, conditions can vary. It may be very calm, or there could be very strong thunderstorm winds.