BATH FIRE DEPARTMENT

TORNADO SAFETY

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"TORNADO "

Researched and compiled by Dan L. McClelland

The word tornado came from the Latin word TONARE which means "to thunder". A tornado, commonly called a twister or cyclone, is the most violent of all storms. Cyclones, from the Greek word for circle, are spiral shaped windstorms that usually circulate in a counterclockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. They blow in spirals because they are deflected by the rotation of the Earth. Most tornadoes are small, intense cyclones.

Tornadoes develop when the conditions that cause thunderstorms are unusually violent. This includes winds blowing in opposite directions around a strong updraft that start a narrow, violent whirl. Centrifugal force throws the air away from the center, leaving the core with very low air pressure. At first the funnel shaped cloud may look white because it is made up of water droplets. After touching down, it becomes dark because of all the debris it sucks up. The low air pressure in the center is like a strong vacuum, it picks up dirt, rocks, tree limbs, and it can tear the roofs off of houses, pick up whole trees, animals, and even car and mobile homes, and destroy almost everything in its path.

Most tornadoes are small, intense cyclones that have a damage path of less the 1,600 feet (500 meters) wide, move at less than 35miles (55 kilometers) per hour, and last only a few minutes. Around the edge of the whirl, wind speed may reach 300 miles (480 kilometers) per hour. Because of their small size the edge of a tornado may destroy houses on one side of the street and leave the houses on the other side untouched. Extremely destructive twisters may reach 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in diameter, travel at 60 miles (100 kilometers) per hour, and blow for more than an hour.

The United States has the highest incidence of tornadoes in the world (Australia is number two). Tornadoes occur most often during the spring and early summer in the late afternoon and early evening.

The first sign of an approaching tornado may be light rain, followed by heavier rain, then rained mixed with hail. The hailstones may grow to the size of golf balls or even baseballs. After the hail ends, a tornado may strike.

In the United States, the National Weather Service issues a tornado watch when conditions in the atmosphere promote the formation of tornadoes. If a tornado watch is issued for your area, you should watch for threatening weather and listen to the radio or television for more information. If Doppler radar detects a mesocyclone in a thunderstorm, the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning. The Weather Service also issues a tornado warning if someone actually sees a funnel cloud. If a tornado warning is issued for your location, take cover immediately. If your area lies in the path of an approaching tornado, seek shelter in an underground structure, such as a basement, or parking garage. Stay out of the upper stories of buildings and away from windows. If you are in a building that has no basement, go to the lowest floor and lie flat, preferably in an interior bathroom or closet. Cover yourself with a rug, blanket, pillows, or other padding for protection against flying glass and rubble.

If you are inside a building, do not open any windows when a tornado is approaching. Scientists used to advise people to open windows during a tornado to equalize the air pressure between the building and the outside and so prevent the structure from exploding outward. Scientists now know that buildings are not damaged by the sudden pressure change and that the danger from flying glass is much greater if people open the windows.

If you are in a car, try to escape by driving at a right angle to the path of the tornado. If you cannot reach shelter or escape, lie in a ditch or other hollow place.

The Bath Fire Department is proud to participate with the Summit County Emergency Management Agency and the Revere School District in their annual Tornado drill.

Information for this article was taken from the following sources:

For further information you can contact The Tornado Project http://www.tornadoproject.com/

The editors of The Bath Fire Department web site have identified this Internet site as having informational value: however, neither The Bath Fire Department nor Bath Township necessarily endorse the views expressed in the site nor have we attempted to verify that all of the facts in the Internet site are accurate in every detail. Furthermore, The Bath Fire Department takes no responsibility should you go from our selected site, to another linked site, that you or a member of your household/organization find offensive or injurious.

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Created by Members of Bath Fire Department.  Please send comments or suggestions to  lallison@bathtownship.org,   Last update Friday, August 01, 2008