Drake+Heinhorst

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= = = = Invisible text = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = **What** **is a tornado?** =

A tornado is a violent localized destructive windstorm that spins in a funnel shape, must connect to the ground, and will almost always occur over land. Most tornadoes use wind speeds between 40mph and 110mph. There are multiple types of tornadoes. These include the landspout, multiple vortex tornado, gustnado, Dust Devil, Firewhirls, and a waterspout. = = = **How tornadoes form and when do they form.** =

Tornadoes usually form in areas where the winds in the atmosphere are strong and turn in a clockwise or veering motion. "Warm moist air shoots upward meeting colder, drier air. Warm moist air is lighter than the cold dry air making for a strong updraft within the thunderstorm. As the warm moist air rises, it may meet varying wind directions at different altitudes.If these varying winds are staggered in just the right manner with sufficient speed, they will act on the upward rising air, spinning it like a top. This would be similar to spinning a pencil held between your hands with your palms facing each other, moving your hands in opposite directions.", says an article from tornadochaser.net. For more info on how they form go to the link section below.

The ideal time for tornadoes to occur is in the springtime, but they can happen at any time of the year. They usually happen between 4 and 9 P.M. on days that they do occur. The most common months for a tornado to occur are April and May. In April of 2009 over 270 tornadoes were recorded, and in May over 220 were recorded in the U.S. In all 1156 tornadoes were recorded and confirmed in the year of 2009, and that is in the U.S. alone. = =

= **How deadly are tornadoes?** = ==

Tornadoes cause an average of 1,500 injuries and 80 deaths in America each year. The deadliest tornado that has ever occurred was on March 18, 1925 in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. It caused 695 deaths. This tornado, which traveled 219 miles, is the longest recorded tornado in history. It started in southeast Missouri, crossed into Southern Illinois, and finally ended in southwestern Indiana.

= **Where do tornadoes occur?** = ==

Although tornadoes can occur at any place they do have preferred places. This area is usually the Midwestern region of the country. This can include Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and others. The reason for this is that these states are mostly flat. It is very unlikely for a tornado to occur in a mountainous area. For more locations of tornadoes go to the link section below.

= = = = = How are tornadoes measured? =

A widely know way to measure an earthquake is the Fujita scale. It classifies tornadoes by their wind speed and their destructive force. Discovered by Tetsuya Theodore Fujita this scale classifies tornadoes from a F0 to a F5, F0 meaning gale, and F5 being incredible. From 1950 to 1994 74% of tornadoes have been either a F0 or a F1. 24% has been a F2 or F3, and only 1% of tornadoes recorded from 1950 to 1994 have been a F4 or F5. An F6 also exists, but no tornadoes have ever been recorded as this strong.

= = = Links =

Tornado Locations Tornadoes How tornadoes form

= = = Sources =

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/killers.html @http://www.tornadochaser.net/tornado.html @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_2009_tornado_outbreak @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornadoes_of_2009

= = = Tornado Games =

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