Tornado Essay

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Tornadoes are destructive forces of nature that can form rapidly and devastate towns and communities but with proper education and preparation, the damage can be minimal. Tornadoes are defined as “a violently rotating, tall, narrow column of air (that is, a vortex), typically about 300 ft. (100m) in diameter, that extends to the ground from a cumulonimbus cloud” (Davies-Jones 1). Tornadoes are notorious for forming in the central part of the United States, and most of them do, but they can form also form in many other parts of the world including Russia, China, South Africa, and Australia.
Tornadoes form from systems that have large scale patterns of circulation and are associated with violent thunderstorms which are filled with cumulonimbus clouds. It was once thought that they formed when warm moist air collided with cold dry air which was accepted because many form during the spring, but it is actually not accurate. “The most destructive and deadly tornadoes occur from supercells—which are rotating thunderstorms with a well-defined radar circulation called a mesocyclone” (Edwards 1). Temperature actually has little to do with how tornadoes form. Formation of tornadoes depends mainly on instability, updraft of wind, and moisture in the air. Severe thunderstorms that have green skies, heavy winds, and large diameter hail can form tornadoes but they don’t always do. Some can form over water but they are called waterspouts. There have been many tropical storms and hurricanes that have formed tornadoes in the recent past that have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage in conjunction with the flooding and high winds hurricanes already produce. Hurricane Danny in 1985 and Hurricane Ivan in 2004 produced many tor...

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...a list of items that could pose a problem should a tornado damage the building. Families should also have a plan to keep themselves safe. After a tornado strikes an area, there are hazards that people need to be aware of including downed electrical lines, debris from buildings and other structures, and potential for more storms. The desire for a lot of people to go back to their homes is expected but discouraged because it can interfere with rescue operations and damage control operations including restoration of utilities and cleaning up possible hazardous spills. It is important for people to monitor emergency information from radios and television stations so that they can be aware of these hazards. The aftermath of tornadoes also creates hazards of dehydration and heat injuries because of the lack of fresh water supplies and electricity to keep areas cool.

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