Types of Storms (4)

1/26/2017 (Permalink)

Another type of storm is the commonly known tornado. For many areas around the U.S., damage from severe tornadoes presents a very real threat. Most tornado damage is done by high winds, with recorded speeds exceeding 300 MPH and the flying debris propelled by these fierce winds. The most damage from tornadoes happens in "tornado alley" - a part of the U.S. that includes Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, etc.  A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that spins while in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as twisters, whirlwinds or cyclones. Tornadoes can cause very minimal damage, such as ripping siding off of homes, to catastrophic damage, which can literally lift homes off their foundations. The type and severity of tornadoes are classified using the Fujita scale. On this scale, tornadoes are rated from F0 to F5, with F5 being the most dangerous and deadly.