Tornadoes

Not directly. When a cold air mass plows into a warm air mass it produces a cold front. Thunderstorms can form along cold fronts. Given a few other conditions these thunderstorms can produce tornadoes.

Isolated tornadoes are usually relatively weak and generally do not pose the same risk as the ones associated with large outbreaks. That said even weak tornado can kill and cause damage. Any situation involving tornadoes hold be taken seriously.

Tornadoes typically start on land, as they form due to the interaction of warm, moist air from the surface and cool, dry air aloft. However, tornadoes can also form over water if certain conditions are met, such as in the case of waterspouts.

The Joplin tornado, which occurred on May 22, 2011, traveled a path of approximately 22 miles and lasted around 38 minutes. It was classified as an EF5 tornado with winds up to 200 mph and resulted in significant damage and loss of life.

It is highly unlikely for a tornado to pick up an elephant due to their size and weight. Tornadoes are capable of lifting smaller objects such as debris and farm animals, but the sheer mass of an elephant would make it extremely difficult for a tornado to lift.

In a supercell the tornado forms from the rotating updraft called a mesocyclone as a result of its rotation tightening and intensifying. The updraft in a supercell is also very strong, and can keep objects such as hailstones airborne. Hailstones start out as small pieces of ice that get cycled through different levels of the storm, the higher ones being below freezing and the lower ones being above freezing. With each cycle a new layer of ice is added until it is too heavy for the updraft to hold up.

No. Tornadoes do happen in Hawaii but they are rare.

A good way to explain how tornadoes form starts with a thunderstorms. Usually these storms form where warm and cold air collide, but not always. If the winds at different heights travel in different directions and at different speed it can make the air in the storm start turning or rotating. If a storm like this is strong enough it is called a supercell. Then, if the right winds occur it can squeeze the rotating air tighter and make it spin faster, forming a tornado.

Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year. However, they are most common in the spring and early summer in regions like Tornado Alley in the central United States. The peak tornado season varies depending on the location.

Thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes are all types of storm generally driven by warm moist air. Tornadoes, hurricanes, and some thunderstorms rotate and produce damaging winds. Tornadoes themselves are the product of rotating thunderstorms. Both hurricanes and thunderstorms can produce heavy rain.

The U.S. gets 75% of all recorded tornadoes. This is misleading however as many countries do not keep records of their tornadoes and the actual percentage of tornadoes for the U.S. is probably much smaller.

No, tornadoes can appear grey when they are filled with dust and debris, but their color can also vary depending on the time of day, the lighting conditions, and the environment they are moving through. Tornadoes can sometimes appear white, black, or even have a bluish tint.

The funnel cloud marks the location of a vortex where air spirals upward. This vortex formed from a larger vortex called mesocyclone, which was squeezed by a downdraft, causing it to tighten in diameter, intensify, and stretch vertically. This stretching causes it to extend downward.

Surprisingly, the UK has the highest number of reported tornadoes for its land area of any country in the world.

However - Tornado Alley in the U.S.A reports the greatest number of tornadoes overall.

Indirectly, tornadoes destroy wildlife habitats (i.e. by uprooting trees, etc) and destroy whole ecosytems and foodchains. Directly, if a tornado is strong enough it can pick up wildlife, which would kill the animal. However, it is mostly indirectly that tornadoes can affect wildlife.

Since the density of the air in a tornado is reduced by the pressure drop the overall concentration of oxygen is lower than it would normally be. Some estimates indicate that in the very largest tornadoes (which have the largest pressure drops) may have as little as 70% the normal amount of air and thus oxygen.

It depends on the strength of the tornado. For example, all but the weakest structures will stand up to an EF0 tornado.

At the other end, virtually nothing can with stand the full force of an EF5 tornado. Some structures that can withstand such a storm include reactor cores in nuclear power plants, rooms built into some buildings to protect from tornadoes, and most underground structures.

You should never run into a tornado. Even a weak tornado can lift a person off the ground. However, two teams of scientists have created special armored vehicles to to inside of tornadoes. Others have put probes with cameras inside of tornadoes. Because of all th dust that tornadoes normally pick up there really isn't much to see.

The last recorded tornado in Killeen, Texas, occurred on May 27, 1997. This tornado was rated as an F2 on the Fujita scale, causing damage in the area. Since then, there have been no reported tornadoes in Killeen.

The deadliest tornado to hit Florida in the past 10 years was the Deland, Florida EF3 tornado of February 2, 2007. This tornado killed 13 people.

Both pressures create storms. The movement of air from high pressure to low pressure causes water to condense and form clouds. When the clouds become oversaturated they release water which falls to the ground as rain, snow, or hail. The lightning is caused when the different charges of the ground and cloud cause the electrons to move to equalize it. This electron movement is lightning. The high winds are from various processes including cold air being pulled down by precipitation (called a downburst or microburst), by pressure gradients around a mesocyclone (which causes a rear flank downdraft or RFD). Tornadoes are formed by the tightening and intensification of a mesocyclone.

The vast majority of storms, however, are associated with or are themselves low pressure systems.

Yes, Rockdale, TX is generally considered to be part of Tornado Alley. Tornado Alley is a region in the central United States where tornadoes are more frequent due to environmental conditions that favor tornado formation. Rockdale's location in Texas falls within this area known for tornado activity.

Usually masonry walls fare better than wood and drywall construction. Avoid houses wild gabled roofs as those are more easily torn off. It is also good to see if it has anchor bolts to better secure the house to its foundation. Hurricane ties in the roof structure are also recommended, and can be installed later if your house doesn't already have them. New houses are usually better than old ones as houses tend to weaken with age.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, make sure you can get underground either in a basement or a cellar on the property.

When the tornado hits collapsing buildings and flying debris from damaged structures can be lethal or cause serious injury.

After a tornado power can be knocked out for days or weeks. Homes and businesses not completely destroyed may still be damaged beyond repair, leaving many without a home or workplace. For some the cost of repairs or rebuilding is too much, leading to financial difficulties. Farmers may also suffer losses from destroyed crops.