Twister

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Twister

• David Faber
• Matt Daughaday
• Dave Thomas
• Chelsea Winkoff

2
What is a Tornado?

• A tornado is a violently rotating column of air
  which is in contact with both a cumulonimbus
  cloud or, in rare cases, a cumulus cloud base in
  the surface of the earth.
• Most tornados have wind speeds of 110 mph, and as
  high as 300 mph. Size ranges from 250 ft across
  to one mile wide.
• Wikipedia.org/wiki/tornado

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How They Are Formed
1.)
2.)
Rising air within the thunderstorm updraft
tilts the rotating air from horizontal to
vertical.
3.)
Before thunderstorms develop, a change in wind
direction and an increase in wind speed with
increasing height creates an invisible,
horizontal spinning effect in the lower
atmosphere.
An area of rotation, 2-6 miles wide, now extends
through much of the storm. Most strong and
violent tornadoes form within this area of
strong rotation.
http//www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu /safety/tornadoguide.
html
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What Causes Tornados?
Flowing air around a cyclone, spinning in a
counter-clockwise direction (in the Northern
Hemisphere), converges inward toward the
thunderstorm, causing it to spin faster. This is
the same process that causes an ice skater to
spin faster when she pulls her arms in toward her
body.
www.weatherquestions.com/ What_causes_tornadoes.ht
m
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Where are they found?
Tornado Alley
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How to Protect Yourself

• Identify and visit a nearby tornado shelter.
• Complete a written tornado plan for your family
  to follow.
• Prepare and package a storm supply kit that
  contains a radio, candles, matches, a flashlight,
  first aid supplies, non-perishable food, water,
  medicines, clothing, boots, blankets, important
  addresses and phone numbers, cash and copies of
  your most important documents.
• Get to a shelter or a safe place.
• Proceed with caution after a tornado.

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Shelters

• If caught outside during a
• tornado find a ditch or another
• low area, lie down and cover
• your head and neck.

• The safest places to be during a
• tornado is a storm shelter or your
• basement.

8
The Difference Between a Watch and a Warning

• A tornado watch means weather conditions are
  right for violent weather to form, such as
  tornadoes or severe thunderstorms.
• A tornado warning means actual tornadoes,
  funnel-shaped clouds, have been detected by radar
  or sighted nearby.

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After a Tornado
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Path of the Tornado
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Video of a Tornado
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vCH0Li8chRXc
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What have we learned?

• What is a tornado?
• Where are tornados mostly found?
• Where is the best place to be during a tornado?
• What are some things you should have in your
  storm supply kit?
• Which is more dangerous, a warning or a watch?