Fifteen Minutes Preparedness for a Tornado

I was sitting in front of my desk when suddenly a message arrived on my phone with an alert from the national weather bureau letting the population knew that a tornado was on its way to the area where I live. I was terrified when I saw the alert, because I have never experienced such disaster even though I know how ruthless tornadoes can be especially taking into account that they are “violently rotating columns of air funnels look like that extended from a thunderstorm to the ground. They can destroy building, flip cars and create deadly flying debris. (Tornadoes, 2018). In addition, “they can also happen anytime and anywhere bringing intense winds of more than 200 MPH”. (Tornadoes, 2018). There is a difference between what and warning for a tornadoe. Watch gives the advance notice that conditions are favorable for dangerous weather. When an area is under watch, people need to be sure to stay alert for changing weather. A warning, on the other hand, is severe weather when the storm is about to hit the area.

Fifteen minutes is not enough time to prepare when facing a tornado; nonetheless, there is always time to try to save one’s life and the family’s. Since I was already in my house when the alert was sent, my plan was to run together with my family and my pet to the room on the lowest level of the house, because I do not have a basement to get in. This is the first thing I am going to do to survive during a pass of tornadoe. I am also going to stay away from the windows, door, and outsides walls since they are the unsafest place in the house. I am going to stay in a low flat location that I already have identified. I am going to use my hands to protect my head and neck.

In reality, I am more prepared for a hurricane which is the disaster that we see the most down here in Miami. I was more prepared for a hurricane in the sense that I had bags of sand ready in the garage in case there was a flood with the passage of a hurricane. We put sandbags in the entrance of the door, at the base of the windows, sometimes on the roof to prevent it from flying out. I had adhesive tape to put on the glass doors even though they are against impact constructed; however, many of the things I had in my go bag list, I can use in this case of tornado. Some of the items that I included are flashlight to use in case the power goes out, first aid kit in case of injury, extra bateries. In addition I have a list of emergency telephone numbers such as the police, department, local emergency service, local emergency services, local American Red Cross, poison help, as well as other emergency telephone number I may need. I found beneficial having the employers and school official contacts. Everybody in my house have a cell phone excluding my little baby, so we can stay connected in case of separation for any reason. In my bag, I also have some cash to survive in case of credit card cannot be used. In addition, I also have a list of important personal items like documents such as identification, birth certificate, marriage certificate, driver’s license, social security card, bank, and credit cards number and family and friends photos.

One important item that I cannot forget to mention is water. This is a treasured treasure that we use to keep ourselves hydrated, and to prepare food after the disaster. When I found out that I had to take this class, I felt a bit unsettled. The reason I felt that way was, because I thought that as a nurse I did not need it. I even thought it was a waste of time and money. In contrast, as the days went by I felt more comfortable and more interested to the point that I am enjoying it to the fullest. To be honest, I did not feel prepared for the arrival of any natural event except the normal preparedness as is the case of hurricanes and the basic measures that are taken when waiting for it to hit the area. I did not have as much knowledge of the consequences at the health level that these disasters can cause in its path. That, without forgetting that I did not know how it was that a tsunami was forming. Sincerely, it was something that caught my attention, because I knew it was a whale that took everything in its path, but I did not know anything else about it.

As a conclusion, I would like to say that I have gained a lot of knowledge of what natural disasters are, their consequences, how to prepare for their arrival, during their passage and after the event. Last but not least, I am clear about the role of nurses when facing a disaster of any magnitude. I would like to mention that we as nurses play a critical role in the medical preparedness and response to disasters of all kinds working to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the population at risk. Nurses can help patients at disasters scenes, medical centers, hospitals, and in the rehabilitation setting as well as mental health facilities.

A Newspaper Assignment on The Natural Disaster Caused by The Tornado in Louisiana

In regards to the domestic and international newspaper, I was able to find articles related to the recent tornado in Louisiana. For the domestic newspaper, the article was titled, “Louisiana Hammered by Tornadoes” (McGILL, 2017). For the international newspaper their article was titled, “Severe damage after tornadoes batter Louisiana” (BBC News, 2017). I used the U.S News for the domestic newspaper and BBC for the international newspaper. The purpose of this article is to inform to the public, whether it be in the U.S or globally, about the natural disaster that affected Louisiana. Tornados and storms were prevalent among the state which resulted in many people losing their homes, injuries, power outages, and other types of damage. These articles were written to spread the news of this event amongst other things happening in the world today.

