Tornadoes are one of nature’s most violent storms and are most active in the United States between March and June. HOPE worldwide’s National Disaster Service Team wants to make sure that you are prepared and ready for this storm season. Recognizing an impending hazard and knowing what to do to protect yourself and your family will help you take effective steps to prepare beforehand and aid recovery after the event.
Tornadoes are the most powerful, unpredictable and destructive weather systems on Earth. The National Weather Service (NWS) defines a tornado as a violently rotating column of air in contact with the earth’s surface (land or water) and commonly associated with a severe thunderstorm. A tornado generally occurs when high winds within a low-pressure system (such as a thunderstorm) cause water vapor in the air to condense into a condensation funnel cloud.
Many less severe tornadoes are not even visible to the human eye. Major tornadoes usually become more visible when the strong winds within the funnel lift up dirt and debris off the Earth’s surface. The average tornado has maximum wind speeds of about 112 mph or less, measures around 250 feet in width and travels approximately one mile before falling apart. Some of the most catastrophic tornadoes in recorded history have had winds in excess of 300 miles an hour (twice that of a category 5 hurricane), have measured more than two miles in girth, and have carved devastating paths of destruction several miles in length.
This year’s El Niño could deliver a quiet tornado season. New research shows much of the southeastern United States faces a lower risk of tornadoes during El Niño years. The effects are strongest in Oklahoma, Arkansas and northern Texas. Damaging hail is also less likely during a strong El Niño. The forecast for this March, April and June calls for a slightly lower risk of tornadoes due to this year’s El Niño.
Warm ocean, few tornadoes
The El Niño-La Niña cycle, or ENSO, is a natural climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean. During an El Niño, warm sea surface temperatures spread across the tropics. In a La Niña year, the opposite happens: Cool sea surface temperatures dominate in the eastern tropical Pacific. These temperature shifts have a ripple effect on wind patterns around the world, which, in turn, affects where storms form.
So far, the 2015 tornado season is off to a slow start, with 28 tornados reported, according to the Storm Prediction Center. However, the NWS stated the cold weather across the eastern United States likely had a stronger effect than El Niño conditions on suppressing tornadoes so far this winter.
Tornado formation
Generally, warm air rises, and cold air moves downward. But when the two fronts meet, the cold air can trap the warm air beneath it. When the warm air cannot move upward, it begins to rotate. As the sun heats the ground, more warm air continues to rise, until finally the mass is strong enough to push through the cold air barrier. The rising warm air pushes the cold air beneath it, creating a rotating column that can span up to 10 miles, while twisting at speeds exceeding 200 miles an hour.
How safe are you?
The region of the United States lying between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains—known informally as Tornado Alley—has the highest number of tornadoes each year; however, no place is safe. Tornadoes can occur anywhere in the United States. In 1987, a tornado tore through Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming at elevations reaching up to 10,000 feet, making it the highest altitude violent tornado in the United States.
Tornado wind and debris cause most of the structural damage suffered, but nearly half of the injuries from such disasters occur after the tornado has left, during rescue work and cleanup. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a third of these injuries come from stepping on nails. As such, it is important to remember to exercise caution even after the danger appears to have passed.
Tornadoes can occur at any time during the year, but they form most frequently in the spring and summer, depending upon your location. They are most likely to appear between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but again, they can occur at any time in the day or night.
If a tornado strikes
- During strong thunderstorms, keep an ear on local weather alerts. FEMA encourages families to have a disaster plan in place for all contingencies, not only for tornadoes; this not only can keep you safe, but also can allow for some peace of mind when families are separated.
- If your television or radio announces a tornado watch, this means that conditions are favorable for a tornado. Continue to listen for further updates. If a tornado warning is announced, it means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar. Move to a safe place immediately.
- If a tornado strikes and you are inside a sturdy building, go to the lowest floor, such as the basement or storm cellar. If the building has no rooms beneath the ground, get to the lowest level possible and find an interior room, putting as many walls as possible between you and the tornado. Don’t bother opening windows to equalize pressure; this will accomplish nothing except to allow more debris inside.
- If you are in a mobile home or trailer, leave immediately. Find the lowest floor of a sturdy shelter, or a ditch or depression. Lie down flat and cover your head. Do not seek refuge under an overpass or bridge.
- Never try to outrun a tornado. Instead, find a safe place to ride it out. Watch for flying debris, which causes the most fatalities and injuries while the tornado is in process.
- Remember that almost half of tornado-related injuries occur after the tornado has ended. Be careful when entering buildings that have been damaged. Wear sturdy shoes and appropriate clothes to avoid scrapes. Monitor your radio for emergency information. Do not touch downed power lines or anything in contact with such lines. Watch (and smell) for gas line breaks.
Cooperate fully with public safety officials
Respond to requests for volunteer assistance by police, fire fighters, emergency management and relief organizations (HOPE worldwide), but do not go into damaged areas unless assistance has been requested. Your presence could hamper relief efforts and you could endanger yourself.
Above all, be safe.
If you need further information, please contact the Disaster Services Team at: angelo.damiano@hopeww.org
Angelo Damiano, HOPE worldwide – National Director of Disaster Services
Angelo retired from the New Jersey State Police after 26 years of service. He was the Operations Officer responsible for safety/security operations at one of the largest sports & entertainment facilities in the country. His primary responsibility was to effectuate a safety and security program and to mitigate overall liability issues. He is a Department of Homeland Security subject matter expert on Mass Casualty, Emergency Action plans, Evacuation drills, Preparedness, Response and Recovery Plans. He has authored Operation S.A.F.E. Kingdom, a proprietary program in crisis management establishing an “All-Hazards” approach to disaster preparedness education and training for faith-based organizations.
