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Importance Of Weather
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The tornado is one of mother earth’s most fierce forces of nature. The winds from a tornado devastate anything and everything in its path; even what isn’t in its path is effected from the projectiles tornadoes produce from anything in the area;being launched at lethal speeds, and covering miles in distance(ready.gov). Oklahoma is one of the places most effected by tornadoes, because they are so common.
In Oklahoma, tornadoes are as serious as they come. Oklahoma is flush in line with tornado alley, this guarantees dozens of tornadoes yearly. Right around late March tornado season starts and does not end until August. Oklahoma averages 55 tornados per year since 1950, but in 2013 it averaged 82 tornadoes(NOAA). With the bulk of these tornadoes coming in the spring months, which is an abundance of tornadoes over the span of 3 months. Ranking Oklahoma among the top states when it comes to tornadoes.
The issue I am addressing is tornado safety in the schools particularly the Moore area. Young kids in their first years of school; and older high school seniors ready to graduate are still in school during the tornado season. It is a troublesome problem for parents, and scary to think about as a student knowing tornadoes are possible and they’re stuck at school. I am proposing that actions need to take place as a community, school board, and state government, to make our schools safe and protect our students. An all encompassed effort to get our senates approval for increasing schools budgets for that safety.
There were a total 77 tornadoes in the last three months of school in 2013, this is the most apparent theme for when tornadoes come. The warming temperatures and cool moist air cause these violent winds over 200 miles per hour. Obvi...
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...ools would have to gradually raise their money if they do not get the support they need. With the governor involved this process gets expedited and put into a bigger spectrum, so the likelihood of support becomes greater. Also if safe rooms became a requirement possibly the budgeting for schools would rise.
Conclusion
Tornadoes will never stop so this is what needs to be done. The shelters we lack in our schools today are just more lives at risk. It is hard to believe that there is a practical solution out there for the issue at hand but is still being debated upon. One would think this would be resolved instantly, when the problems occurs year after year. I attempted to outline some specifics in my proposal to clear up any confusion and to make safe rooms more of a necessity than an extra room in a building. Safe rooms can be the difference between life and death.
On May 22nd, 2011 a massive tornado hit Joplin, Missouri killing 162 people and injuring 1150. With wind speeds of 322km/h, the tornado made a total cost of over $2 billion for the city. 8000 structures were destroyed, 2000 of which were homes. Many people were left homeless. The tornado held an incredible EF5 rating on the Fujita scale, measured from the amount of destruction. The tragic event lasted 38 minutes, from 5:34 pm to 6:12pm. Cool wind from the Rockies in Canada and warm wind from the gulf of Mexico formed into a supercell thunderstorm creating a tornado in Kansas. The tornado rapidly moved into Joplin and continued on its 35 km path.
...uilt inside of the house and safe rooms in the ground. These are just made up of steel or concrete and it gives them a better chance at surviving these deadly tornados. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) gives grants to some states to build one. They give around $3,000 to $5,000 in funds to build these so everyone can go to safety in the convenience of their home. Overall, the Joplin has been greatly affected from this massive tornado. There were some warnings that were sent out but there were issues, however, many changes today have been made because of that tornado such as adding safe rooms to the homes in Joplin. Also, the recovery in the area has changed the city because of the thousands of individuals that helped. From all these factors it has changed Joplin and the tornado that touched down on May 22, 2011 is one of the largest in recorded U.S. history
According to Webster’s Dictionary, a tornado is a rotating column of air accompanied by a funnel shaped downward extension of a cumulonimbus cloud and having a vortex several hundred yards in diameter whirling destructively at speeds of up to three hundred miles per hour. There are six classifications of tornadoes, which are measured on what is known as the Fujita Scale. These tornadoes range from an F0 to an F5, which is the most devastating of all. Abnormal warm, humid, and oppressive weather usually precede the formation of a tornado. Records of American tornadoes date back to 1804 and have been known to occur in every state of the United States.
On May 20th, 2013 a EF 5 tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma and surrounding towns, with a path as wide as 1.3 miles wide (2.1 km) and had a wind speed, estimated at its peak, of 210 miles per hour (340 km/h). Killing 24 people, and injuring 377, this was one of the United States worst tornadoes in the past few years, along side the Joplin, Missouri tornado, in 2011. One of Mother Nature’s most dangerous and still very mysterious phenomenons averages about 1,200 reported each year, resulting in 80 deaths and injuring 1500. With very little known about them, especially whether or not they will form is one of the questions that plague meteorologist to this very day. What causes tornadoes, how does the tilt and gravity of the earth affect the winds to produce a tornado, and what will the future hold about our understanding of tornadoes?
