Tornadoes do not follow a specific path or route, and can change directions at any time. The only safe place to be during a tornado is in a location that offers shelter from high winds and debris. “The damage to homes during a tornado is caused by an explosion from changes in air pressure.”.
When we were researching we ran into the question “What is the direction of a tornado?”.
Most move from southwest to northeast, or west to east. Some tornadoes have changed direction amid path, or even backtracked. [A tornado can double back suddenly, for example, when its bottom is hit by outflow winds from a thunderstorm’s core.].
Do tornadoes always move west to East?
Tornadoes will often move in a generally west-to-east pattern through a lot of tornado country. But that doesn’t mean that they always do, nor does it guarantee that they’ll steadfastly stay the course. If you’re running from a tornado, best you run straight to a shelter and not try to predict where it will mosey off.
Can tornadoes hit the same place twice?
Tornado damage near Harvest, Alabama, from the March 2, 2012, outbreak. (Image credit: NWS) Tornadoes can, and have hit the same place twice. Just ask the folks in Harvest, Ala. After this past weekend, they have now been hit twice in 10 months.
[This is why the phrase, “tornado on the ground” is redundant — by definition, a tornado has to be “on the ground”. ] Weather scientists haven’t found it so simple in practice, however, to classify and define tornadoes (per this essay by Doswell).
A tornado can cause damage on the ground even when a visible funnel cloud has not formed. If you see a funnel cloud that does not appear to be touching the ground, the wind and circulation may still reach the ground and cause extensive damage.
What happens if a tornado is not coming directly towards you?
“If a tornado is not coming directly towards me, I am out of harm’s way. ” False! Tornadoes do not follow a specific path or route, and can change directions at any time. The only safe place to be during a tornado is in a location that offers shelter from high winds and debris.
These storms caused billions in damage. There is no guaranteed safety during a tornado. Even the possibility of a tornado must be taken seriously. Although the most violent tornadoes can level and blow away almost any house and those within it, extremely violent EF5 tornadoes (those with wind speeds of 200MPH or more) are rare.
While I was writing we ran into the question “What are some myths about tornadoes?”.
The only safe place to be during a tornado is in a location that offers shelter from high winds and debris. “The damage to homes during a tornado is caused by an explosion from changes in air pressure.” False! Homes are damaged by the strong winds produced by a tornado, not by the changes in the air pressure.