Tornadoes

Spring is the peak season for tornadoes in the United States, particularly in the central region known as Tornado Alley. This is because spring weather patterns create the ideal conditions for the formation of tornadoes, including warm, moist air colliding with cold, dry air. However, tornadoes can occur in other seasons as well, depending on the weather conditions present.

Most tornadoes in the northern hemisphere, at least 99%, rotate counterclockwise.

Not usually, though there have been some survivors.

The Daulatpur-Saturia tornado in Bangladesh in 1989 caused extensive damage and resulted in over 1300 fatalities. The economic cost of the tornado is estimated to be around $1.5 billion.

The pink color of the funnel on the beach was caused by the reflection of the sunset light. Sunlight, when it passes through Earth's atmosphere during sunset, scatters the shorter blue and green wavelengths and allows the longer red wavelengths to dominate, creating the pink hue.

The largest tornado in the world, in terms of width, occurred in El Reno, Oklahoma, on May 31, 2013. This EF5 tornado reached a maximum width of 2.6 miles (4.2 kilometers).

It does, however the tornadoes in England are weak and so rarely make headlines. The reason England rarely sees significant tornadoes is its relatively cool climate, which does not provide much energy to power tornadic thunderstorms. Tornadoes form most easily near the boundary of a very warm, moist air mass.

1. Tornado: A violent, rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground.
2. Funnel cloud: A rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that forms before a tornado touches down.
3. Wind speed: The strength of the winds in a tornado, measured in miles per hour.
4. Debris: Objects and materials that are lifted and carried by a tornado's strong winds, causing damage.

Tornadoes are less common in the winter because the atmospheric conditions needed for their formation, such as warm, moist air meeting with cooler, drier air, are typically less favorable during the winter months. Additionally, the jet stream tends to be weaker and more stable, reducing the frequency of the severe thunderstorms that can generate tornadoes.

Based on data from the past 30 years 7 states fit that criterion. They are:

Indiana (20 tornadoes per year)

Michigan (17)

Ohio (17)

Kentucky (17)

Pennsylvania (15)

Virgina (14)

Wyoming (12)

The Natchez tornado of 1840 was a supercell tornado, as are nearly all killer tornadoes, and was probably an F5.

Dry air masses come off the Rocky Mountains as a result of the rain shadow effect. When this plows into warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico it creates a dry line. The dry air lifts the less dense moist air, which triggers powerful thunderstorms. These thunderstorms have the potential to produce tornadoes.

Yes, temperature can rise in a tornado due to several factors. Intense friction between high-speed winds and the ground can generate heat, raising the temperature. Additionally, the high-energy air within the tornado can compress and warm up as it funnels into a more confined space, further increasing the temperature.

The code for El Tomatino Tornado is "AZQ3-5264-2338".

None really. A waterspout occurs on water and a landspout is essentially the same thing on land.

Though a smaller percentage of waterspouts are actually classic supercell tornadoes on water.

The average warning time for a tornado strike is around 13 minutes. However, warning times can vary depending on the location and specific circumstances of the tornado. It is important to have a plan in place to quickly seek shelter when a tornado warning is issued.

Despite it being a funnel, you are less likely to be pulled into a tornado if you are below ground level. The wind tend to go over the ditch more than they go into it. Additionally, the ground around you can shield you from flying debris, the biggest danger in a tornado. Keep in mind, though that a ditch is only to be used as a last resort. If there is a sturdy building nearby go there instead.

If you are in a mobile home during a tornado, seek shelter immediately in a nearby sturdy building or storm shelter. If that's not an option, go to the lowest level of the home, such as a basement or interior room, and cover yourself with a mattress or heavy blankets to protect against flying debris. Avoid windows and exterior walls. It is best to evacuate to a safer location if time permits.

The Joplin tornado killed 158 people. The City of Joplin has a population of about 50,000 and the tornado destroyed about 1/3 of the city. So that means about 17,000 were impacted by the tornado, nearly all of whom survived.

Yes. If you look at the statistics, the majority of people affected by a tornado will survive without serious injury.

Yes. Tennessee had an F5 tornado on March 23, 1923 and another on April 16, 1998.

Also of note is an EF5 tornado that moved into Tennessee on April 27, 2011 but by that time had weakened below EF5 strength. All the EF5 damage from that tornado took place in Alabama.

Since official tornado records began in 1950 three tornadoes have moved through Leavenworth, Kansas, though only one has actually touched down in the city. Data from prior to 1950 is either not readily available or nonexistent.

Tornadoes aren't so much attracted to water so much as water helps them form. Tornadoes form in thunderstorms, which are powered by moist air. A body of water adds moisture to the air, which can strengthen a thunderstorm and make it more likely to produce a tornado.

A tornado watch means that weather conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form in a particular area, and people should stay alert and prepared. A tornado warning means that a tornado has been spotted or detected on radar in the area, and immediate action should be taken to seek shelter.