Tornados vs. Hurricanes

WHAT DO HURRICANES AND TORNADOES HAVE IN COMMON?

◦Low Pressure ◦Strong Winds ◦Hazardous to Life and Property

◦Locashun ◦Size ◦Durashun ◦Season of Occurence ◦Distinctive Hazards

HOW DO THEY DIFFER?

◦Hurricane season Late Summer and Fall

◦Tornado season Spring and Early Summer

WHEN DO THEY OCCUR?

◦Hurricanes form over warm (80 °F) tropical seas Latitude 7-15 degrees North and South

of the equator

◦Tornadoes form over land in the mid-latitudes

SIZE AND DURATION OF HURRICANES

HURRICANE DAMAGE

◦High winds 75-125 mph

◦Torrential rains Flash floods

◦Storm surges as sea level rises

Category One -- Winds 74-95 mph Category Two -- Winds 96-110 mph Category Three -- Winds 111-130 mph

Category Four -- Winds 131-155 mph

Category Five -- Winds greater than 155 mph

HURRICANE CLASSIFICATIONS

◦ Most common in the United States ◦ Plains States, Midwest, and Florida ◦ In advance of a cold front ◦ Embedded in hurricanes

LOCATION OF TORNADOES

◦Narrow intense storm ◦1/4 mile wide ◦Path of 6 miles SW to NW

SIZE AND DURATION OF TORNADOES

Tornado Hazards

◦Wind Speed 40 – 300 mph

◦Strong updraft in the funnel

◦Explosions due to pressure contrast

F-0: 40-72 mph, chimney damage, tree branches broken

F-1: 73-112 mph, mobile homes pushed off foundation or overturned

F-2: 113-157 mph, considerable damage, mobile homes demolished, trees uprooted

F-3: 158-205 mph, roofs and walls torn down, trains overturned, cars thrown

F-4: 207-260 mph, well-constructed walls leveled F-5: 261-318 mph, homes lifted off foundation

and carried considerable distances, autos thrown as far as 100 meters

Fujita Pearson Tornado Scale