| TRADD |
| STORM CHASING TOURS |
| TORNADOES The world's most powerful wind! |
| A tornado is a vortex of air rising into a cloud. In their early and mature stages, all thunderstorms are characterized by rising air, called updrafts. These updrafts supply the warm, humid air that fuels thunderstorms. But, in some cases, the column of rising air becomes a vortex – a funnel cloud or tornado. In a few cases, the vortex becomes a strong tornado with wind whirling around at speeds up to 300 mph. |
| RAPID AIR MOVEMENT The tornado acts like a giant vaccum sucking in air near the ground. |
| SPIRALING WINDS! A storms rotation twists tornadoes winds. Dirt and debris can darken the color of a tornado. |
| An Ominous Sign! Large hail often falls near forming tornadoes. |
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DEVASTATING DAMAGE: Few walls, if any, standing in well-built homes. Pile of debris on foundation, large steel and concrete missiles thrown far distances. |
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(RARE) INCREDIBLE DAMAGE: Homes on slabs levelled with debris removed. Schools, motels and other marginally engineered buildings have considerable damage with exterior walls and roofs gone. Top stories demolished. |
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| Often, a tornado is located on the edge of the updraft, next to air that's coming down from the thunderstorm with falling rain or hail . This is why a burst of heavy rain or hail sometimes announces a tornado's arrival. One of the key questions that scientists are trying to answer about tornadoes is why updrafts in some thunderstorms become twisting whirlwinds while those in apparently similar thunderstorms don't. This was one of the key questions that scientists taking part in the Vortex Project during 1994 and 1995 were trying to answer. |
Air rising from the ground in the tornado vortex creates low air pressure
near the ground which air rushes inward to fill. Such inflow winds can be
damaging. In other words, a house or auto doesn't have to be hit directly by
the tornado to be damaged.
near the ground which air rushes inward to fill. Such inflow winds can be
damaging. In other words, a house or auto doesn't have to be hit directly by
the tornado to be damaged.
The center of the tornado's vortex is a low-pressure area. As air rushes into the vortex, its pressure lowers, which
cools the air. Cooling condenses water vapor in the air into the tornado's familiar funnel-shaped cloud. As the
swirling winds pick up dust, dirt, and debris from the ground, the funnel turns even darker. Twisters that pick up
little dirt can retain their white, cloud coloration. Some tornadoes have taken on a red hue by picking up red dirt.
Although the air is rising in a tornado, the funnel itself grows from the cloud toward the ground as the tornado is
forming. The term "funnel cloud'' refers to a tornado-like vortex that doesn't reach the ground. When a funnel cloud
touches the ground, it becomes a tornado. Often, however, apparent funnel clouds are already tornadoes. But the
part nearest the ground is still invisible because cloud hasn't formed there and little dirt is being picked up.
The lesson: Don't think you're safe near or under a funnel cloud.
cools the air. Cooling condenses water vapor in the air into the tornado's familiar funnel-shaped cloud. As the
swirling winds pick up dust, dirt, and debris from the ground, the funnel turns even darker. Twisters that pick up
little dirt can retain their white, cloud coloration. Some tornadoes have taken on a red hue by picking up red dirt.
Although the air is rising in a tornado, the funnel itself grows from the cloud toward the ground as the tornado is
forming. The term "funnel cloud'' refers to a tornado-like vortex that doesn't reach the ground. When a funnel cloud
touches the ground, it becomes a tornado. Often, however, apparent funnel clouds are already tornadoes. But the
part nearest the ground is still invisible because cloud hasn't formed there and little dirt is being picked up.
The lesson: Don't think you're safe near or under a funnel cloud.
Experts once thought tornado winds exceeded 500 mph. But
research in recent years, including detailed analysis of movies
and video tapes, shows that winds rarely exceed 200 mph and
most tornadoes have winds of less than 112 mph. Tornadoes are
also relatively small. An average tornado will be 400 to 500 feet
wide and travel four or five miles on the ground, lasting only a few
minutes. A mile-wide tornado is an extremely large one and
tornadoes this big are rare. Many tornadoes are small, less than
100 feet wide, and last only a few minutes. A few monster
tornadoes are a mile or more wide and can last for an hour or
more. As the parent thunderstorm travels along, tornadoes can
come down from the cloud, run along the ground and lift back up
to be followed by other tornadoes. Generally, tornadoes move
along the ground at around 20 to 50 mph, but some race along
faster than 70 mph. TRADD never chases tornadoes that move
faster than 45mph. It just isn't safe or practical.
research in recent years, including detailed analysis of movies
and video tapes, shows that winds rarely exceed 200 mph and
most tornadoes have winds of less than 112 mph. Tornadoes are
also relatively small. An average tornado will be 400 to 500 feet
wide and travel four or five miles on the ground, lasting only a few
minutes. A mile-wide tornado is an extremely large one and
tornadoes this big are rare. Many tornadoes are small, less than
100 feet wide, and last only a few minutes. A few monster
tornadoes are a mile or more wide and can last for an hour or
more. As the parent thunderstorm travels along, tornadoes can
come down from the cloud, run along the ground and lift back up
to be followed by other tornadoes. Generally, tornadoes move
along the ground at around 20 to 50 mph, but some race along
faster than 70 mph. TRADD never chases tornadoes that move
faster than 45mph. It just isn't safe or practical.
| Images and information copyright USA TODAY and other sources |
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