Tornadoes

All states have been hit by tornadoes, but the western states, (apart from Texas and Hawaii) particularly the ones inland, do not get hurricanes.

The highest winds typically come from a hurricane. Hurricanes are larger systems with sustained wind speeds that can reach over 150 mph, while tornadoes are more localized and have shorter durations but can produce winds over 200 mph in extreme cases.

Doppler radar is commonly used to monitor tornadoes. This technology allows meteorologists to track the speed and direction of wind within a storm system, providing early warning of tornado formation. Emergency services also rely on reports from trained spotters and public alerts to monitor tornado activity.

If a tornado occurs over a body of water where fish are present, the fish may get caught up in the strong winds and be lifted out of the water. Once the tornado dissipates and the fish fall back to the ground, they may suffer injuries or die upon impact.

Hurricane Ivan produced the most confirmed tornado of any hurricane, setting the record at 117.

A vortex generator is an aerodynamic surface, consisting of a small vane that creates a vortex. Some surfaces on an airplane can result in air flow separating from the surface or skin. A vortex generator creates a tip vortex which draws energetic, rapidly-moving air from outside the slow-moving boundary layer into contact with the aircraft skin. This keeps the flow close to the aircraft surfaces.

Vortex generators delay flow separation and aerodynamic stalling; they improve the effectiveness of control surfaces.

You may see vortex generators as a row of small vanes that are mounted in a row along a tail surface.

Tornadoes do not have names. They may be referred to by where they occur (e.g. the Oklahoma City tornado) but these aren't official. Tornadoes are classified on the Enhanced Fujita scale based on the severity of the damage they cause.

There are a number of reasons Tornado Alley gets so many tornadoes. The region is the site of frequent collisions of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, cool air from Canada, and dry air from the Rockies. These collisions result in very strong thunderstorms, with the moist air acting as their "fuel." Additionally, the region often has a layer of stable air called a cap that suppresses storms, allowing only the strongest to develop. As a result the strong storms don't have to compete with weaker ones for energy and so become even stronger. Finally, the region often sees strong vertical wind shear, or a variation of wind speed and direction with altitude. This tilts them in such a way that the updraft and downdraft portions becomes separated and don't interfere with one another, letting the already strong storm further strengthen and last longer. The wind shear also sets the storms rotating, turning them into supercells, the most powerful thunderstorms on earth. It is the rotation within these supercells that can develop into a tornado.

Other parts of the world do see such conditions and thunderstorms at least occasionally, but not with the same frequency as in Tornado Alley.

Taco Bell is the American restaurant chain known for having a rainbow tornado as its logo. The logo is colorful and features a bell symbol at the center.

Since records began in 1950 there have been 157 confirmed tornadoes in Massachusetts.

However, in the early part of this period many of the weaker tornadoes were missed, so the actual number of tornadoes is probably significantly higher.

Tornadoes in 1953 killed at least 526 people. Tornadoes in the United states killed 519 people, and one in Canada killed 7. Data for other countries is not readily available.

Tornado Alley has an 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.

Similar conditions can occur elsewhere, but not as often.

The Tri-State Tornado, which occurred on March 18, 1925, affected parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. It holds the record as the deadliest tornado in U.S. history, causing immense destruction and loss of life along its path.

Tornadoes are more likely to form along a cold front, but they can occasionally form along a warm front. Many tornadoes form in an area called Larko's triangle, between a warm front and cold front. Some tornadoes form along a dry line, and in fact a try line can be more proficient at producing tornadoes than a cold front. Still other tornadoes form from tropical systems, which do not involve any sort of front.

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.

It is unlikely that a blade of grass can kill you in a tornado. Tornadoes are dangerous due to their strong winds and debris, but a single blade of grass would not pose a significant threat to your safety during a tornado.

There are two well-known tornadoes that can be referred to as the Windsor tornado. The first was an F3 that hit Windsor, Ontario on April 3, 1974, killing 9 people. The second was an EF3 that hit Windsor, Colorado on May 22, 2008, killing 1 person.

The Windsor, Ontario tornado was one of the 148 confirmed tornadoes of the Super Outbreak, the most intense and second largest single-day tornado outbreak on record. The outbreak occurred as a powerful low pressure system that pulled warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico over the eastern portion of North America, and forced a cool, dry air mass from the north into it, forming a cold front. The lift from this cold front caused thunderstorms, fueled by the warm moist air, to develop. Strong wind shear gave many of these thunderstorms powerful rotation that allowed them to spawn tornadoes. One of these storms, which originated over Michigan, produced the tornado that traveled through Windsor, Ontario.

The Windsor, Colorado formed under a somewhat similar setup. A low pressure system developed over the Rockies and moved eastward, pushing a mass of dry, mountain air into warm, moist air, forming a dry line. The dry line acted much like a cold front, generating the lift necessary to form thunderstorms. This spawned a series of tornadoes starting on May 22. The windsor tornado itself formed in unusual storm. Instead of traveling northeast as do most supercells in North America, this storm traveled north northwest.

The Great Plains in the central United States sees the highest frequency of tornadoes.

This is because of the 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.

This region is known as Tornado Alley.

It is very rare for tornadoes to destroy the actual land. The most violent tornadoes can scour away the surface of the ground, but very few are that strong. The shear force of the wind is enough to tear away sections.

Tornadoes are ranked using the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, which ranges from EF0 to EF5 based on the estimated wind speeds and resulting damage. The scale takes into account the extent of damage to buildings, trees, and other structures caused by the tornado. A tornado's rating is determined by surveying the damage path after the tornado has passed.

Tornadoes typically happen when thunderstorms develop, usually along a boundary between warm and cold air masses. If, in addition to wind shear the wind is blowing at different speeds and directions at different altitudes the air starts to roll, this is called wind shear. This rolling air can get pulled into the updraft of a thunderstorm, creating a powerful, rotating updraft called a mesocyclone. As the storm intensifies a downdraft, called a rear flank downdraft or RFD descends from the storm and wraps around the mesocyclone. tightening and intensifying the rotation, and bringing it down to the ground to form a tornado.

A tornado can potentially destroy everything in it's path. Tornadoes destroy with strong winds ranging from 65 to over 300mph and flying debris which the tornado kicks up with its winds.

Tornadoes can cause catastrophic events such as strong winds, flying debris, and intense lightning. These conditions can result in structural damage to buildings, uprooted trees, and loss of life and injuries to people caught in their path.

A hurricane would likely have a greater range of pressure than a tornado. Hurricanes are much larger and more intense weather systems, with lower central pressures compared to the smaller and less intense tornadoes. The pressure gradient in a hurricane can vary significantly across its wide expanse, resulting in a greater overall range of pressure compared to tornadoes.

If there is a tornado, call emergency services or 911 for immediate assistance. It's important to seek shelter in a safe location and follow any instructions from local authorities or emergency management. It's also advisable to have a designated emergency contact and plan in place before a tornado occurs.