Tornado Safety - National Weather Service (NWS) is a United States federal agency responsible for providing weather forecasts, warnings, and other weather-related information to the public. It is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Tornado Preparedness and Response Workplace - Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a United States federal agency that is responsible for ensuring safe and healthy working conditions for employees in the workplace.
Storm Prediction Center - The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is a division of the NWS that specializes in severe weather forecasting, including tornadoes. The SPC website provides tornado watches and warnings, as well as outlooks and other information related to tornadoes.
What is a Tornado?
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. Tornadoes can cause significant damage to buildings and structures, as well as pose a serious threat to human life.
Here are some key facts about tornadoes:
Tornadoes are most common in the United States, particularly in a region known as Tornado Alley, which includes parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. However, tornadoes can occur anywhere in the world.
Tornadoes are often categorized using the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which ranks tornadoes based on the damage they cause. The scale ranges from EF0 (minor damage) to EF5 (catastrophic damage).
Tornadoes can form from thunderstorms when there is a significant change in wind direction or speed with height. This creates a rotating column of air, or a mesocyclone, within the thunderstorm.
Tornadoes can be extremely fast-moving, with some traveling at speeds of 60 miles per hour or more.
Tornadoes can cause damage in a variety of ways, including through high winds, flying debris, and flash flooding.
Tornadoes can occur at any time of year, but they are most common in the spring and early summer.
It is important to have a plan in place for what to do in the event of a tornado. This may include seeking shelter in a basement or other interior room of a building, away from windows and exterior walls.
