Tornadoes: Meaning, Causes and Effects

More often, we hear news about the damage in the south-east coast of the United States, caused by tornado. Tornado, which is a usual phenomenon and prominently visible in the south-east region of North America and some other regions of South Africa and south west of Europe, is a fatal natural phenomenon that affects people’s life at large.

What is Meaning of Tornado?

Tornado, which is also popular as twister (especially when it reaches on land part); waterspout (when it is on water surface), whirlwind, cyclone (in some other geographic regions), etc., is a column of air that extends from the ground to cumulonimbus cloud or thunderstorm in the high altitude. Such huge vortices of wind, often resemble a funnel-shaped cloud, can badly affect anything that comes in its way.

With its violent nature, tornadoes can be of any size and shape. It is more often visible in the form of condensation funnel, which originates at the base of a cumulonimbus cloud to ground level. It rotates the debris and dust beneath it. Besides, it can also rotate most of the things that come in its way.

Elements of a Tornado

Following are the major elements of tornado:

• High Temperature: Temperature is one of the most essential elements that creates ideal situation for the tornado formation.

• Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of air that originates from a parent thunderstorm and descends down, not always reach to the ground, but when it reaches to ground, it is known as tornado.

• Presence of Intense Winds: It is the strong wind that forms tornado; so, the speed of wind reaches as high as more than 300 km/h. But it could be less or sometimes even high.

• Debris Cloud: The intensely rotating winds of a tornado, usually pick up debris, rock particles, and sometimes, even heavy objects like vehicles, animals, etc. and rotates them in its whirl wind.

Formation of Tornado

Once the ideal condition is created in the presence of the elements discussed above, tornado forms. It forms during the thunderstorms, as during this time, there is interactions between warm, moist air coming from the Gulf of Mexico and cool, dry air from Canada creates instability, which ultimately lead to the development of powerful rotating updrafts i.e. column of air (tornado).

Notable Facts About Tornado
Tornado, which is a violently rotating column of air, usually extends from ground to a greater height and form cumuliform cloud.
Tornado forms thunderstorm.
Though, tornado can move in any direction and can change its direction suddenly, but usually, tornado moves from southwest to northeast.
Tornadoes, when approach land, it can take form of or accompany tropical storms and hurricanes.
The tornado formed over the water, is known as waterspout. When such water spout reaches coastal areas, it causes high damages.
There are different types of tornadoes that include the multiple-vortex tornado, land-spout, and waterspout.
Tornadoes occur most frequently in North America (particularly in central and southeastern regions of the United States and locally known as Tornado Alley.
A tornado is also commonly referred to as a "twister."
Tornadoes can be detected before or as they occur through the use of pulse-Doppler radar.

Classification of Tornadoes

Tornadoes are classified by using the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale, which rates them from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest); likewise, based on the damage they cause. This scale primarily considers wind speed and the extent of structural damage to determine a tornado's intensity.

Besides, based on its size, shape, and location, it can be categorized as:

• Multiple Vortex: A multiple-vortex tornado is pretty unique and fatal tornado, as it is defined by two or more columns of spinning air rotate around their own axes and at the same time revolve around a common center.

• Waterspout: As the name suggests, a waterspout is type of tornado that can be seen over the water surface (in the seas or ocean’s water surface).

• Landspout: As the name suggests, a landspout is type of tornado that can be seen over the ground.

Impact of Tornadoes

Because of its intense and devastating characteristics, tornadoes can cause a trail of destructions, including loss of life, property, and disruption of entire communication systems.

However, following are some of the notable impacts:

• Loss of Life and Injuries: As tornadoes have very powerful wind speed, it is great threat for the human and animal lives directly or indirectly.

• Property Damage: Fast moving winds are powerful enough to damage buildings, homes, and other such infrastructure.

• Economic Damage: As tornadoes cause high level damage of infrastructure, resultantly it affects the nation’s economy badly.

• Psychological Impact: Once the tornado over, it left survivors; they are terrorized at such level that they suffer from trauma and stress causing emotional and psychological effects.

• Environmental Impact: The powerful tornadoes can affect the environment by uprooting the trees and disrupting the respective ecosystem.

Tornado Safety

Because of the development of various tornado detecting and predicting technologies, now it is easier to take pre-caution in advance, such as:

• Stay Informed: The season for tornado is predictable; therefore, during such period, need to be attentive and stay informed so that in any emergency situation, one can take precautionary step.

• Change the Shelter: People living in the tornado prone area, after getting warning need to move in a safer place along with their valuable properties and pets.

• Keep Tornado Emergency Kit: For such emergency situation, keep tornado emergency kit containing essential stuffs including food, water, first-aid items, flashlight, etc.

Conclusion

As discussed above, tornadoes are very dangerous natural phenomena. Its violent and unpredictable nature serves as a reminder of the uncontrollable power of the nature. Therefore, one who lives in tornado prone region, must take safety measure, especially, during its favorable season time. Because only through awareness, vigilance, and proactive measures, one can minimize the impact of tornado.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a tornado, and how is it different from other types of storms?

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. It is different from other storms like hurricanes and cyclones in its size, duration, and formation process. Tornadoes are much smaller in scale, typically lasting for a few minutes to an hour, whereas hurricanes and cyclones can persist for days.

How are tornadoes classified, and what is the EF Scale?

Tornadoes are classified based on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale, which rates their intensity from EF0 to EF5. The EF Scale takes into account the wind speed and the extent of damage caused by the tornado. An EF0 tornado has wind speeds between 65-85 mph, while an EF5 tornado has winds over 200 mph, causing catastrophic damage.

What are the warning signs of an approaching tornado?

Common warning signs of an approaching tornado include dark, greenish skies, large hail, a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud, a loud roar or freight train-like noise, and sudden changes in wind direction.

How can I stay safe during a tornado?

When a tornado warning is issued, seek shelter immediately in a sturdy building, preferably in a basement or an interior room on the lowest level. If you are in a mobile home or vehicle, abandon it and seek shelter in a nearby building or lie flat in a low-lying area.

Can tornadoes be predicted in advance?

While meteorologists can forecast conditions favorable for tornado formation, predicting the exact time and location of a tornado is challenging. Tornado warnings are issued based on radar data and storm observations when a tornado is either confirmed or indicated by radar.

What are tornado alley and Dixie alley?

Tornado alley and Dixie alley are regions in the United States with a higher frequency of tornadoes. Tornado alley includes parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, while Dixie alley covers areas in the southeastern states, such as Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

How can tornado damage be mitigated?

Tornado damage can be mitigated by building structures that are designed to withstand strong winds, securing loose objects and materials, and implementing early warning systems to alert communities in advance.

Can tornadoes occur at night?

Yes, tornadoes can occur at any time of day or night. However, tornadoes that form at night are particularly dangerous as they may be more challenging to see and can catch people off guard while they are sleeping.

Are tornadoes becoming more frequent due to climate change?

There is ongoing research on the potential relationship between climate change and tornado frequency. While tornado occurrence is influenced by various atmospheric factors, the specific link to climate change is still a topic of scientific investigation.

How do tornadoes dissipate or end?

Tornadoes can dissipate when the parent thunderstorm weakens or when the warm, moist air feeding the tornado is cut off. Additionally, tornadoes can end if they encounter a physical barrier or merge with another thunderstorm.