Storm Watcher (22 page)

The tornado is the most destructive of all storms. But it usually only causes damage in a small area. Winds of over 300 mph have been recorded. Tornadoes can last a few minutes or as long as an hour. Most tornados last about ten minutes.
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An average tornado is about 375 feet wide.
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It stays on the ground for less than 1 mile. The widest tornado on record was 2.6 miles wide. It tore through El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31, 2013. The longest tornado path on record was from the Tri-State Tornado. It cut through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on March 18, 1925. It stayed on the ground for 219 miles. This tornado was also the deadliest tornado on record, killing 695 people.
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Cool picture of a supercell thunderstorm:

http://icons-ak.wxug.com/i/severe/supercell_explainer.png

Great website for more info about tornadoes:

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/index.html

Tornado Safety:

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/safety.html

Flash Floods

Think about when you overfill a glass with water. Water flows over the rim, and maybe on to the floor and your shoes. That’s like a mini-flash flood. The same thing happens in streams and rivers. When it rains too hard, water spills out over the banks. If enough water flows out and has nowhere to go, it causes a flash flood. These floods are dangerous.

Moving water packs a punch. People are often surprised by the power of moving water. It takes only 2’ of water to sweep a car away. Only 6” of fast-moving floodwater can knock you over.
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On June 9, 1972, the Black Hills flash flood in South Dakota dumped 15” inches of rain in 5 hours. Rapid Creek overflowed and killed 238 people.
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The worst flash flood on record was the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Flood. On May 31, 1889, heavy rains caused the South Fork Dam to burst. A wall of water swept through the town, killing 2,209 people.
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When Thunder Roars, Go I
n
doors!

Lighting kills. According to the National Weather Service, next to flooding, it is the second deadliest weather-related killer. About 73 deaths occur each year from lightning strikes. That’s more than from snowstorms, tornadoes or hurricanes.
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If you can hear thunder, then you’re within striking distance of a thunderstorm’s deadly lightning. The safest and smartest thing to do is go inside. Find a substantial building or a hard-topped vehicle right away. Always bring your pets inside with you. Picnic shelters, bus stops, dugouts, tents, and sheds are NOT safe. Neither are doghouses, treehouses, or other small buildings even without electricity. In a car, don’t lean against the doors during a storm.

Avoid touching corded phones. Cell phones are okay. Never touch windows, doors, plumbing, or any plugged-in appliances. Don’t wash your hands, do the dishes, or take a shower during a thunderstorm. Also don’t lie on a concrete floor or lean on a concrete wall. Lightning can travel through the metal rebar inside the concrete.

After a thunderstorm passes, wait thirty minutes before going back outside. The National Weather Service says that if everyone followed these rules, lightning deaths would be reduced.

If you can’t find a safe building or vehicle, here are tips to lower your risk of being struck by lightning
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:

• Avoid open areas and fields
  
• Do not stand on top of ridges or hills
  
• Keep away from tall trees, tall objects, or isolated trees
  
• In a forest, keep close to a lower stand of trees
  
• Stay away from bodies of water like ponds, lakes, rivers and even wet items
  
• Stay away from metal objects like fences, poles, and towers
  

If the hair on your arms, neck, and head stand on end, a lightning strike is coming. Make yourself as small a target as possible. If possible, find a ditch or shallow depression. Crouch down with your feet together. Do NOT put your hands on the ground. Instead, place your hands on your knees. Also do NOT hold hands or hug another person.
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12 Curious Facts about
L
i
g
ht
n
i
n
g

• Florida is the lightning capital of the United States.
  
• The most lightning deaths happen during fishing, camping, boating, soccer, and golfing.
  
• 82 percent of lightning victims are male.
  
• 70 percent of lightning strikes are during the months of June, July, and August.
  
• In the United States, about 22 million lightning flashes strike the ground each year.
  
• Lightning can also strike in the winter during a rare thunder snowstorm.
  
• People can survive a lightning strike, but many are badly hurt.
  
• American park ranger Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning seven times between 1942 and 1977. He survived them all. People nicknamed him the
  Human Lightning Rod
  . He earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
  
• Lightning strikes can melt sand. The sand turns into glass-like tubes. These are called
  fulgerites
  .
  
• Many cloud-to-ground lightning strikes are forked. This means they strike many different points on the ground.
  
• Once lightning hits the ground, it can spread more than 60 feet from the strike point.
  
• Fear of lightning is called
  keraunophobia
  .
  
• Fear of thunder is called
  brontophobia
  .
  

(See endnotes. From sources 9-11, 15)

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

   OF THUNDERSTORMS

      TRUE OR FALSE?

1. Lightning never strikes the same location twice.
   
2. The rubber tires on a car protect you from lightning.
   
3. Lightning can start forest fires.
   
4. A 5-second delay between a flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder means the thunderstorm is 1 mile away.
   
5. If there aren’t any clouds overhead and it’s not raining, you’re safe from lighting.
   
6. It’s dangerous to use your cell phone during a storm.
   
7. You’re pretty safe inside an airplane during a thunderstorm.
   
8. If it starts to thunder, you should shelter under a tree.
   
9. If someone is struck by lightning, do not touch them.
   
10. If trapped outside during a storm, do not lie on the ground.
    

ANSWERS

1. False – Lightning will strike the same spot many times. The Empire State Building is struck almost 100 times a year.
   
2. False – The metal sides and roof of the car protect you, not the tires. The metal conducts the lightning to the ground. During a storm, do NOT lean on the car doors.
   
3. True – In the Western United States and Alaska, lightning is the main cause of forest fires. In the past, 15,000 lightning strikes have burned more than two million acres of forests across the United States.
   
4. True – Sound waves travel slower than light waves. You see the flash of light right away. But it takes the sound of thunder 5 seconds to travel 1 mile.
   
5. False – Lightning can strike more than 3 miles from a thunderstorm. And “bolts from the blue” have hit 10 to 15 miles away from the storm’s center.
   
6. False – You can use a cell phone during a thunderstorm. But you should NOT use a corded phone. Electricity from lightning can travel through the phone wires.
   
7. True – A commercial airplane’s metal skin will conduct the current outside the airplane. The plane’s fuel tanks are made to keep electrical charges from setting the fuel on fire.
   
8. False – Trees are tall and often struck by lightning. Only if you’re in the forest and unable to get to a safe shelter can you shelter under a group of shorter trees.
   

1. False – A person struck by lightning will NOT be electrified. You can give them first aid as soon as possible. Lightning strike victims may need CPR and/or care for serious burns.
   
2. True – If you can’t find shelter, make yourself as small a target as possible. Crouch down with your hands on your knees. Do NOT put your hands on the ground. Crouching in a low spot or ditch will also help.
   

(See endnotes. From sources 10-11)

HURRICANES

Hurricanes are the largest storms on earth. They cause billions of dollars in damage. And they are responsible for many deaths.

Depending where you live, hurricanes are called by different names. Storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean and the Eastern Pacific Ocean are called
hurricanes
. If they begin in the Western Pacific Ocean, they’re
typhoons
. Those that form in the Indian Ocean are called
cyclones
. Scientists call all of these storms
tropical cyclones
.

Tropical cyclones form over the warm ocean water near the equator. This super-warm, moisture-filled air rises as it heats up. The air then cools. As it goes higher into the atmosphere, the moisture in it condenses into water droplets. When the air rises, the surface air swirls in to take its place. This swirling air spins as it grows. Warm ocean water and evaporation fuel it.