Tornadoes
A natural disaster you need to know about
By: Kyle Baker
Where do they come from?
Tornadoes come from wind shear, which means that the winds at the ground are moving at a 90 degree right angle with the wind in the clouds. This shear creates a spiral of the wind in the clouds. The clouds grow taller and the wind that blows upward in the cloud can make the spiral tilt. This ultimately leads to a tornado.
Do you have to worry about them?
It depends on where you live. If you live in Florida, you are at high risk because of the constant storms that occur, which means a high risk of wind shear. Another area in the U.S is tornado alley. This is an area in the southern plains of the central U.S that constantly has a lot of tornadoes that occur each year. Kansas, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska and Ohio are all states that are in tornado alley. Just like Florida, the reason for all these tornadoes are the constant thunderstorms that occur, and all of the humidity that all of these states have.
To learn more about tornado alley, go here.
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/tornadoes.html
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/tornadoes.html
What are some tornado related disasters?
One disaster was the Oklahoma City tornado. The tornado was half a mile wide, which makes it an EF-4 tornado. This is the second most powerful twister. This disaster killed 91 people and trapped kids in a school that became rubble. Over 230 people had been injured and more than 100 hospitalized.
Another twister devastation was the Tri-State Tornado. It happened Wednesday, March 18, 1925. This was the deadliest tornado in U.S history, with 695 deaths. It was an EF-5 tornado which means it was close, if not, a mile long. It was tragic.
Is there a way to keep people safer?
Well yes. All of these disasters that are caused by tornadoes can be tragic. But we have used instuments to measure them. Like barometers and dopler raider. We use these instruments to measure wind speed and how big the tornado is. We then get warned by the National Weather Service to get to safety. We use pretty current technology and it has been improved from what it once was. We really didn't know how to measure tornadoes little ago.
Is there an economic impact?
Oh yes! Since there have been many tornado casualties, we have tried everything in our power to prevent these disasters and keep people safe. We are still trying to invent knew things to prevent more deaths in the U.S and the rest of the world. The National Weather Service always warns us when a tornado is about to form. They tell us exactly what to do to keep us safer. The news is also a good thing to watch.
To learn more about tornadoes, go to these links!
Links (Bibliography)
Coffey, Jerry. "How Do Tornadoes Form." Universe Today RSS. Jerry Coffey, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2010.
http://www.universetoday.com/75695/"USATODAY.com." USATODAY.com. NOAA, 12 Dec. 2011. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/wtornavg.htm
"Tornadoes and Technology." - National Geographic. NG, 02 July 2012. Web. 24 Oct. 2013
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/archive/xpeditions/lessons/15/g912/tornadotech.html?ar_a=1