Will you be swirled away, or prepared? tornadoes Will you be swirled away, or prepared? Kelsey Bowman, November 2013

Things to know Atmosphere Instability or an Unstable Atmosphere – temperature and moisture differences between the surface and higher altitudes NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NWS – National Weather Service Tornado Warning – tornado detected Tornado Watch – threatening conditions

So…what is it? A tornado is a violent and rapidly rotating column of air Shaped like a narrow funnel – the narrow end is what touches Earth’s surface Reaches from a thunderstorm to Earth Also called twisters or cyclones http://graphicriver.net/item/storm-tornado-mascot-vector-cartoon-image/2880971 https://www2.ucar.edu/atmosnews/opinion/7547/summertime-and-twisters-are-missin

Necessary conditions Different types of wind must be present in an UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. Close to the ground, there must be a layer of warm, moist air with strong winds coming from the south. Higher up in the atmosphere, there needs to be colder, dry air with strong winds coming from the west or southwest. Abundant amount of moisture close to the Earth’s surface A “trigger”

formation The creation of the unstable environment starts with the two air masses (warm and moist, cold and dry) meeting each other. This collision creates a horizontal twirling effect in the lower atmosphere. When air rises from the lower regions of the atmosphere, it tilts this twisting air from horizontal to vertical. A trigger is needed to lift the moist air up higher to turn this horizontal swirl to a vertical tornado. Example- a cold front.

Characteristics Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 177km/h with a distance of 76 meters across and travel just a few miles before dying out. Extreme tornadoes can have wind speeds of 483km/h, stretch over 3.2 kilometers in width and can travel on the ground for over 100 kilometers. When a tornado occurs, a hailstorm is likely too as well because hail forms in strong thunder clouds

When & where Tornadoes happen on every continent all over the world except none have been reported on Antarctica. Tornadoes occur most in the United States. Although this extreme weather hits all over this country, a high percentage of tornadoes happen in the Tornado Alley (featuring Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, The amount of tornadoes increases in the months of April, May and June and are most likely to occur between 3 pm and 9 pm on unusually warm afternoons.

Identifying and predicting If a severe thunderstorm seems highly likely for an area, the NWS will send out a tornado watch to the area (and surrounding area) they predict it to affect. By using the recorded history of tornadoes in the past (where they occurred, when, conditions, time of day, etc.), scientists and meteorologists are able to come up with a more reasonable prediction than they could’ve in the early days because we are aware of what signs to look for. The National Severe Storms Laboratory sends out people to “storm chase” In other words they are the people in charge of identifying twisters. A Profiler is used to measure wind that is up to 20 miles into the atmosphere which helps to predict and identify.

World’s deadliest tornado April 26th, 1989 in Bangladesh (a country in South Asia). A huge tornado hit and took at least 1300 lives. Damage resulted in approximately 80 thousand people homeless 12 thousand people were injured. http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/bd.htm

http://www. therichest http://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/location/top-10-deadliest-tornadoes-in-world-history/

Survival

before The main thing in being prepared, is to have a plan (slides to come) A storm cellar outside with doors that open inward so debris does not block the entrance would be the safest place to go if you do not have a basement. Trim near by branches that may fall and cause damage to people, animals or your property

during If it is inconvenient or harmful to get to a storm cellar, seek shelter in the lowest level you can, remain indoors. Keep away from windows and door because the strong pressure and wind could blow them in, causing both damage to yourself and you’re the property. If you are in a vehicle, abandon it and seek immediate shelter. If no buildings are available lay flat in a ditch.

After Check for injuries, seek emergency services if possible Be very cautious of debris, broken glass, etc. Inspect the damage without putting yourself or others at risk.

Disaster kit Even if you have little to no warning of an incoming tornado, your chances of survival are a lot higher with a disaster kit. Although a tornado may be over, it doesn’t mean that emergency services will be able to reach you right away so you are most likely going to need to survive for at least 72 hours on your own.

Disaster kit General: 3 day supply of water -1 gallon per person per day 3 days worth of non-perishable food -per person First aid kit -Including NOAA weather radio & portable radio Flashlight, lots of extra batteries Extra set of car keys Credit card/cash 1 change of clothes My Family (1 adult, 2 teens): 9 gallons of water 3 days worth of food for 3 people (non perishable) First aid kit -Including NOAA weather radio & portable radio Flashlight, lots of extra batteries Extra set of car keys Credit card/cash 1 change of clothes -per person

BUYIng a kit & contact info You can purchase all necessary items for a survival kit at local stores around you (ex. Walmart) or you can order premade kits offline from sites such as Amazon.com or shop.redcross.ca Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) for Antigonish, Nova Scotia: 1-902-863-8366

So…to see if you were listening

TRUE OR FALSE The majority of tornadoes occur in Europe… During a tornado you should seek shelter in high levels of buildings to remain safe… A tornado often occurs between 3pm-9pm… Lightening often comes with a tornado… Tornado winds are the fastest on Earth…

references The Weather Channel; Severe Weather; Articles - November 22nd, 2013 http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/severe-weather/articles/tornado-what-is-a-tornado_2010-03-30 Weather Wiz Kids - November 23rd, 2013 http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-tornado.htm Think Quest - November 23rd, 2013 http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01054/Tornado/4.html NOAA; Forecasting Tornadoes – November 23rd, 2013 http://www.noaa.gov/features/protecting_0808/ Think Quest; Tornadoes; Prediction – November 23rd, 2013 http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/english/tornadoes/prediction.shtml The Richest; Top 10 Deadliest Tornadoes – November 24th, 2013 http://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/location/top-10-deadliest-tornadoes-in-world-history/ What To Do In Case Of A Tornado – November 24th, 2013 http://gohsep.la.gov/factsheets/whattodoinatornado.htm