STORMS

DID YOU KNOW? WHEN LIGHTENING STRIKES SAND OR SANDY SOIL, IT CREATES “FOSSIL LIGHTENING”, WHICH IS CREATED BY SAND GRAINS FUSING TOGETHER TO FORM A FULGURITE.

WHAT IS A STORM? A STORM IS A VIOLENT DISTURBANCE IN THE ATMOSPHERE. THEY ARE CAUSED BY SUDDEN CHANGES IN AIR PRESSURE, WHICH IN TURN CAUSE RAPID AIR MOVEMENTS.

THUNDERSTORMS A THUNDERSTORM IS A SMALL STORM OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY PRECIPITATION AND FREQUENT THUNDER AND LIGHTENING. THEY ARE FORMED IN LARGE CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS, AKA THUNDERHEADS. FORM ON HOT, HUMID AFTERNOONS OR WHEN WARM AIR IS FORCED UPWARD ALONG A COLD FRONT.

THUNDERSTORMS

LIGHTENING IS A SUDDEN SPARK, OR ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE, AS POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHARGES JUMP BETWEEN PARTS OF A CLOUD, BETWEEN NEARBY CLOUDS, OR BETWEEN A CLOUD AND THE GROUND.

THUNDERSTORMS SAFETY TIPS STAY INDOORS AVOID TOUCHING TELEPHONES, ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES, OR PLUMBING FIXTURES IF DRIVING, STAY IN THE CAR WITH THE HARD-TOP UP AVOID PLACES WHERE LIGHTENING MAY HIT AVOID OBJECTS THAT CONDUCT ELECTRICITY

TORNADOS A TORNADO IS A RAPIDLY WHIRLING, FUNNEL-SHAPED CLOUD THAT REACHES DOWN FROM A STORM CLOUD TO TOUCH THE EARTH’S SURFACE. ~IF A TORNADO OCCURS OVER A LAKE OR OCEAN, IT IS CALLED A WATERSPOUT.

TORNADOS TORNADOS MOST COMMONLY DEVELOP IN THICK CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS. TEND TO OCCUR AROUND THE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER, OFTEN LATE IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN THE GROUND IS WARM. TORNADOS CAN FORM IN ANY SITUATION THAT PRODUCES SEVERE WEATHER

TORNADOS REMEMBER – WARM, HUMID AIR MASS COMES FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO. COLD, DRY AIR MASS COMES DOWN FROM CANADA. WHEN THE TWO MEET, THE COLD AIR MASS MOVES UNDER THE WARM AIR, FORCING IT TO RISE. A SQUALL LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS LIKELY TO FORM, WITH STORMS TRAVELING FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHWEST. A SINGLE SQUALL LINE CAN PRODUCE TEN OR MORE TORNADOS.

TORNADOS The Great Plains, which consists of parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Iowa, make up Tornado Alley.

TORNADOS Enterprise Tornado May 2007

TORNADOS F-SCALE F0 – LIGHT DAMAGE F1 – MODERATE DAMAGE F2 – CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE F3 – SEVERE DAMAGE F4 – DEVASTATING DAMAGE F5 – INCREDIBLE DAMAGE (AUNTIE EM!)

TORNADOS TORNADO SAFETY A TORNADO WATCH IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT TORNADOS ARE POSSIBLE IN YOUR AREA. A TORNADO WARNING IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT A TORNADO HAS BEEN SEEN IN THE SKY OR ON WEATHER RADAR.

TORNADOS TORNADO SAFETY IF YOU HEAR YOU ARE UNDER A TORNADO WARNING, MOVE TO A SAFE AREA ASAP. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE A TORNADO! THE SAFEST PLACE IS IN A STORM SHELTER OR THE BASEMENT OF A WELL-BUILT BUILDING. IF YOU DON’T HAVE ONE, GO TO THE MIDDLE OF THE GROUND FLOOR AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS.