Tornado in the USA

The strength of a tornado is measured on the Fujita-Pearson scale, developed by Dr. Theodore Fujita to classify tornadoes based on the degree of damage caused by the wind.



The word 'Tornado' comes from the Spanish language and means 'turning'. A tornado occurs under certain atmospheric conditions, in a low-pressure area, during a severe thunderstorm.



A tornado usually forms in a thunderstorm cloud and extends downward, often to the ground, in the shape of a funnel with a diameter ranging from several dozen to hundreds of meters:



Tornadoes most often occur in the United States. The second 'most popular' region for tornadoes is Europe. As a result of the latest tornado that struck America, 28 people have already died. The city of Harrisburg in Illinois was hit the hardest. Not long ago, there was a house in this place, which was completely destroyed by a tornado on February 29, 2012. (Photo Jim Young | Reuters):


The average diameter of a tornado funnel is 300—400 meters, although it can reach several kilometers.

The city of Branson, Missouri, February 29, 2012. (Photo Mark Schiefelbein | AP):


Inside a tornado, there is an area of highly rarefied air, and enclosed gas- or air-filled objects, including structures and buildings, can explode from the inside due to pressure differences.

The destroyed church in Illinois, March 1, 2012. (Photo Seth Perlman | AP):


The power of a tornado is immense. It is estimated that the energy of a tornado with a diameter of 2 km and an average wind speed of 70 m/s is comparable to the energy of the atomic bomb detonated in the US during the tests called 'Trinity' in 1945.

Tornado in Oklahoma:


In 2011, about 550 people were victims of tornadoes, the highest number since 1936.



Tornado in Kansas:



Let's return to the recent tornadoes in the US that destroyed hundreds of homes in several states, February 29, 2012. (Photo Dave Kaup | Reuters):



After the tornado passed, flimsy American houses turned into such ruins. The city of Branson, Missouri, February 29, 2012. (Photo Sarah Conard | Reuters):



However, brick buildings did not withstand either, Illinois, February 29, 2012. (Photo Whitney Curtis | Getty Images):



The city of Harrisburg in Illinois, February 29, 2012. Winds hit the city at speeds of up to 320 km/h! (Photo Whitney Curtis | Getty Images):



Kentucky, February 29, 2012. (Photo by Patti Longmire | AP):



Most of the deceased residents of the states did not hear the tornado warning sirens because they were asleep. In this photo from above, you can see the tornado moving through the city of Harrisburg on February 29, 2012. (Photo by Steve Jahnke | The Southern | AP):



A destroyed church, Illinois, February 29, 2012. (Photo by Scott Olson | Getty Images):



A total of more than 60 tornadoes were recorded in the southern United States, some of which reached 800 meters in diameter. According to eyewitnesses, the tornadoes lifted entire houses, cars, and heavy trucks into the air. The city of Harrisburg, Illinois, February 29, 2012. (Photo by Scott Olson | Getty Images):



F5 category tornado (see table above). Canadian province of Manitoba, 1997:



Причины образования торнадо до сих пор не изучены. На начальной стадии образования торнадо, из грозового облака появляется висящая в воздухе воронка, которая затем"прорастает" до земли.



When the tornado ends, the funnel narrows and detaches from the ground surface, gradually rising back into the cloud.



The first mentions of tornadoes in Russia date back to 1406.



"Silver Rain." In 1940, in the village of Meshchery in the Nizhny Novgorod region, it rained silver coins. During a storm, a treasure of coins was washed away, and a passing tornado lifted the coins into the air and dropped them near the village of Meshchery.