Tornado Season
Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year. In the southern states,
peak tornado occurrence is in April through June, while peak months in the
northern states are during the summer. Tornadoes are most likely to occur
between 3 and 9 p.m. but have been known to occur at all hours of the day
or night.
Watches versus Warnings
Many people confuse the meaning of a tornado "watch" and
tornado "warning" issued by the National Weather Service. Here's
the difference:
Watch: Tornadoes are possible in your area; remain alert for
approaching storms.
Warning: A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather
radar. If a tornado warning is issued for your area and the sky becomes
threatening, move to your pre- designated place of safety.
Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale
A common misnomer regarding the Fujita scale is that many people
confuse it to be a measurement of size of a tornado when in actuality it
is the amount of destruction caused by the tornado.
Category F0: Gale tornado (40-72 mph); light damage. Some damage to
chimneys; break branches off trees; push over shallow-rooted trees; damage
to sign boards.
Category F1: Moderate tornado (73-112 mph); moderate damage. The
lower limit is the beginning of hurricane wind speed; peel surface off
roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos
pushed off the roads.
Category F2: Significant tornado (113-157 mph); considerable
damage. roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars
pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles
generated.
Category F3: Severe tornado (158-206 mph); Severe damage. Roofs
and some walls torn off well-constructed houses; trains overturned; most
trees in forest uprooted; heavy cars lifted off ground and thrown.
Category F4: Devastating tornado (207-260 mph); Devastating
damage. Well- constructed houses leveled; structure with weak foundation
blown off some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated.
Category F5: Incredible tornado (261-318 mph); Incredible
damage. Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried
considerable distance to disintegrate; automobile sized missiles fly
through the air in excess of 100 yards; trees debarked; incredible
phenomena will occur.
Safety and Preparedness
It is important to remain alert to signs of an approaching tornado and
seek shelter if threatening conditions exist. Look for environmental clues
including a dark sky, large hail or a loud roar.
If a warning is issued, move to a pre-designated
shelter such as a basement; stay
away from windows.
Categorical Convective Outlooks
The Storm Prediction Center is now using Categorical Convective Outlooks to
help predict severe thunderstorms and tornado outbreaks. These
outlooks are available online at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/.
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last update:
02/01/06
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