Tornado reduces Oklahoma town to rubble. (2014). The History Channel website. Retrieved 2:40, April 8, 2014, from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tornado-reduces-oklahoma-town-to-rubble
The state controls the curriculum and the funding for schools, therefore, making it difficult for the teachers and school administration. There will be less and less local discretion over the content of what goes on in the classroom and over the curriculum. On-the-other-hand, more and more
By late afternoon and early evening, storms began to blow up across parts of Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. Although the storms began with only moderate and disorganized activity, they developed quickly into well-organized, explosive storms. As the day wore on, the National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center began to issue more urgent updates to alert the public to the growing danger. Several storm chaser teams began to close in on the southern portion of Kansas, where conditions appeared most favorable for twister development.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), (2001). U.S. Tornado Climatology. Accessed on 9//27/2011 at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/tornadoes.html#deadly
Thunder rolled intensely outside, my aunt, mother, sister and I were sat calmly in the basement. We had been through this many times before; I mean afterall, Kansas was part of Tornado Alley. 2. My sister and I were young when this happened, her probably four or five, me about eight. 3. Before we had even started driving to my aunt’s house; since she’s the only one with a basement; my sister and I were complaining about being hungry. 4. Mom said she would get us something to eat soon, but then the sirens started blaring. 5. She called my aunt and told her we would be over in about ten minutes. 6. Me and my sister continued to complain about being hungry because, we always had to get what we wanted. 7. So my mom stopped at McDonald’s and got us some food. 8. After we were almost five minutes later than we said we would be my aunt panicked. 9. Jenny, my aunt, was calling like crazy. 10. When we finally got to her house she lectured my mom about how it wasn’t safe to have us out there like that with a tornado in the area. 11.Afterwards, we all sat on the porch and watched the storm. 12. That’s my favorite memory with my family, and it’s one I’ll never forget.
Oklahoma is considered one of the prime spots for storm chasers to find tornados. Oklahoma is part of what is known as Tornado Valley which includes Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, Kansas and a couple other states depending on who you ask. It is called Tornado Valley for a very simple reason; it has a large amount of storms that produce tornados consistently. Storms happen all over the country, but it takes more than just a normal storm to create a tornado. Corey Binns in his article “Killer Storms” writes:
Tornadoes are one of the deadliest and most unpredictable villains mankind will ever face. There is no rhyme or reason, no rhythm to it’s madness. Tornados are one of the most terrifying natural events that occur, destroying homes and ending lives every year. April 29th, 1995, a calm, muggy, spring night I may never forget. Jason, a buddy I grew up with, just agreed to travel across state with me so we could visit a friend in Lubbock. Jason and I were admiring the beautiful blue bonnets, which traveled for miles like little blue birds flying close to the ground. The warm breeze brushed across the tips of the blue bonnets and allowed them to dance under the perfectly clear blue sky. In the distance, however, we could see darkness. A rumbling sky was quickly approaching.
Proper school funding is one of the keys to having a successful school. Americans believe that funding is the biggest problem in public schools. School improvements revolve around funding. There needs to be funding not only in the successful schools but also the schools that aren’t doing as well. In documentary, Waiting for Superman, it talks about how smaller class sizes will help students. Funding is what will help the smaller class sizes. State funding mechanisms are subject to intense political and economic scrutiny (Leonard). Studies have shown that funding is inversely related to accreditation levels (Leonard). School funding needs to be increased, but there must be accountability as well.
B. Relevance: Illinois rests on the boundary of what tornado researchers call tornado alley. This is the area of the country that receives the most tornadoes every year. According to a 1995 brochure distributed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Illinois averages 27 tornadoes a year. Also, nearly 5 people die every year in Illinois as a result of tornadoes [ AID]. In fact, according to Tornado Project Online!, a website hosted by a company that gathers tornado information for tornado re searchers, the deadliest tornado in U.S. recorded history occurred in Murphysboro, Illinois. In 1925 a violent tornado killed 234 people in this Southern Illinois town.
has the ability to pass a state law that will prevent the education funding to be cut, and even
Tornado safety and preparedness are key to protecting your loved ones during a tornado. So far there has been no evidence that tornadoes pick up objects and move it to Oz, but we do know they can lift enormous objects and cause billions of dollars in damage. It is important to remember that two percent of all tornadoes are severe and most well built homes can withstand the brutal punishment. The next time nature’s fury strikes in your city, you will be well aware of the raw power of the tornado. Nothing is guaranteeing your survival but since you are ready for impact, you have just tripled your chances. In the words of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, “there is no place like home, there is no place like home.” If you are prepared!