"Twister", the common name for the evil side of nature. As
these funnel clouds tear over homes and pastures, they leave nothing in
their path. Leveling buildings and destroying vegetation, tornadoes are
one of the most feared natural disasters. Oklahoma is located
in what weather watchers call "Tornado Alley". Over 75% of all
tornadoes of the U.S occur in this area. Why is this such a hotspot for
tornadoes? Well, tornadoes develop usually in low pressure areas of high
winds. They also need two different air masses of different temperatures
to collide. There are superb conditions in Oklahoma and the rest of the
Alley where warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with dry cold
air from the Great Plains. Mix them together and you have ideal conditions
for a tornado. Tornadoes are considered violent whirling
winds, most often accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud extending from a
cumulonimbus cloud. The funnels are made visible by dust being sucked up
and by condensation of water droplets in the middle of the funnel. These
funnels can reach wind speeds of more than 300 mph. With this force, almost
anything can be picked up, carried, or leveled. Tornadoes are
classed by how much they "eat" or destroy. The scale going from
an F1 to and F6. No one knows what an F6 would be like since one has never
been reported. F5's have recently rocked the Midwest causing loss of life
and millions of dollars in damage. To protect yourself, one must get in
a low area without windows, which can shatter due to pressure. Tornadoes
may not be stoppable but they are predictable. We get closer and closer
each day to saving more lives by spotting tornadoes.
Images provided by J. Ferrell.
Oklahoma is located
in what weather watchers call "Tornado Alley". Over 75% of all
tornadoes of the U.S occur in this area. Why is this such a hotspot for
tornadoes? Well, tornadoes develop usually in low pressure areas of high
winds. They also need two different air masses of different temperatures
to collide. There are superb conditions in Oklahoma and the rest of the
Alley where warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with dry cold
air from the Great Plains. Mix them together and you have ideal conditions
for a tornado. 
Tornadoes are considered violent whirling
winds, most often accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud extending from a
cumulonimbus cloud. The funnels are made visible by dust being sucked up
and by condensation of water droplets in the middle of the funnel. These
funnels can reach wind speeds of more than 300 mph. With this force, almost
anything can be picked up, carried, or leveled.
Tornadoes are
classed by how much they "eat" or destroy. The scale going from
an F1 to and F6. No one knows what an F6 would be like since one has never
been reported. F5's have recently rocked the Midwest causing loss of life
and millions of dollars in damage. To protect yourself, one must get in
a low area without windows, which can shatter due to pressure. Tornadoes
may not be stoppable but they are predictable. We get closer and closer
each day to saving more lives by spotting tornadoes.
