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NOAA Severe Weather Safety Guide

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FEMA Tornado safety brochure

Questions and answers about Tornadoes

What is a tornado?

A tornado is a violent storm with whirling winds of up to 300 miles per hour! It appears as a funnel shaped cloud, from gray to black in color (depending on the amount of debris the storm has picked up) which extends to the ground from the base of the thunderstorm.  A tornado spins like a top, and may sound like the roar of an airplane or locomotive. Tornadoes move at an average speed of 30 miles per hour, and generally move from southwest to northeast, though Florida tornadoes may follow other paths.
The direction of travel can be erratic, and may change suddenly.  These shortlived storms are the most violent of all atmospheric phenomena, and the most destructive, over a small area. Florida tornadoes tend to be smaller (usually F-0 to F-1 on the Fujita Scale in southern Florida, with an occaisional F-2), and shorter lived than their midwestern cousins, but all are dangerous to life and property none the less.

Why do tornadoes seem to "pick on" trailer parks and mobile homes?

The reason is the wind. Trailer homes are light and usually sit up on bricks or blocks that allow the wind to get underneath the structure. In fact, that's how tornadoes  destroy houses. They don't blow them down, they blow them in. The winds, if they're strong enough, lift the eaves of the house. This damages the wall supports and the walls fall in from the blast of the wind.

The Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity

(Graphic Courtesy FEMA)
 
 

F Scale	WIND SPEED	TYPE OF DAMAGE	FREQUENCY
F0	40-72 mph	MINIMAL: Chimney damage, tree branches broken.  Some damage to chimneys, TV antennas, roof hingles, trees, and windows.	29 %
F1	73-112 mph	MODERATE: Mobile homes pushed off foundation or overturned.  Automobiles overturned, carports destroyed, trees uprooted.	40 %
F2	113-157 mph	MAJOR: Considerable damage, mobile homes demolished, trees uprooted.  Roofs blown off homes, sheds and outbuildings demolished	24 %
F3	158-205 mph	SEVERE: Roofs and walls torn down, trains overturned, cars thrown.  Exterior walls and roofs blown off homes. Metal buildings collapsed or are severely damaged. Forests and farmland flattened.	6 %
F4	207-260 mph	DEVASTATING: Well-constructed walls leveled.  Large steel and concrete missiles thrown far distances.	2 %
F5	261-318 mph	INCREDIBLE: Homes lifted off foundation and carried considerable distances, autos thrown as far as 100 meters.  Schools, motels, and other larger structures have considerable damage with exterior walls and roofs gone. Top stories demolished.	Less than 1%

When can a tornado occur?

Although most tornadoes are likely to occur during the midafternoon and evening hours (3-7 pm), and during the months of April, May and June, they can occur at virtually any time, often with little or no warning. Tornadoes normally occur at the transition boundary between warm, moist tropical air, and cold, dry polar air.

Fortunately for us, we are not subject to the the major tornadoes of the midwest and plains states (known as 'tornado alley'). Tornadoes which form over the Gulf are called 'waterspouts'. Tornadoes often form in the right front quadrant of hurricanes as they make landfall as well.

What is the difference between a tornado WATCH and WARNING?

The National Weather Service (NWS) broadcasts severe weather conditions using the Emergency Alerting System (EAS, formerly knows as EBS) and over NOAA Weather Radio on 162.475 MHz (Ft. Myers...a new NOAA transmitter will be going on the air in the Naples area shortly). When a tornado WATCHis posted, NWS wants the public to know that conditions are right for the development of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. When a tornado WARNING is issued it means that a tornado has been sighted visually, or detected by doppler radar.  A location for the sighting is normally given in a warning.

What protective actions can I take during a tornado?

Under a tornado WATCH:
When conditions are right for a tornado, there are a few things that you should do:

• Stay tuned to a local radio or television station or listen to NOAA Weather Radio at 162.475 MHz.
• Secure any loose objects outdoors, or move them inside.
• Survey local structures for the most suitable shelter.
• Keep watching the sky to the south and southwest. If you see any rotating funnel shaped clouds, report them immediately to the nearest law enforcement agency and TAKE COVER!

• In a motor vehicle:
• The least desirable place to be during a tornado is inside a motor vehicle!
• NEVER try to outrun a tornado in your car!  Stop your vehicle and get out.
• Seek shelter quickly. Do NOT get under or next to your vehicle.
• A ditch or ground depression will help, if a tornado shelter is not nearby.
• At school:
• Follow the school disaster plan.
• Stay away from auditoriums, cafeterias, or gymnasiums, or other areas with wide free span roofs.
• Go into center hallways and stay away from windows..
• In open country:
• Move away from the tornado's projected path at right angles.
• Seek shelter in a ditch, ravine or culvert. Even a low spot in the ground will give you some protection.
• Stay away from trees.
• Remember to protect your head.
• In the home or condo:
• The safest place to go is the innermost hallway on the lowest floor.
• An interior closet is relatively safe. An interior bathroom is even better.
• Four walls surround a small area
• Bathroom plumbing helps hold things together.
• The bathtub, sink and toilet help support debris if the house should collapse.
• Avoid windows!
• Flying debris causes most injuries and deaths.
• Flying glass can be deadly!
• DO NOT OPEN WINDOWS AS A TORNADO APPROACHES TO EQUALIZE PRESSURES!
• If a tornado actually gets close enough for a pressure drop to be felt, the strong tornadic winds have probably already caused the most significant damage.
• Opening windows may actually increase the amount of damage!
• In a mobile or manufactured home:
• One of the least desirable places to be during a tornado.
• Seek shelter IMMEDIATELY!
• Go to a tornado shelter on foot.  Do NOT drive your car.
• Do NOT get under your mobile home.
• If no other shelter is available, lie down in a ditch or ground depression.

• Help injured or trapped persons.
• Give first aid when appropriate.
• Don't try to move the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.
• Call for help.
• Turn on radio or television to get the latest emergency information.
• Stay out of damaged buildings. Return home only when authorities say it is safe.
• Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
• Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, or gasoline or other flammable liquids immediately.
• Leave the buildings if you smell gas or chemical fumes.
• Take pictures of the damage--both to the house and its contents--for insurance purposes.
• Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance--infants, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

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