Picture of a May 11, 1991, tornado in Cimarron County, Oklahoma
Click on image for full size (65K GIF)
© Greg Stumpf
|
Tornadoes form from
severe thunderstorms.
They are very destructive because they have a high energy density. They
also don't last very long. This makes it hard to learn about them. Since
scientists don't know much about tornadoes, it's also hard to forecast them. And
because little is known about tornadoes, there are many myths about them which
aren't true.
Tornadoes can form anywhere in the world. About 75% of the them happen
in the United States. Most of these form in the central U. S. in a place
called tornado alley.
There are also some other interesting facts about tornadoes.
People who are interested in tornadoes sometimes become spotters for their
community. Sometimes people actually chase tornadoes! After
a tornado passes by, scientists try and figure out how strong it was by
using the Enhanced Fujita Tornado
Scale.
|
Sizes of Tornadoes
Tornado Safety
Tornado Image Gallery
Guide to Advisories/Watches/Warnings
Tornadoes
|
Picture of a May 11, 1991, tornado in Cimarron County, Oklahoma
Click on image for full size (65K GIF)
© Greg Stumpf
|
Tornadoes form from
severe thunderstorms.
They have a very high energy density which
means that they affect a small area but are very destructive to that area.
They also don't last very long which makes it hard to learn about them.
Since they're hard to study, they're also hard to forecast. People know
even less about tornadoes, which is why there are a lot of different myths that aren't true.
Tornadoes can occur anywhere in the world. About 75% of them happen in
the United States, most in an area know as Tornado Alley. There are
also some other interesting facts about tornadoes.
People who are interested in tornadoes sometimes become spotters for their
community. Sometime people go out to Tornado Alley to chase tornadoes! After
a tornado touches down, scientists try and figure out how strong it was
by using the Enhanced Fujita
Tornado Scale.
|
Sizes of Tornadoes
Tornado Safety
Tornado Image Gallery
Guide to Advisories/Watches/Warnings
Tornadoes
|
Picture of a May 11, 1991, tornado in Cimarron County, Oklahoma
Click on image for full size (65K GIF)
© Greg Stumpf
|
Tornadoes form from
severe thunderstorms.
They have a very high energy density which
means that they are very destructive to a small area. They also don't
last very long which makes them hard to study. Without much information
about how they develop, meteorologists have a hard time forecasting when
they'll form. The general public knows even less about tornadoes, which
is why there are so many inaccurate myths about them.
75% of the world's tornadoes occur in the United States, but they can
(and probably have) developed anywhere. Most tornadoes in the U.S. form
in an area of the Great Plains known as Tornado Alley. There are
also some other interesting facts about tornadoes.
People with an interest in tornadoes sometimes attend classes held by the
National Weather Service and become spotters for their
communtiy. Sometimes people travel out to Tornado Alley to chase tornadoes first
hand! When a tornado touches down, scientists try and figure out how
strong it was by using the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale.
|
Sizes of Tornadoes
Tornado Safety
Tornado Image Gallery
Guide to Advisories/Watches/Warnings
Last modified August 1, 2008 by Vanessa Pearce.
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