1. Tornadoes
Ashley Sacchetti
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2. Main Menu What is a Tornado? What is a Supercell? How They Form
Warning
Signs
Tornado
Measurement
EF-0 &
EF-1
EF-2 &
EF-3
EF-4 &
EF-5
Take the
Quiz!
History

3. What is a Tornado?
A tornado, or twister, is a violently rotating column of air that extends between the Earth’s surface and a cumulonimbus cloud.
Most tornadoes last for less than ten minutes according to Harold Brooks from the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma.
Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than miles per hour and are about 250 feet across. Most tornadoes only travel a few miles before dissipating.
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4. Supercell Thunderstorm
A supercells are usually thunderstorms, that contain wind updrafts that rotate.
They rotate when there is a change in wind direction, and an increase in speed.
Supercells produce large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. Most strong tornadoes are associated with supercell thunderstorms.
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5. How They Form
Though there are many types of tornadoes, they all form from a type of rotating storm called a supercell thunderstorm.
Listed in the diagram are the steps at which a tornado forms.
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6. Signs There Might be a Tornado:
Dark, often green colored sky
Large hail
A Large, dark, low cloud
Loud roar, similar to that of a freight train
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7. Tornado Classifications: EF Sacle
The original Fujita scale is named after Dr. Fred Fujita, a University of Chicago severe storms research scientist, who came up with the scale in
The EF Scale is the spectrum at which a tornado is classified.
The EF Scale ranges from EF-0 to EF-5
In the following slides, each type of tornado classification will be discussed.
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8. EF-0 Tornado EF-1 Tornado
Ef-0 Tornadoes travel at a wind speed of MPH.
These tornadoes cause light damage: branches broken and some trees blown over.
Travels anywhere from MPH
Moderate damage: moving cars, mobile homes overturned or pushed off their foundations.
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9. EF-2 Tornado EF-3 Tornado Travels anywhere between 113-135 MPH
Considerable damage: mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or unrooted, cars lifted off the ground.
MPH
Severe damage: Trains overturned, most trees uprooted, heavy cars thrown, homes destroyed.
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10. EF-4 Tornado EF-5 Tornado MPH ranging from 207-260
Devastating damage: well constructed buildings destroyed, large objects thrown.
MPH
Incredible damage: cars thrown more than meters, strong buildings swept away.
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11. Worst Tornado in History
The “Tri-State Tornado”
Traveled more than 300 miles through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana on March 18,
Deadliest tornado in US history with people killed and 2,027 injured.
Rated an F5, under the old Fujita Scale
Winds of 260+ MPH
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12. Test Your Knowledge:
What type of tornado (using EF Scale) causes considerable damage by destroying mobile homes and uprooting trees?
A. EF0
B. EF1
C. EF2
D. EF3
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13. Incorrect!
Sorry, but EF-0 is incorrect because it only causes light damage: branches broken and some trees blown over.
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14. Incorrect!
Sorry, but EF-1 is incorrect because it causes Moderate damage: moving cars, mobile homes overturned or pushed off their foundations.
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15. Correct!
Congratulations! EF-2 is the correct answer!
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16. Incorrect!
EF-3 is incorrect because it causes devastating damage: well constructed buildings destroyed, large objects thrown.
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17. Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of the lesson!
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