tornado

A tornado, also known as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, is a spinning wind storm that comes down from the clouds in a snake or v-shape and tears up the earth.

On December 10th and 11th 2021 in the US, at least 90 people were killed by tornadoes in Kentucky and neighbouring states. Part of what made the tornadoes so deadly is that they struck at night and in an ill-prepared part of the country. But it is rare to have such severe tornadoes in December.

Compared to hurricanes (aka typhoons, cyclones), tornadoes are much smaller, generally form over land, last minutes to hours instead of days, but can have much higher winds. Hurricanes are huge, slow-moving and come from the sea, bringing floods. They can kill way more people than tornadoes – and can give rise to tornadoes of their own, as Hurricane Ida did a few months ago.

Location: Most of the world does not get tornadoes! A surprising fact if you live in the US, where they seem to be a natural feature of the Earth. But, in fact, most of the world’s tornadoes take place in just one country: the US, about 1,300 a year. Europe only gets about 300. Nearly every US state gets tornadoes, but most are found in Tornado Alley:

Tornado Alley goes right down the middle of the US. It is where Dorothy of “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) is from. It receives slow-moving, low, warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico in the south and fast-moving, high, cold, dry air from the Rockies to the west and from the jet stream from Canada. These meet over the Great Plains, often creating tornado conditions, especially in the summer.

Climate change: There are not any good models connecting climate change to tornadoes. And so far it does not seem that tornadoes are becoming more frequent or more severe. But it seems Tornado Alley itself might be moving eastward – to where more people live and are less prepared.

Warning signs: These days the weather service can warn of a possible tornado a half hour in advance. On their radar maps they can see a tell-tale hook. On the ground, you see a what looks like a wall cloud come down from a thunderstorm cloud. Wall clouds can spawn tornadoes.

Safety tips: If your town has tornado sirens, you will hear them going off. That means to seek cover. Go to the lowest place you can find, underground if possible, with as many walls as possible between you and the tornado. Stay away from windows and outer doors – but close them if you can. Have a battery-powered radio with you for news updates. Cinemas and shopping malls are not safe. If you cannot seek cover inside, find a ditch or the lowest ground you can, lay down and protect your head as much as possible. Know that cars and trailer homes can be lifted into the air and land some place else.

– Abagond, 2021.

See also:

• hurricane
  • Hurricane Ida
• The Wizard of Oz
  • Dorothy Gale
• Advice for the zombie apocalypse – or any other disaster

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