Measuring Tornadoes

                 Tornadoes are measured by many tools. One tool is built especially for tornadoes. It is called a turtle. Turtles measure the wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, and air pressure. How turtles are used are that they are placed in an area a tornado is striking, and when a tornado runs over a turtle, the turtle then measures it.
       
                 Barometers are also used to measure these powerful funnels. Barometers measure air pressure. This measures the power of tornado because the lower the air pressure, the more severe the tornado is.

                  A scale called the Enhanced Fujita scale, also known as the EF scale, measures the deadliness of a tornado. The Enhanced Fujita scale measures tornadoes based on their wind speed. This scale ranks tornadoes from F1 to F5. F1 is the least powerful, while F5 is the most powerful.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale

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Predicting and Staying Safe From a Tornado

                   What would you do if a tornado traveled into your city? Would you try to outrun it? Or even, hide near your glass windows? Well if you are, you are putting yourself into even more danger.

                    If you ever see a tornado heading your way, the worst thing to do is try to outrun it. Tornadoes are dangerously fast and shockingly powerful. Outrunning one you see in sight, puts you in the spotlight of death.  Taking shelter near glass windows are also not the best choice. If a tornado comes near your home, the glass windows shatter, creating flying glass. If you are thinking, "that will not kill me," trust me, it will. Most deaths in a tornado happen with flying debris. Flying glass, just makes your chances of dying a lot higher.

                    The right thing to do if you see this dangerous twister is to go into any type of shelter you can get to. Basements, closets, or any type of small room are the ideal place to save yourself. Once you are in you shelter, get a blanket or heavy towel and place it on your head. This will prevent decapitation that comes from flying debris.

                     If you hear any tornado warnings before a tornado strikes, pack stuff in your car and go. You probably are thinking, "but you said not to!" If a tornado is predicted before it strikes, feel free to save your life. Tornadoes are predicted using Doppler Radar. Incoming tornadoes can be predicted to strike a certain area using photos from satellites in outer space.

Doppler Radar

Effects of a Tornado

                  Tornadoes are known to be the most destructive, and deadliest type of weather. Tornadoes can lead to rain, wind, hail, lightning, and uprooted plants. Not only that, they can lead to even more devastating and shocking results. So many tornadoes today are causing hundreds of deaths, injuries, and destroyed homes. Tornadoes kill so many animals that it disrupts the food chain, later leading to an environmental disaster.

Aftermath of a Tornado

Famous Tornado Examples

                   The infamous 1989 Daulatpur-Salturia Tornado was by far the most deadliest tornado in history. As the deadly tornado stroke on April 26, 1989, it killed over 1,300 people, injured 12,00 people and left a whopping 2.3 billion dollars of damage. What made this tornado so deadly, was that it wove through the country of Bangladesh, which is a country of poverty. So little shelter was provided, letting the tornado destroy everything in its path.  

                     The widely-known tri-state tornado was the most destructive tornado that ever occurred in the U.S. What caused this to be so destructive, was that is lasted for abnormally long time (hours), had no warning issued, and created a series of tornadoes. After it stroke on March 18, 1985, this tornado left more than 695 people dead, 12,000 people injured, and 17 million dollars lost due to damage.

                      The East Pakistan (Bangladesh) Tornado of 1969 is the second deadliest tornado in world history killing a total of 660 people, and injuring 4,000 people. On the same day another tornado strikes in Bangladesh, giving a total of 880 deaths that day.

                 

    

How They Form

                       Tornadoes are one of the most deadliest types of weather, killing hundreds in minutes. What causes this weather phenomenon?

                       The first step for this amazing twister to form is when cold, dry and warm, humid air meet.  When cold and warm air meet, the warm air moves upward and the cold air traps the warm air which causes it to rotate. Most of this action happens in the "Tornado Alley." The "Tornado Alley," is an area in the United States, where many tornadoes occur. States that are located in the "Tornado Alley," are Texas, Minnesota, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska. So many tornadoes occur in the "Tornado Alley," because that is where the cold, dry air from Canada meets the warm, moist, air from the Gulf of Mexico.

                      After the cold, dry and warm, humid air meet, and the warm air starts to rotate, a funnel cloud forms. The warm air, still rotating, gradually grows. Pretty soon, the warm air over powers the cold air, which then causes the cold air to go beneath the warm air. After this process is finished, a funnel cloud is born. 

                       There is on more step before a tornado is officially created. Finally, the funnel cloud touches the ground, causing a tornado to be formed. 

                        Bigger tornadoes for in a slightly different process. Super cells rotate with a large circulation. Once that process has started, the temperature changes around the edge of the downdraft air which is wrapping around the rotating air.

                        Tornadoes form with three major steps. The first step is that cold air meets warm air, causing the warm air to rotate. From there, a funnel cloud forms. The final step, is that the funnel cloud touches the ground.

      

Tornado Alley

Fun Facts!

                   ~ Tornadoes in the Northern Hemisphere usually rotate counterclockwise,                               while tornadoes in the Southern Hemisphere usually rotate clockwise.

                   ~ Tornadoes usually last less than 10 minutes.

                   ~ In a tornado, a child was lifted up, and was found deposited in a tree                                     unharmed.

                   ~ A pair of trousers with $95 in its pocket was carries 39 miles by a tornado.

                   ~ Every year, about one billion dollars is lost due to damage caused by                                    tornadoes. Woah!

                   ~ Every year, there are about 1,000 tornadoes reported in the U.S. That is a lot!

                   ~ A tornado is a vortex.

                   ~ Waterspouts bring danger to sailors and fishermen.

                   ~ Waterspouts last 2-20 minutes.

                   ~ Most deaths in a tornado are caused by flying debris.

Flying Trousers

Language of the Discipline

                   downdraft - downward movement

                   funnel cloud - a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud

                   super cell - a rotating thunderstorm

                   vortex - a system of spinning winds

                   waterspout - a tornado that doesn't form from super cells, and moves across                      water