Abbi+Haynes

=Tornadoes What is a tornado?=

69% of tornadoes are weak ones.
= = = = = = = The United States gets about 1000 recorded tornadoes every year. = = = || = = || = =
 * Rank || States || Date || Time || Dead || Injured
 * 1 || MO,IL,IN || 3-18-1925 || 1:01pm || 695 || 2027 ||
 * 2 || LA,MS || 5-7-1840 || 1:45pm || 317 || 109 ||
 * 3 || MO,IL || 5-27-1896 || 6:30pm || 255 || 100 ||
 * 4 || MS || 4-5-1936 || 8:55pm || 216 || 700 ||
 * 5 || GA || 4-6-1936 || 8:27am || 203 || 1600 ||
 * 6 || TX,OK,KS || 4-9-1947 || 6:05pm || 181 || 970 ||
 * 7 || LA,MS || 4-24-1908 || 11:45am || 143 || 770 ||
 * 8 || WI || 6-12-1899 || 5:40pm || 117 || 200 ||
 * 9 || MI || 6-8-1953 || 8:30pm || 115 || 844 ||
 * 10 || TX || 5-11-1953 || 4:10pm || 114 || 597

= = = =

= = =Types of tornadoes:=
 * =Multiple Vortex=
 * =Waterspout=
 * =Land spout=
 * =Gustnado=
 * =Dust devil=
 * =Fire whirls and steam devils=

=How do tornadoes form?= ===Many tornadoes develop in a special Type of thunderstorm called a "supercell". A layer of warm humid air forms near the ground along with strong south winds. In the upper atmosphere lie colder air and strong west or southwest winds. the temperature and moisture differences between the surface and upper levels create instability, which is one of the necessary factors for the formation of tornadoes. The alteration of the speed and height of the wind is called "wind shear". The wind shear helps the development of rotation, which forms the tornado. A lifting of the air is the beginning of the development of very violent thunderstorms that eventually help the final formation of the tornado. When the updraft starts rotating, the tornado arises.=== =Funnel Cloud= ===A funnel cloud is a funnel shaped cloud made of condensed water droplets associated with a rotating column of wind and extending from the base of a cloud but not touching the ground. A funnel cloud is usually visible as a cone shaped protuberance from the base of a cloud. Funnel clouds form most often when associated with supercell thunderstorms. If a funnel cloud touches the ground it becomes a tornado.===



= = =Damage=

===Tornadoes are very powerful. They destroy houses, buildings, and entire towns. The Fujita scale ranks tornadoes based on how much damage they cause. It ranks from F0-F5. Tornadoes can lift cars and fling them up to a 1/2 mile away. F2s and F3s can tear off roofs. The deadliest outbreak occurred or April 3rd 1974, when a two-day super outbreak of 147 tornadoes killed 308 people in 13 states. Tornadoes are very dangerous.===

=Sources= =http://www.cln.org/themes/tornadoes.html=

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/safety/tornadoguide.html