Tornadoes: Tornadoes Ryan P
Science - 4th period
How a Tornado is Formed: How a Tornado is Formed Several things are needed to form a Tornado:
A big thunderstorm
Warm air rises into a spiraling motion
Moisture is swept upward
It cools and forms a twisting, funnel-shaped cloud
Cold air pushes from the outside making a loud roar
The updraft lowers the pressure inside the funnel's center
This causes it to pick up everything in its path
It spins until the warm air has been pushed to the top Tornado Classifications: Tornado Classifications Tornadoes are classified in the same manner as hurricanes with a number from 1-5.
The least powerful tornado is rated a 1
The most powerful tornado is a 5.
Types of Damage: Types of Damage Tornadoes can destroy buildings, bridges and anything in its path.
Other effects include:
Wind damage, winds can reach 140 mph
Tornado’s Predictability: Tornado’s Predictability You can’t always predict if a tornado is going to turn or if it is going to disappear, but you sometimes can.
Forecasters use satellites, weather stations, balloons, airplanes, wind profilers and radar.
Forecasters have to analyze location, strength, movement of weather fronts, temperature and moisture.
Weather Conditions That Might Indicate Tornado Formation : Weather Conditions That Might Indicate Tornado Formation
If you see a funnel cloud forming
A greenish-black color to the sky.
A strange quiet that occurs within or shortly after a thunderstorm.
Clouds moving very fast and converging toward one area of the sky.
Debris dropping from the sky
If there is a weather warning or tornado watch on the news
Safety Precautions for a Tornado: Safety Precautions for a Tornado
Recommendations for surviving a tornado include:
Go to your basement, if there is a bathroom down there, then you should go in it.
If you do not have a basement, go to the smallest interior room, preferably a bathroom.
Cover yourself with blankets to protect yourself from debris.
Have a disaster supply kit in your home that includes bottled water, perishable food, a flashlight, sturdy shoes & gloves and instructions to turn off the utilities.