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Tornadoes only occur in North America - Margo

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Tornadoes only occur in North America - Margo

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Many people think tornados can only occur in North America. While most tornadoes do occur in North America they have also occurred in every continent except Antarctica. The US has about 1,400 tornadoes each year, far more than anywhere else. However Europe sees about 300 tornadoes a year, with most being in the UK. The United Kingdom has around 33 tornadoes each year. The area near the Bay of Bengal also has a short tornado season. "A 1989 Bangladeshi twister left 1,300 people dead and displaced 80,000."
Kershner, K. (2020, June 30). Do tornadoes only occur in North America? Retrieved January 8, 2021, from https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/do-tornadoes-only-occur-in-north-america.htm

Below shows the destruction of the 1989 Bangladesh Tornado

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You Can Outrun a Tornado in a car - Oliver 

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You Can Outrun a Tornado in a car - Oliver 

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Most people think of tornadoes and hurricanes similarly, Slow and predictable; but tornadoes are not slow or predictable so they need to be treaded with the utmost caution. Tornadoes reach speeds of up to 110 miles per hour (almost double the speed limit of a highway) and often change direction unpredictably, so the idea of outrunning a tornado should be far out of your mind when you see one. If you do see a tornado you need to...

1. Go to the basement or an inside room without windows on the lowest floor (bathroom, closet, center hallway).

2. Avoid windows.

3. For added protection get under something sturdy (a heavy table or workbench). Cover your body with a blanket, sleeping bag or mattress

There is no point in trying to outrun a tornado. you are only putting your own life at risk.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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To stay safe during a tornado, prepare a plan and an emergency kit, stay aware of weather conditions during thunderstorms, know the best places to shelter both indoors and outdoors, and always protect yourself from injury, especially your head. [short URL].

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Tornadoes cant happen near mountains. (Elle)

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Tornadoes cant happen near mountains. (Elle)

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Although tornadoes are less common over mountainous regions, they still can occur there. For example, the 1987 Teton-Yellowstone F4 tornado,  which caused damage ranging  from elevations of 2600 m to 3000 m which made it the highest altitude violent tornado in the United States. However, the reason as to why tornadoes over mountainous landscapes aren't as common is because of the cool, and stable air that is usually found at higher altitudes.

Wikipedia Contributors. (2020, May 15). Teton-Yellowstone Tornado. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 8, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teton–Yellowstone_tornado

Means, T. (2019, February 20). 7 Biggest Tornado Safety Myths and Misconceptions. Thought.Co. https://www.thoughtco.com/tornado-safety-myths-3444300

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You can outrun a tornado in your car-Alex

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You can outrun a tornado in your car-Alex

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The thought of trying to outrun a tornado on foot seems like a crazy thing that would never work (The average tornado moves at a speed of around 50km/h and the average persons runs at 24km/h, so that's much faster). So if you think about it driving away from a tornado seems like a something that should work, quite well actually. Based on speed alone, a car can outpace a tornado. So it is a good idea! Well no. There are to many uncertainties (If's). The fastest recorded twister to ever be recorded raced to the crazy speeds of 117km/h. As you would think tornadoes do mostly travel in straight lines, but they also have a lot of unpredictability. They could suddenly in an instant change their course. Tornadoes usually also have straight line winds that occur around the tornado, which can reach speeds of up to 128km/h. These speeds are more than enough to throw and toss cars that are in it's way. Clearly with all the evidence provided it shows how staying in an underground shelter or that other life preserving tactics should be peoples first instinct, and not trying to outrun it in your car. Lastly if lot's of people try to make a getaway, it causes congestion in the streets and allows the tornado to take more lives (You would be like a "sitting duck", not being able to go anywhere)

Source:
Cooper, A. (2014, September 03). Can you really outrun a tornado? Retrieved January 08, 2021, from https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/can-outrun-tornado.htm

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Most deaths from tornadoes are NOT caused by being picked up and thrown (Emma D.) 

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Most deaths from tornadoes are NOT caused by being picked up and thrown (Emma D.) 

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Although dropping from a high location due to the vortex of winds picking you up can kill you, it is not the most common way to die while facing a tornado. Most people die from blunt force trauma caused by pieces of debris caught in the action coming in contact with them, such as tree branches, shards of glass, and housing materials. This is due to the aggressive winds breaking, ripping, pulling, and picking up anything in its way without enough stability, and carrying it within the tornado and/ or throwing with enough force to kill. For this reason it’s more dangerous to be outside during a tornado, and it’s recommended to find secure shelter inside.

Simpson, S. (2020, June 26). Ways In Which A Tornado Can Kill You. World Atlas. Retrieved from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/10-ways-a-tornado-can-kill-you.html

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Tornadoes are attracted to mobile homes or trailer parks 

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Tornadoes are attracted to mobile homes or trailer parks 

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The top floor of your home is safest because there’s less materiel that could fall on you - Harley

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The top floor of your home is safest because there’s less materiel that could fall on you - Harley

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False - To know this is false you can look on how tornados are categorized by damage done (EF Scale). Any tornado that has an EF1 or higher will damage the roof and depending on how high on the EF scale you could end up getting severely hurt or perish. In fact it would be safer to go to the basement instead of the roof because that's where a house is the strongest. Not to mention a tornado picks up and moves objects caught within itself meaning that the material on your roof gets swept to the side possibly hitting you. Myth busted.

Wikipedia Contributors. (2020, December 21). Enhanced Fujita scale. Retrieved January 08, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Fujita_scale#:~:text=The%20Enhanced%20Fujita%20scale%20(or,in%201971%20by%20Ted%20Fujita

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It is a common misconception that Tornadoes can not form during winter, but this is false. While tornadoes are more common in the spring months and are seen as more of a threat during those times but actually In the winter tornadoes can actually be more dangerous because they are faster. Tornadoes in winter are often caused by strong frontal systems that form in the central USA and move east. Below is a video of a winter tornado from 2014 in Illinois.

