call them twisters or tornadoes they’re
nature’s most violent storms with
swirling winds that can top 300 miles
per hour about 800 twisters sweep
through the US every year
or than anywhere else in the world the
hardest hit area is a swath of the Great
Plains from Texas to South Dakota known
as Tornado Alley here warm air flows up
from the Gulf of Mexico in the spring
and summer and crashes into cold air
pushing down from Canada the meeting
produces violent thunderstorms called
super cells scientists don’t completely
understand how or when tornadoes form
but they do know a supercell like this
one can produce a twister if the
conditions are right
as warm/moist air flows into a storm it
gets pushed up and twisted by
upper-level winds as this rotating
column of air gathers force conditions
are ripe for a collision below when rain
cooled down drafts hit warm air near the
ground a low-hanging revolving cloud
forms beneath the cell a tornado is
imminent
tornadoes don’t last long anywhere from
20 seconds to an hour but it can take
years to recover from the devastation
these storms kill nearly 90 people each
year in the US and cause millions of
dollars worth of damage when a tornado
is spotted experts advise going to a
basement staying away from any windows
or climbing into a first floor bathtub
while most people run for safety when a
twister appears some scientists actually
raises to meet it these storm chasers
hunt down tornadoes trying to get right
in the twisters path they encounter
incredible cloud movement torrential
rain
severe winds and hail lightning
breathtaking storm structures when they
finally locate a twister they measure it
using special tools these scientists
hope to someday predict exactly when and
where tornadoes will strike little can
prevent the damage caused by tornadoes
but better forecasting could save more
lives giving survivors the chance to
rebuild after living through one of the
most violent storms on earth
nature’s most violent storms with
swirling winds that can top 300 miles
per hour about 800 twisters sweep
through the US every year
or than anywhere else in the world the
hardest hit area is a swath of the Great
Plains from Texas to South Dakota known
as Tornado Alley here warm air flows up
from the Gulf of Mexico in the spring
and summer and crashes into cold air
pushing down from Canada the meeting
produces violent thunderstorms called
super cells scientists don’t completely
understand how or when tornadoes form
but they do know a supercell like this
one can produce a twister if the
conditions are right
as warm/moist air flows into a storm it
gets pushed up and twisted by
upper-level winds as this rotating
column of air gathers force conditions
are ripe for a collision below when rain
cooled down drafts hit warm air near the
ground a low-hanging revolving cloud
forms beneath the cell a tornado is
imminent
tornadoes don’t last long anywhere from
20 seconds to an hour but it can take
years to recover from the devastation
these storms kill nearly 90 people each
year in the US and cause millions of
dollars worth of damage when a tornado
is spotted experts advise going to a
basement staying away from any windows
or climbing into a first floor bathtub
while most people run for safety when a
twister appears some scientists actually
raises to meet it these storm chasers
hunt down tornadoes trying to get right
in the twisters path they encounter
incredible cloud movement torrential
rain
severe winds and hail lightning
breathtaking storm structures when they
finally locate a twister they measure it
using special tools these scientists
hope to someday predict exactly when and
where tornadoes will strike little can
prevent the damage caused by tornadoes
but better forecasting could save more
lives giving survivors the chance to
rebuild after living through one of the
most violent storms on earth
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