The tornado seen in the Wizard of Oz was
actually created from an enormous wind sock
that was sprayed with dust and dirt
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A tornado is formed from a Supercell (thunderstorm on
steroids)
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The warm air rises and cold air sinks when the currents
violently clash into each other.
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This storm system is massive; towers up high into the Stratosphere
from 35,000- 60,000 ft (more than twice the height of Mt. Everest)
As the air rises it is met by different winds at different elevations
blowing from all different sorts of directions causing the air to
begin to rotate and filling the storm with explosive energy
As the winds spin the air, the airspeed increases causing the
air to spin faster, thus creating a rolling effect that is
horizontal to the ground.
The rolling air is then tilted vertical creating an area of
rotation called Mesocyclone
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This is usually where the tornado forms
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Large scale, long lived, right moving, damaging thunderstorm that can
last for hours
Winds inside supercell rise at 100 mph or even faster
The entire system can move horizontally at speeds up to 75 mph
Like a greedy monster; feeds on other storm system that are miles away
The supercell releases energy equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT every
second: about the same energy as the atomic bomb
Have recognizable features
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In the middle of the supercell is this strongest point of system known as
the wall cloud which produces the most precipitation and is the place
most likely to produce tornadoes
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The overshooting top: caused by powerfully draw warm, wet air up; strong currents
burst through and overshoot which creates a dome.
The anvil (shaped like a blacksmiths anvil) is formed at higher altitudes where the
air is thin and temperatures are far below zero where water vapor turns to ice
crystals; the air then sinks back down and spreads out:
Where the mesocyclone is located
Behind the wall cloud is the tail cloud
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvOut9VUqKY&safety_mode=tru
e&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active
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Tornado capital of the world
Perfect conditions for tornadoes due to the cold
air from the Rocky Mountains clashing with
the warm dry air from the Gulf of Mexico
It is estimated that about 1,300 tornadoes are
recorded in the United States every year
Tornado season is from March to July
Category
EF0- light damage
(confirmed tornadoes with no
damage: empty fields)
EF1- moderate damage
EF2- considerable
damage
EF3- severe damage
EF4- devastating
damage
EF5- incredible damage
Wind Speed
65-85 mph
86-110 mph
Characteristics
Peels surface off roofs, damage to
gutters and siding, shallow rooted
trees pushed over
Roofs severely stripped, mobile
homes destroyed, windows and
glass broken
111-135 mph
Roofs torn off framed houses,
foundations shifted, large trees
snapped or uprooted, car lifted off
ground, light objects turned into
missiles
136-165 mph
Entire stories of houses destroyed,
damage to large buildings, trains
overturned, trees debarked, heavy
cars thrown, weak structures blown
away
166-200 mph
Well constructed homes completely
leveled, cars thrown, small objects
become missiles
200 + mph
Nothing left
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EF5 tornadoes have wind speeds so powerful it
can make really odd things happen
Grass blades become missiles and have been found
in the big thick wooden telephone polls
 A full size chicken has been found crammed in a
glass bottle
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Hail forms when supercooled water is swept
up and freezes, sometimes it falls, then is swept
up again and refreezes and so on
It grows larger with each cycle of freezing over
and over again
They remain in the cycle until they are too
heavy and fall to the Earth
Large hail usually occurs in supercells
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Some can produce hailstones as big as softballs
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According to the National Weather Service, the
largest hailstone is 8 inches in diameter and
weights approximately 2 pounds. It fell in
Vivian, South Dakota on July 23, 2010.
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It is nearly impossible for meteorologists to get
wind measurements at ground level of tornadoes
because they obliterate everything in their path
Tim Samaras and his team TWISTEX created an
armor-plated probe which was designed to have
the tornado move over the probe and record
measurements
He has to put the probe down in the path of the
tornado
His probe was the first to film the inside of the
tornado
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/environment/environmentnatural-disasters/tornadoes/tornado-samaras/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-nKGOjNh_lI#t=79s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56nh_Awr7po&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1
&safe=active
Lightning
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Lightning occurs due to electrical charges
separating in a thundercloud; the positive charges
build in the upper region of the storm while the
negative charges build in the lower region
Cloud-to-ground: if the positive charge is on earth
(like a tree) and the negative charges lightning
goes from the clouds and strikes the ground
Cloud-to-cloud: the most common type of
lightning is within the clouds
Lightning can raise the temperature of the air to as
much as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (which is five
times hotter than the surface of the sun) which in
turn causes thunder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyUsjsJ-E0c&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active
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While most people think that tornadoes turn
the sky green, that is FALSE!!! The sky actually
turns green from water droplets scattering in
the sky.
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It is a combination of the sky appearing red at sunset
(that’s when most thunderstorms occur), and the
blue sky
 Blue + red = green
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In 1959 William Rankin, a Navy pilot, was flying over Norfolk,
Virginia when his engine shorted out, forcing him to eject while he
was 9 miles (47,000 ft) above Earth, flying right over a supercell
thunderstorm. As he descended into the storm, he was pelted by
hail and slammed around by high winds
“The first clap of thunder came as a deafening explosion….they
were unbearable physical experiences…I didn’t just hear the
thunder; I felt it.”
“I saw lightning all around me…and I saw it in every shape
imaginable….I had the distinct feeling I was being sliced in two”
“I found myself looking down into a long, black tunnel”
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He was more than likely staring down into the interior of a tornado…it
wasn’t something he could run away from, it was something he was
falling into.
He finally touched down on land in North Carolina 40 minutes
later
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It was a descent that was suppose to be less than 10 minutes long
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DO have a tornado plan for your family household and DO practice it at
least once a year
DON’T go near windows
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DO pay attention to the warning signs
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If the weather channel or radio issues a Tornado Warning that means you need to get
to safety immediately
TOR: CON- a new system of warning people on TV, stand for tornado condition; the
higher the number, the greater likely hood a tornado will be coming your way
DO get to safety as fast as possible
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As cool as it may seem to try and see a tornado they are extremely dangerous and
can be deadly
If you have a basement in your house go to the basement or the lowest part of your
house
If there is no basement in your house go to a small, windowless room like a closet or
bathroom (if in the bathroom crawl into the bathtub and cover yourself with a heavy
blanket)
DON’T open your windows
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It is a common myth that opening your windows when a tornado is coming that it
will equalize the pressure and your house won’t explode when actually opening the
windows does nothing but waste time
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DO have a ten second getaway plan
DON’T go under an overpass
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If in the car DON’T try to outrun the tornado
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The winds that are squeezing under the overpass just make the
winds even faster and stronger which puts you in even more
danger
Abandon the car and lie facedown in a ditch or any other lowlying area
Tornadoes can travel from 30-70 mph on the ground
DO be alert and know the signs of dangerous weather
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Pay attention for: rotating clouds, a storm that produces a
sickly greenish color, large hail, a roar or rumble that doesn’t
fade in a few seconds, leaves or debris getting sucked up into
the sky, heavy flying debris
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Always remember four main things
Get as low to the ground as possible
 Get behind as many walls as possible
 Stay away from windows
 Beware of flying debris, which represents the biggest
danger
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFFE7WbgSew&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active
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http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/environment/environment-natural-disasters/tornadoes/tornado-montage