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Tornadoes do occur in many parts of the world but they are found most frequently in the spring and summer months over the Central Plains of the United States. In an average year eight hundred tornadoes are reported here resulting in eighty deaths and nearly fifteen hundred injuries. These super cell thunder storms are triggered by a unique combination of cold air from the north, warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico in the south and dry air from the desert south-west. Sustained by strong winds these ingredients can form super cell thunderstorms which can produce tornadoes. The Fujita Scale for tornadoes was invented in 1971. It is a scale for rating tornado intensity based on the damage they inflict on structures and vegetation. The scale reads as follows:
F0 Light
F1 Moderate
F2 Considerable
F3 Severe
F4 Devastating
F5 Annihilating Some of the most recent recordings of tornadoes include: May 3, 1999 'The Moore Oklahoma City F5'.
This tornado grew to be a mile wide spinning at 300 mph traveling a distance of more than 35 miles for 40 minutes. This tornado caused over one billion dollars damage. Thirty six people lost their lives and five hundred and eighty three people were injured. July 24, 2003 'The Manchester Wedge'.
This tornado was an F4 tornado with winds estimated between 200 to 260 mph. It was on the ground for 20 minutes and devastated the town of Manchester, South Dakota.
A wedge tornado is where the distance across the tornado is larger than the distance to the cloud base from the ground. They may touch down as the slender funneled tornado and sustained by winds usually of 200 mph stir up dirt and dust enlarging the base width. May 12 2004 'Attica Tornado'.
This tornado was 200 yards wide and traveled 2 miles. It was the worst of a number of tornadoes to hit Kansas was that year. November 12, 2005 'The Woodward Tornado'.
This was a rare late-season F-2 Tornado in Woodward Iowa. It caused extensive damage to a number of communities. Tornadoes follow along a path determined by the storms cell itself. If it undergoes a change in direction you must have time to make adjustments accordingly. It is the unpredictability of tornadoes that make them such deadly forces of nature. If you have to ask 'how close is too close?' then you probably are. You are welcome to visit other pages of interest at Church Buildings For Sale, Commercial Buildings For Sale and Abandoned Buildings For Sale.
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tornadoes, twisters, wedge tornado, storm chaser, storm shelter, fujita scale, wedge tornado, maelstron, whirling winds,
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