Tornadoes in the United States: A Heartbreaking Meteorological Phenomenon

The tornado season will begin in a couple of months, and there are countries that are already preparing to face the consequences that they may bring as best as possible. One of them is United States, the country in the world with the most tornadoes each year. Want to know why?

It turns out that the orographic area is ideal for these phenomena to occur. In the north we have a cold air mass coming from Canada that meets the warm air mass from the Gulf of Mexico. Between the two places, the Great Plains are flat, which makes tornadoes more likely.

The main problem Americans face is this: although most homes have a safe place to protect themselves, almost all tornadoes occur at night, when they are already sleeping, something that makes both material and physical damage important, since they can leave more than twenty deceased.

They occur mainly in spring and fall, and almost always in the same states, including: Oklahoma, Nebraska or Kansas. In fact, this area is known as the tornado runner, due to the amount of them that arise each year in these places. When it ends, it is the National Weather Service (NWS) that is responsible for evaluating it. This is something that does determining wind speed and severity of damage, known as Enhanced Fujita, or EF. Thus, we would have an EF0 if it only caused minor damage, or an EF5 when it devastated entire towns or cities.

It is to be expected that with climate change and rising temperatures, An increasing number of tornadoes occur, and with increasing intensity.This relationship between climate change and extreme weather events has been documented in recent studies.

Tornadoes are some of the most destructive forces of nature in existence. On average, the United States records more than 1.200 tornadoes, surpassing any other country in the world, including Canada, Australia, and all European countries combined. This is due to its unique geography, which makes it the ideal place for tornadoes to form. If you'd like to learn more about similar phenomena in other regions, we suggest checking out the tornadoes in Spain.

### What are Tornadoes?

A tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air and is in contact with the ground and a cumulonimbus cloud or the base of a cumulus cloud. This column of air may or may not be visible; it becomes visible when water vapor condenses into a cloud, or when the tornado kicks up dust and debris.

### Conditions for Tornado Formation

Not all storms produce tornadoes. For them to occur, several atmospheric conditions must be present simultaneously:

• Abundant humidity at lower levels, largely coming from the Gulf of Mexico.
• atmospheric instability: The atmosphere behaves in an unstable manner when an air mass begins to rise and accelerates through the atmosphere.
• A lifting mechanism: This can include cold fronts or dry lines that force air to rise.
• Wind shear: Changes in wind direction and speed with altitude are crucial for the formation of severe storms that produce tornadoes.

Types of Tornadoes

In addition to the conventional tornado, there are several associated types, each with its own unique characteristics:

• Land barrage: Tornado not associated with a rotating storm, usually weaker.
• liked: Small eddy that can form on gust fronts.
• Dust devil: It develops on sunny and calm days through rising warm air.
• Cold air funnel: It forms in a mass of cold air behind a front, rarely reaching the ground.

Tornado Climatology

Tornado climatology reveals that these phenomena occur in many parts of the world, but are most common in the United States. Geographic and meteorological conditions in North America are conducive to their formation. The most common areas where they form include:

• Tornado alley: A region in the central plains of the country where conditions are frequent for the formation of tornadoes.
• Dixie Alley: An area in the southeastern United States where tornadoes are common, especially in the fall.

### The Effects of Tornadoes

Tornadoes can cause significant devastation depending on their intensity. The Fujita scale classifies tornadoes according to the damage they cause:

• EF0: Minor damage.
• EF5: Total destruction, capable of dragging buildings from their foundations.

Most tornadoes (80%) are classified as EF0 or EF1, while EF4 and EF5 are less common, accounting for less than 1% of all tornadoes. To learn more about the most destructive tornadoes, you can read about the most devastating tornadoes in history.

### Detection and Prevention

Advances in technology, such as Doppler radar, have significantly improved the ability to detect and predict tornadoes. Warnings issued by the National Weather Service are crucial for public safety, allowing time for people to seek shelter.

### Preparation and Safety

It's crucial to be prepared for possible tornadoes. Some tips include:

• Have a family emergency plan.
• Identify a safe haven within the home, such as a basement or interior room.
• Follow weather alerts and act quickly.

Myths about tornado safety, such as opening windows to equalize the pressure, can be dangerous and should be ignored.

### Climate Change and Tornadoes

Climate change has begun to have a significant impact on the frequency and intensity of tornadoes. As global temperatures rise, it's reasonable to expect that tornadic activity will also increase. This has led to an increase in research and study of weather patterns related to tornadoes. For more information on this topic, we suggest visiting Global warming and its effects on tornadoes.

Each year, the U.S. National Weather Service publishes weather forecast information, helping communities prepare for and respond to the threat of tornadoes.

As knowledge about tornadoes continues to evolve, so does community preparedness and response, which is critical to reducing the number of casualties and property damage.