Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Every state is at some risk from this hazard.
Some tornadoes are clearly visible, while rain or nearby low-hanging clouds obscure others. Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that little, if any, advance warning is possible. Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still. A cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.
The following are facts about tornadoes:
They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked
up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes
have been known to move in any direction.
The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 MPH, but may vary from
stationary to 70 MPH.
Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move
onto land. Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains
during spring and summer months.
Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May;
in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but
can occur at any time.
Familiarize yourself with these terms to help identify a tornado
hazard:
Tornado Watch
Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch
the sky and stay tuned to Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television
for information.
Tornado Warning
A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Take shelter
immediately.
Before a Tornado
Be alert to changing weather conditions.
Listen to Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts
for the latest information.
Look for approaching storms.
Look for the following danger signs:
Dark, often greenish sky
Large hail
A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
Loud roar, similar to a freight train.
If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared
to take shelter immediately.
Use storm shutters to protect windows and glass. Use them when severe
weather is coming. The storm shutters protect against flying debris
like tree trunks or other things carried by strong winds.
During a Tornado
If you are under a tornado WARNING,seek shelter immediately!.
If you are in:
A structure (e.g. residence, small building, school, nursing home,
hospital, factory, shopping center, high-rise building) Then go
to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement,
storm cellar, or the lowest building level. If there is no basement,go
to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior
hallway) away from corners, windows,doors, and outside walls. Put
as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Get under
a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck.
Do not open windows.
If you are in:
A vehicle, trailer, or mobile home get out immediately and go to
the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter.
Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes.
If you are in:
The outside with no shelter Lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression
and cover your head with your hands. Be aware of the potential for
flooding. Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer
in a low, flat location. Never try to outrun a tornado in urban
or congested areas in a car or truck. Instead, leave the vehicle
immediately for safe shelter. Watch out for flying debris. Flying
debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries.
Preparing a Safe Room
Extreme windstorms in many parts of the country pose a serious threat
to buildings and their occupants. Your residence may be built “to
code,” but that does not mean it can withstand winds from extreme
events such as tornadoes and major hurricanes. The purpose of a
safe room or a wind shelter is to provide a space where you and
your family can seek refuge that provides a high level of protection.
You can build a safe room in one of several places in your home.
Your basement.
Atop a concrete slab-on-grade foundation or garage floor.
An interior room on the first floor.
Safe rooms built below ground level provide the greatest protection,
but a safe room built in a first-floor interior room also can provide
the necessary protection. Below-ground safe rooms must be designed
to avoid accumulating water during the heavy rains that often accompany
severe windstorms. To protect its occupants, a safe room must be
built to withstand high winds and flying debris, even if the rest
of the residence is severely damaged or destroyed. Consider the
following when building a safe room: The safe room must be adequately
anchored to resist overturning and uplift. The walls, ceiling, and
door of the shelter must withstand wind pressure and resist penetration
by windborne objects and falling debris. The connections between
all parts of the safe room must be strong enough to resist the wind.
Sections of either interior or exterior residence walls that are
used as walls of the safe room, must be separated from the structure
of the residence so that damage to the residence will not cause
damage to the safe room.
F-0 Gale Tornado 40 - 72 MPH Chimneys damaged; branches broken
off trees; shallow-rooted trees uprooted; sign boards damaged.
F-1 Moderate Tornado 73 - 112 MPH Roof surfaces peeled off; mobile
homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos pushed
off roads.
F-2 Significant Tornado 113 - 157 MPH Roofs torn off frame houses;
mobile homes demolished; box cars pushed over; large trees snapped
or uprooted; light-object projectiles generated.
F-3 Severe Tornado 158 - 206 MPH Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed
houses; trains overturned; most trees in forest uprooted; heavy
cars lifted off the ground and thrown.
F-4 Devastating Tornado 207 - 260 MPH Well-constructed houses leveled;
structures with weak foundations relocated; cars thrown and large
projectiles generated.
F-5 Incredible Tornado 261 - 318 MPH Strong frame houses lifted
off foundations and carried considerable distance to disintegrate;
automobile-sized projectiles hurtle through the air in excess of
100 yards; trees debarked; other incredible phenomena expected.
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