Tornadoes
- 1. An Introduction to Hurricanes
- 2. Objectives for today Understand the various factors that help to create a hurricane. Learn the various stages in the life cycle of a hurricane Learn how weather forecasters track hurricanes to warn people Apply some of our knowledge to the current weather events involving Hurricane Ike
- 3. Hurricanes – the whole A hurricane is a tropical cyclone, a large, swirling storm that produces lots of wind and rain How do they move? What’s the eye? Why don’t they hit Kansas?
- 4. What creates a hurricane? Origin of most hurricanes Start to become hurricanes because of two main factors Little or no wind shear allows a storm to gather its strength The ocean gives the storm plenty of water to feed itself with Where do they form? What’s the “life cycle” of a hurricane?
- 5. How do we characterize hurricanes? Strength Saffir-Simpson Scale Names Given by the World Meteorological Organization every year Destructive storms have their names “retired”
- 6. Objectives for today: Answer the following questions … What are tornadoes, and why do they hate Kansas? Where do tornadoes get their energy? What’s the latest word on tornado forecasting? What should we do when the sirens go off?
- 7. A killer sandwich? Thunderstorms help produce tornadoes Thunderstorms form where cool, dry air meets warm, moist air Area of the country where there are many thunderstorms and tornadoes: “Tornado Alley”
- 8. How tornadoes are born Involves pockets of air – diagram time Happens most around us because of our environment Rocky Mountains to northwest Gulf of Mexico to southeast Thunderstorms and tornadoes 100,000 thunderstorms in the U.S. 1,000 tornadoes formed
- 9. Winds too quick to measure Too dangerous to measure “ Twister” and real science Measured by Doppler radar and assessed from damage Some things about tornadoes Range from 150 ft to a mile across Can last from a few minutes to an hour Can move from a few hundred feet to 100 miles Travel along the ground up to 60 mph
- 10. Steps to making a tornado Inversion cap forms Warm, high pressure air breaks through the cap Air shoots through the break Rain and hail form Condensation keeps the storm growing Anvil top Live or die Mesocyclone Tornado
- 11. Tornado forecasting Tornadoes tough to predict and forecast Size of storms Directions Tracking and forecasting The bad news Tornadoes develop faster than we thought Problems with warnings
- 12. Protecting ourselves Early warnings Tornado watch Tornado warning Taking shelter – down Basement In interior room Under furniture At a shelter or in a ditch Tornado survival kit