Facts about Tornadoes

Tornadoes - even the name, gives most people the shudders! Especially to those who happen to be natives of the United States, as this place is mostly frequented by these devastating phenomenon of nature. However, they can hit almost anywhere on the globe. Also known as twisters, as devastating they are, they are also one of the amazing creations of mother nature. Their existence stands for the fact that mankind do not possess the ability to gain a complete control over nature - a soul that is unbound and free.

Tornadoes - Nature's Fury

If viewed from the perspective of philosophy, the occurrence of tornadoes may be analogical to the union of two giant entities of the universe - the Earth and the Heaven. As a child I had read a story which narrated how Earth and Heaven were separated from each other by the Almighty. So may be Heaven pays occasional visits to his love at any time of the year. But such visits cost dearly to the human race, resulting in large-scale destruction of objects that are essential for the existence of life. But as we say, 'everything is fare is love and war'...

• The Tornado Alley in the United States is regarded to be the most active breeding grounds for these crazy rotating columns of air.
• Some tornadoes can attain a wind speed of 300 mph (480 km/h). And some can even stretch for more than 2 miles (3 km).
• Reports estimate that there are 800 occurrences of tornadoes in the United States each year.
• It is interesting to know that in about 95% of cases, tornadoes have a counter-clockwise rotation.
• Most of these twisters have been reported to make their occurrence between 3 pm and 9 pm.
• May 3rd, 1999 witnessed the daddy of all tornadoes. It cost a loss of over $1 billion dollars worth properties in Oklahoma. This date of Heaven and Earth was sure a pricey one!
• Different tornadoes have different shapes or sizes. However, most of them occur in the form of a visible condensation funnel. The narrow end of this formation touches the earth and usually encircled by a cloud of dust and debris.
• Every continent has been hit by tornadoes at least once, except Antarctica.
• Tornadoes may be playful too. It has been observed that some tornadoes take a hop-along session in some places. For instance, you might encounter one jeopardizing the house of your neighbor, leaving yours and destroying the next. You cannot get luckier than that!
• Once a tornado in Kansas was not only devastating for the natives, but also for some chickens out there. They got striped off their feather. Guess they got fired from Kentucky!
• According to surveys, each year, a dozen of people succumb to death due to tornadoes, in the United States.
• The people of the Manikganj District, Bangladesh had to encounter the deadliest tornado recorded in the history of mankind. It was responsible for leaving about 8000 people homeless, 12000 people injured and 1300 deaths.
• Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, and Nebraska are attributed to be the top 5 hot spot places where tornadoes mostly occur, in a descending order.
• Places with the lowest incidences include Alaska, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Vermont, and Oregon.
• For measuring the magnitude of a tornado, scientists make use of what is known as the Fujita scale. The scale F0 is known to be a gale tornado (40-72 mph), F1, a moderate tornado (3-112 mph), and F2 is known as a significant tornado (113-157 mph). A severe tornado is rated on a F3 scale (158-206 mph), a devastating tornado (207-260 mph) on a F4 and F5 is an incredible tornado (261-318 mph).

And with those different speed ratings, I touch down on the conclusion on my brief stormy input on tornadoes. Hope you enjoyed the session learning about the various aspects that are associated with these swirling dancers of nature, whooshing away with their own melodious rhythm. Take care!