Natural Hazards Report - Tornadoes

Tornado

World 's Deadliest

Natural Hazard

Abstract

Tornadoes are one of the deadliest natural hazards in the world . The cost of damages they leave behind can sometimes be monumental . Worse they could leave in its wake hundreds of dead bodies - both humans and animals

In spite of the many studies already conducted on tornadoes , scientists have yet to find its exact meaning and classifications . The National Weather Service (NWS ) defined tornado as a violently rotating column of air , pendant from a cumuliform cloud or underneath a cumuliform cloud

, and often visible as a funnel cloud (http /www .nws .noaa .gov

The frequency and magnitude of tornado depends upon its location . In the U .S , there is a so-called Tornado Alley ' where tornadoes usually occur . This geographic location includes Texas and Oklahoma

The have been two known measuring scales for tornado . One is the F-scale and the other is the TORRO scale . The F-scale was developed by Dr . T . Theodore Fujita . It measures the intensity of the tornado based on the damage it has left behind . On the other hand , the TORRO scale was invented by Terence Meaden of the TORRO group . It measures tornado intensity between T0 and T10 and relies solely on wind speed for classification . In actual practice , damage is utilized in both systems to infer intensity

A significant percentage of the world 's tornadoes occur in the United States because of its unique geographical sketch that breeds strong long-lived storms annually . In effect , a number of lives have already been lost . Millions-worth of properties have also been damaged

Table of Contents

Abstract 2

Table of Contents 3

Introduction 4

Data Presentation 5

Discussion and Analysis 9

Conclusion 11

Recommendation 12

Bibliography 13

Introduction

Tornado is one of the deadliest of the earth 's natural hazards . It can damage lives as well as properties . Perhaps the most popular tornado that took place happened in The Wizard of Oz , transporting Dorothy and her friends to another place . Of course , this story is just fiction nevertheless , it depicts the damage a tornado could inflict in a place

It is therefore essential to study tornado to mitigate its impact on the lives of millions of people . First of all , it is important to define tornado . According to the National Weather Service (NWS , a tornado is a violently rotating column of air , pendant from a cumuliform cloud or underneath a cumuliform cloud , and often visible as a funnel cloud ' However , a vortex must be in contact with the ground and the cloud base for it to be classified as a tornado . Moreover , it is also accepted that a tornado may not always have a discernible funnel

Tornado Formation

To say that tornadoes are formed when warm moist Gulf air meets cold Canadian air and dry air from the Rockies ' is an understatement . Many thunderstorms that have been formed under those conditions do not produce tornadoes . In other words , not every thunderstorm spawns a tornado

Weather scientists say that the most destructive and...