- Fact 2 - Tornadoes are also called
twisters. Not to be confused with
Cyclones
- Fact 3 - Description: A violent
whirling wind, a tempest distinguished by a rapid whirling and
slow progressive motion, usually accompanied with severe
thunder, lightning, and torrents of rain, and commonly of short
duration and small breadth
- Fact 4 - A rotating wall cloud is
the area of the thunderstorm that is most likely to produce
tornadoes,
- Fact 5 - In an average year, 800
tornadoes are reported in America, resulting in 80 deaths and
over 1,500 injuries.
- Fact 6 - Tornadoes are capable of
tremendous destruction with wind speeds of 250 mph or more.
- Fact 7 - Tornadoes may appear
nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up
- Fact 8 - Two or more Tornadoes may
appear at the same time
- Fact 9 - Tornado intensity and
damage is measured by Fujita scale (F-Scale). The scale of the intensity of
tornadoes is as follows:
- Tornadoes Fujita scale F0 - Minor
damage. Some damage to chimneys; branches broken off trees;
shallow-rooted trees pushed over; sign boards damaged.
- Tornadoes Fujita scale F1 -
Moderate damage. The lower limit is the beginning of hurricane
wind speed; peels surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off
foundations or overturned; moving autos pushed off the roads;
attached garages may be destroyed.
- Tornadoes Fujita scale F2 -
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes
demolished; boxcars overturned; large trees snapped or uprooted;
high-rise windows broken and blown in; light-object missiles
generated.
- Tornadoes Fujita scale F3 -
Critical damage. Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed
houses; most trees in forest uprooted; skyscrapers twisted and
deformed with massive destruction of exteriors; heavy cars
lifted off the ground and thrown.
- Tornadoes Fujita scale F4 - Severe
damage. Well-constructed houses levelled; structures with weak
foundations blown away some distance; trains overturned; cars
thrown and large missiles generated. Skyscrapers and high-rises
toppled and destroyed
- Tornadoes Fujita scale F5 -
Devastating damage. Strong frame houses lifted off foundations
and carried considerable distances to disintegrate; automobile
sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 m (109 yd);
trees debarked; steel reinforced concrete structures badly
damaged
- Tornadoes Fujita scale F6 - Total
destruction
- Fact 10 - Tornadoes have been
observed on every continent except Antarctica
- Fact 11 - Waterspouts are weak
tornadoes that form over warm water
- Fact 12 - Signs of tornadoes
include a dark, often greenish sky, a Wall cloud, large hail, a
loud roar; similar to a freight train
- Fact 13 - The word tornado is an
altered form of the Spanish word tronada, which means
"thunderstorm".
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