Source: Britt, R.R, February, 11, 2009, Tornadoes in winter?, Live Science, https://www.livescience.com/3309-tornadoes-winter.html

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Winter tornadoes in Illinois with snow on the ground  - February 20, 2014

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Big cities can’t get hit by tornadoes - Jiya

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Big cities can’t get hit by tornadoes - Jiya

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When you look at maps of where tornadoes strike, like in the U.S for example, the myth that tornadoes not striking big cities wouldn’t sound too outlandish. Looking at a map of the U.S you’d see that Tornadoes don’t hit cities that much, some might even say that tornadoes “avoid” cities, that in fact is not true. Quoting the article I used, “roughly 3% of the world's land surface is urban.” If you were to take a closer look at the map, you can see that the cities and developed areas aren’t that big. The way tornadoes form also have little to nothing to do with urbanization and buildings. They form by warm, humid and cold fronts all colliding with each other, producing supercell storms which then produce tornadoes.

Shepherd, M. (2018, April 18). It's A Common Myth That Tornadoes Avoid Cities - But It's Not True. Retrieved January 08, 2021, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2018/04/17/the-science-of-why-tornadoes-miss-cities-or-do-they/?sh=29e355a7321c

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It is accurate, Larger tornados may seem more terrifying and powerful, but the determination for a strong tornado mainly factors in, speeds not size. Wider tornados tend to look further terrifying due to their larger range/area of destruction. However, smaller tornados can be just as violent on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. In addition, they are much more terrifying due to their high energy concentration in small areas. Furthermore, there are past data that indicates, some larger tornados are in fact less violent than most smaller tornados.

10 Dangerous Tornado Myths Debunked. (2018, May 18). Scribal. Retrieved from https://scribol.com/science/meteorology/10-dangerous-tornado-myths-debunked/8/?as=799&asv=1

Tornado FAQ. (n.d.). NSSL. from https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/tornadoes/faq/

The video below, shows the high speeds and violent of smaller tornados.

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2020 VIOLENT EF-4 TORNADO!! Ashby/Dalton, MN | Basehunters Chasing

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Tornadoes can't happen in the winter - Sunny

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Tornadoes can't happen in the winter - Sunny

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While it's true that tornado generally occur more often during the summer time (warmer seasons), from late March through early June due to high atmospheric instability and clashing of cold, polar and maritime, warm air masses. However, that doesn't mean tornadoes can't occur in the winter time. Tornadoes can occur almost anywhere around the world, except Antarctica, at any point throughout the course of a year. Tornadoes occurring in the winter time can also be particularly deadly, not because they're stronger, but because they tend to move faster.

Chris Martz. (2019, July 31). Can A Tornado Happen in Winter? Retrieved January 08, 2021, from https://chrismartzweather.com/2019/07/31/can-a-tornado-happen-in-winter/

Britt, R. (2009, February 11). Tornadoes in Winter? Retrieved January 08, 2021, from https://www.livescience.com/3309-tornadoes-winter.html#:~:text=Winter%20tornadoes%20can%20be%20particularly%20deadly%2C%20not%20because,east%2C%20according%20to%20the%20National%20Severe%20Storms%20Laboratory.

The video below shows a tornado that happened in Illinois during winter in 2014.

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Winter tornadoes in Illinois with snow on the ground  - February 20, 2014

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Take Shelter Under A Highway Overpass To Stay Safe - Lillian C.

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Take Shelter Under A Highway Overpass To Stay Safe - Lillian C.

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This statement is false! Many people mistakenly think that a highway overpass provides a safe haven from a tornado. The reality is that an overpass may be one of the worst places to seek shelter from a tornado. Using an overpass for your shelter can put you at a much greater risk of being killed or seriously injured by a tornado.

Tornado wind speeds can sometimes exceed 300 mph. These destructive winds produce airborne debris that are blown into and channeled under the overpass where people might be seeking shelter. Wind direction will also shift abruptly as the tornado passes, tossing debris from all sides. Varying debris, including dirt, sand and rocks that are moving at incredible speeds can easily penetrate clothing and skin, causing serious injuries or even death. A person can even be blown out or carried away from the overpass by the fierce tornado winds. In short, you will be exposed to flying debris, rain and hail, lightning and extreme wind."

Let’s take a look at the facts:

If an overpass is directly in the path of a tornado, the wind could change direction by nearly 180 degrees as the vortex passes.

By climbing up higher to get under the overpass, you will be exposed to higher wind speeds and more flying debris.

Flying debris become dangerous projectiles in the tornado airflow.

Most overpasses don’t have girders or support beams for handholds.

The narrow passage underneath an overpass could cause an increase in the wind speed under the bridge.

Where You Should Shelter Instead

If you are on the road, try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter. If that is not an option, pull over and park. You now have two choices:

1. Go to the nearest solid shelter if you see a tornado in the distance. The more walls between you and a tornado, the better.

2. Drive at a 90-degree angle away from the tornado’s path.

3. Stay in your car with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows, covering your head with your hands and a blanket if possible.

4. If you can get lower than the level of the roadway, exit your car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands.

The bottom line is: OVERPASSES DO NOT MAKE SAFE SHELTER AREAS! Check out the video below to see what happens when you shelter under an overpass (this video is restricted for TDSB students):

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Newcastle, OK tornado: DO NOT SEEK SHELTER BENEATH AN OVERPASS!