Severe Weather:

Tornadoes and Hurricanes

 Grab Toto!!
TORNADOES

Are a low pressure storm that usually

forms over land

in an average year, 800 tornadoes are

reported in the U.S.

a tornado is defined as a violently

rotating column of air extending from a
thunderstorm to the ground the
rotating column of air is called the
vortex

the vortex is only visible when debris THE HOOK

Where do they come
from?

Tornadoes come from the

energy released in a
thunderstorm.

What makes them

dangerous (as compared to
hurricanes) is that their
energy is concentrated in a
small area, only a hundred
yards across
When & Where do they
occur?

Most common east of the

Rocky Mountains and west
of the Appalachian
Mountains.

They occur mostly during

the spring and summer
(April-June)

They usually occur during

the late afternoon and early
evening.

Usually happen along cold

fronts
How long is a tornado
usually on the ground?

Can range from a few seconds

to several hours ...
5 minutes is average

How fast do tornadoes

move?

Movement can range from

virtually stationary to more
than 60 miles per hour ...
Average is 10-20 miles per
hour.
Watchmeans conditions are
favorable for tornado to
develop

Warningmeans that tornado

has been spotted
 THE WIND!
Take a look at
this piece of
wood that
was driven
into the palm
tree.
LOOK
AT
THESE
MEASURING DESTRUCTION

The Enhanced Fujita Scale rates tornadoes based on

the amount and type of wind damage produced.
EF-0. Light damage

Wind 65 to 85 mph. Causes some

damage to siding and shingles
EF-1. Moderate damage
Wind 86 to 110 mph. Considerable roof
damage. Winds can uproot trees and
overturn single-wide mobile homes.
Flagpoles bend.
EF-2. Considerable damage
Wind 111 to 135 mph. Most single-wide
mobile homes destroyed. Permanent
homes can shift off foundation.
Flagpoles collapse. Softwood trees
debarked.
EF-3. Severe damage
Wind 136 to 165 mph. Hardwood trees
debarked. All but small portions of
houses destroyed.
EF-4. Devastating damage
Wind 166 to 200 mph. Complete
destruction of well-built residences and
large sections of school buildings
EF-5. Incredible damage.
Wind +200 mph. Significant structural deformation of
mid- and high rise buildings.

Strong frame houses leveled off foundations and swept

away; automobile-sized missiles fly through the air in
excess of 100 yards

May 25th, 2008

Catastrophic damage was reported in
Parkersburg as much of the town was
destroyed, with reports of flattened
houses and debarked trees. Six
people were killed in Parkersburg and
at least two fatalities were reported
where a housing development was
destroyed. At least 70 people were
injured
At 9:45 p.m. on May 4, 2007, Greensburg was hit by an EF5 tornado. The tornado
was estimated to be 1.7 miles (2.7 km) in width and traveled for nearly 22 miles
(35 km). Ninety-five percent of the city was confirmed to be destroyed, with the
other five percent being severely damaged. The National Weather Service
estimated winds of the tornado to reach 205 mph (330 km/h). This was the first
tornado to ever be rated EF5 since the update of the Fujita scale.
HURRICANES

Low pressure systems that form over warm,

tropical waters near the equator

Most form between 5 and 20 degrees north

latitude they almost never form in the South
Atlantic
Different names are given to hurricanes
depending on where they form

1. Atlanticwe call them hurricanes

2. Pacificthey are called typhoons

3. Indian Oceanthey are called cyclones

Mature hurricanes average about 350 miles across

They have the lowest barometric pressures ever

recorded with any storm (905 millibars is lowest
recorded)

These huge air pressure differences is what creates

the rapid, inward spiraling of winds
HURRICANE DEVELOPMENT
When winds have
developed
speeds from 39
to 73 miles per
hour, it is called
a tropical
storm (storms
are given names
when they begin
to have winds of
this speed).

2005 Katrina Developing

The storm becomes
a hurricane when it
reaches a wind
speed of over 74
mph

Hurricane F
ormation
When a
season is
very
active,
Greek
letters
are used
to name
tropical
storms
after the
letters of
the
alphabet
had been
used.
 THE END OF A HURRICANE

When a hurricane travels over land or cold water, its

energy source (warm water) is gone and the storm
weakens, quickly dying.
HURRICANE SEASON
Occurs from June through November
Most hurricanes form during the late summer
months because the ocean is still retaining heat
from the warmer earlier months
MEASURING DESTRUCTION

We use the Saffir-Simpson scale to rank hurricane

intensities
Saffir-Simpson Scale
CATEGORY WIND STORM DAMAGE
SPEED SURGE
1 74-95 mph 4-5 feet Minimal
2 96-110 mph 6-8 feet Moderate
3 111-130 9-12 feet Extensive
mph
4 131-155 13-18 Extreme
mph
5 Greater Greater Catastrophic
than 155 than 18
Video Clip on Wind Tunnel
STORM SURGE ACCOUNTS FOR
90% OF
HURRICANE-CAUSED DEATHS
Category 5 Status includes:

Hurricane Wilma (October 2005) -- Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan

Peninsula, Mexico, Cuba, and Southern Florida

Hurricane Rita (September 2005) -- hit Texas, Louisiana

Hurricane Katrina (August 2005) -- hit southern Louisiana,

Mississippi and Alabama

Hurricane Isabel (September 2003) -- hit North Carolina,

Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Hurricane Andrew (August 1992)-- hit southeastern Florida and

southeastern Louisiana

Hurricane Camille (August 1969) -- hit Mississippi, SE Louisiana,

and Virginia
AMAZING EARTH SCIENCE FACTS

High pressure systems move clockwise and outward

_______

Low pressure systems (ex. hurricanes) move

_______
counterclockwise and inward.