Tornado's - By Kenneth Lafler

                           The Dynamics of circular air funnels 

                  

       The  Winds from a Tornado  are the  most  devastating  storms  
 on this planet. They are also the least understood.  Scientists are still trying to decipher just how these storms are formed. Using wind tunnels and other scientific devises, Meteorologists are  still puzzled by this phenomena of nature. 








       Starting with the colder air in the  Arctic colliding with the  warmer  air  from the Gulf of  Mexico , these  storms  are  the most  violent weather conditions  to  develop  with  wind speed's  exceeding 200 miles  an hour. It is not unusual to have several Tornado's form in a single day.   Nor is it unusual to have several funnel cloud's in the same Tornado in a localized situation.  Multiple vortex's may form from the same storm.




 
    Tornado's are classified from EF1 to EF5 on the Fujitsu Scale which was developed in Japan.  EF1 being the least intense and  EF5 being the most intense and destructive winds. Vortex sound generation is another part of the the Tornado's effects. People caught in these storms describe the sound as that of a jet engine with a high pitch sound similar to a plane at lift off. 





     

  Tornado's mostly occur in the United  States.  Spain has experienced this weather phenomena but it is rare.  The Central  United States is the most prone area to Tornatic activity . This  area  is called Tornado Alley.  It is located through Texas, Oklahoma and further north even into Ohio. 




  













     Ohio  has had several  devastating  tornado's. The  Zennia  Ohio  Twister  was one of the  worst on record.  This Tornado caused massive destruction to homes and businesses. The death toll from the storm was about 350 people. Mobile Home parks seemed to take the brunt of the winds.

  Water spouts are another aspect of the tornado's activity. These are Tornado's formed over water, usually in the ocean . Water spouts do not have the intensity of Tornado's over land, but still pose the potential to be destructive to ships and small boat's. These storms are much smaller due to the fact that they are not over land, so the up draft is not as strong.  Being over water there is no debris hazard due to the fact that the water spout only picks up water. They usually die out when they hit land, losing most of their energy.

      There are other area's of the United States that  experience this type weather  Phenomena,  California  has  quite  a  few  tornado's, just not  on the  scale of Tornado's in the central and eastern part of the country.  The Lake  Elsinore   area is  prone to this type of  weather pattern and is considered  Southern California's Tornado  Alley. 





   Tornado's  prefer  flat , level  area's to travel through and usually follow the path of least resistance.  If they strike an Urban center the damage can be unbelievable.  If caught in the open when a Tornado strikes one should  look for the lowest possible area such as a trench to ride out the storm.  Do not seek refuge under tree's, they can attract lightening, acting as a lightening rod.

   Scientist's still are not sure exactly how the cyclonic winds of a Tornado  function.





      Some meteorologists feel it is due to the earth's  rotation while  others  feel it  is some  type of  phenomena  inside the storm it's self. There are reports of tornado's reaching speeds of up to 500 miles an hour. These storms are called ''Hypercanes'', but are very rare.  Hypercane's are also associated with Hurricane's. 





  
     








      Tornado's  are  usually associated with  thunder  storm's and hale.  This  seems to be part of  how a  tornado is  formed. The cold northern air collides with the warmer southern air creating a circular motion in the atmosphere. Tornado's may also be associated with wild fire's.  The vortex may actually lift the fire into the spinning winds. This is called a fire storm and can be an extremely dangerous situation to be in. These winds are capable of moving very quickly with little chance of escape. Many fire fighters have lost their live's to fire storm's. The tragedy of this is most of these fire's are intentionally set. 





     Tornado's are capable of moving very quickly, and are able to jump several miles before landing again. One should never try to view these storms. Anyone in the path of a Tornado should seek shelter immediately .






    There have been several cases where the victim was viewing the storm from a distance and suddenly were trapped when the Tornado landed just yards from them.













 

















There  are  cases of  people  being  caught in a  
tornado and never seen again. Houses in many cases  are simply ripped apart. Mobile homes for some reason seem to be quite vulnerable to these storms. These homes may be carried for some distance by these winds.  



      Tornado's  will always  be  with us.  It's just a  question of how to manage  this  emergency  situation properly. One should always be prepared to evacuate immediately in the event of a tornado warning.

  














  
     At home, an emergency kit should be on hand at all times . This includes food, water, personal hygiene, a basic set of tools, and a supply of essential  medicine . 






    Camping gear and supplies are a good idea due to the fact they may be stored for quite a while.

  By   

              Kenneth  Lafler