call them twisters or tornadoes 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 caused 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
rates 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
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 caused 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
rates 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
Please follow and like us: