Survival Scenario: Tornado

How Likely Are Tornadoes

                                       

The United States receives more than 1,200 tornadoes annually—four times the amount seen in Europe.  Violent tornadoe (those that are rated above a 4) occur more often in the United States than in any other country.

                                           

Most tornadoes occur in The Great Plains, the Midwest, the Mississippi Valley and the southern United States. They are rare west of the Rockies and are also less frequent in the northeastern states. 

Florida is one of the most tornado prone states. However, Florida tornadoes are usually not as strong.Tornado Alley is a term for an area particularly prone to tornadoes. There is no officially defined 'Tornado Alley' - at its broadest this area stretches from Texas to Canada with its core centered on Oklahoma, Kansas and northern Texas. Another area, known as the Dixie Alley,  is the southern United States and particularly the northern and central parts of Alabama and Mississippi. 

Tornadoes can occur any time during the year, but they are most common in spring and least common in winter.  Since Spring is a transitional period for the climate, there are more chances of cooler air meeting with warmer air, resulting in more thunderstorms. 

Tornadoes can also be spawned by landfalling tropical cyclones, which usually occur in late summer and autumn. In the United States, thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes usually form when the temperature is at its highest, typically from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Although the period "tornado season" is March through August, tornadoes - including violent tornadoes and major tornado outbreaks - have been documented in the United States during every month of the year.  

There is some evidence that tornadoes are generally on the rise.  See the chart below.  

                    

What To Do  if a Tornado is Coming your Way

• Evacuate: The best thing you can do is to remove yourself from the danger.  There is nothing you can do to protect your home and possessions.  By staying behind, you do nothing more than put your life at risk.
•  When a tornado has been sighted, go to your shelter immediately. Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls
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• If you don't have time to escape, and you are in a  house or small building, go to the basement or storm cellar. If there is no basement, go to an interior room on the lower level (closets, interior hallways). Get under a sturdy table, hold on and protect your head. Stay there until the danger has passed.

•  In a high-rise building, go to a small, interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible.

•  In a trailer or mobile home, get out immediately and go to a more substantial structure.

•  If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine or culvert with your hands shielding your head.

• In a car, get out and take shelter in a nearby building. Do not attempt to out-drive a tornado. They are erratic and move swiftly.