Tornadoes – Why They Form and How to Be Safe

Tornadoes. The infamous wind funnels that, just about two weeks ago, woke up nearly all of Detroit. But why? Why is it important to dash to your basement whenever you hear that crackly, adrenaline rush-inducing alarm on your phone or TV, “TORNADO WARNING” written in big letters on the screen? And how do these tower toppling twisters even happen?

Tornadoes send debris flying through the air at up to two-hundred miles per hour, which can break windows with no issue. For this reason and more, during a tornado warning/emergency it is important to stay away from windows. Also, make sure to take shelter in a closet or basement, since the tornado could collapse your house, blow violent winds, and let in flying debris as well.

Tornadoes are formed when a large thunderstorm’s clouds have masses of warm and cold currents to form a tornado. This usually occurs near the Gulf of Mexico, so the reason we get tornadoes at all is because they often come from out of the USA. The cold air from Canada comes into contact with the warm air from the Gulf of Mexico, which is why states like Florida get so many tornadoes.

Tornadoes are dangerous, but over time, we have learned how to predict tornadoes and stay protected from them, as we have hurricanes, typhoons, and even cyclones. The most important thing to do during these severe weather conditions is to stay safe and know about the dangers of tornadoes in order to stay safe in an emergency.

Works Cited

https://www.michigan.gov/michiganprepares/be-informed/tornado#:~:text=Flying%20debris%20is%20deadly%20during,with%20blankets%20for%20more%20protection.

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/k-12-education/severe-weather/what-causes-tornadoes