Starting with the domestic newspaper, I found that the article itself was longer than the BBC’s post. The U.S. News article provided a mix of stories from those were affected by the tornado and stated some facts / general news about what happened. Statements and descriptive language helped described some of the imagery that occurred during the disaster. The article started out with a picture of a woman holding her face and did not include pictures throughout the article, instead it had a 28-photo gallery that had unrelated pictures such as the inauguration, shots of the oval office, a Trump wax figure, and other pictures that did not correlate with the issue at hand. Moving on to the international newspaper, I felt that BBC had a shorter article. Instead of multiple sentences, it only had one or two sentences quoting some of those affected and general information such as the numbers, statistics, and details of each tornado. Although this article was shorter it did include more pictures of the event and a video that showed the rubble of homes that were affected. The description of the event was similar to one another, but in terms of how it was provided I’d say the BBC one had an easier read than the U.S. News article. The U.S. News article provided more detail but did not have many pictures related to it while the BBC one did. Both articles give factual evidence of what happened as well as personal stories/quotes from those affected. I feel that BBC provided more images than the U.S News since it panders not just in one area, but to those throughout the world. So, having actual images of the damages itself can let readers know how it looks like since it may not have been covered in their local news. Overall, I find myself preferring BBC’s article due to its simplicity and pictures. Having those two qualities in an age where fast information is important as well as the pictures to go along with it, create an easily accessible article that anyone can understand and get to.

While looking through the theory list I found that it was hard to pick two that applied to this analysis. I do feel that the medium theory as well as the social responsibility theory would be the best two theories since I can apply them towards my findings. With the medium theory, I found it to be crucial to my newspaper analysis since the medium, which is a newspaper article, happens to be one that is used everywhere globally. Newspaper articles can differ across the realm and for some, the way a newspaper article looks/is written can be just enough to make someone believe what it says or not. Since, “the medium is the message” (McLuhan, 1964) newspapers provide different viewpoints that can cater to certain people (i.e – democrats and republicans) which in turn leads them to perceive other news outlets to be either less or more trustworthy. The social responsibility theory ties in with the newspaper analysis since it is used to “set up a high level of accuracy, truth, and information.” Without this theory, news articles may have fake facts or low levels of accuracy which does not help represent the news in a proper way. This theory places a high level of importance on the news and its outlets which is important in today’s society where fake news sites pop up causing some to believe it without checking.

Hackleburg, Alabama Tornado

Introduction

In the wake of 28 April 2011, a tornado hit the State of Alabama and Hackleburg County. The essay is an in-depth examination of the event.

To successfully achieve this, the formation of the tornado, its tracks as well as associated damages are succinctly brought to light. According to Grazulis, 43 America has experienced numerous disasters such as hurricanes and more recently tornados.

These events are closely linked to changes in environmental conditions. The recent tornado that took place in April was the most serious one after the 1974 one that caused numerous deaths and damages.

By definition, a tornado has been defined as a column of air that spins rapidly that originates from a severe thunderstorm. The airs that rotates also known as a vortex that form in a storm cloud usually grow towards the ground and eventually touches earths surface.

Despite the fact that a tornado is not as strong a thunderstorm the damage it can bring is serious. This is attributed to the fact that it is made up of packs of winds having very high speed levels.

Statistics reveal that America experience about 900 tornados annually. The major states that have been hard hit with the phenomenon are Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The consequences include death, serious injuries as well as financial loss running in billions of dollars (Grazulis 163).

Formation of the Tornado

Generally speaking tornado are formed much he same way. However it is worth noting that scientist have not managed to fully explain how tornado are form, nonetheless there are some explanation brought forth that seek to give a glimpse of how tornado are formed.

Ideally speaking, the formation of tornado originates from changes in weather conditions, (Allaby, 35). The changes in temperatures as well as pressure in the atmosphere are attributed to formation of tornado.

Tornados are come into being after an interaction of low pressure air and high pressure air. The low pressure airs that are internal attracts high pressure airs.

The resultant is a vortex. Additionally, during thunderstorm, formation of tornado is apparent. In this process, enormous thunderstorms that rotate forms super-cells which are as a result of cold air meeting with warm air (Grazulis 27).

Ultimately, there is a state of instability that is as a result of the warm air that rises. It is worth noting that squall line formation which is typically a thin region of cumulonimbus clouds help in giving energy to the tornado.

In most cases, this is accompanied by rains, lightening as well as hails. Following this, a funnel which is the mot seen part of a tornado starts descending towards the ground as a results of Bernoulli principle.

The decrease in pressure makes the air moisture to condense. As thing happens, there is a hissing sound that becomes a roar immediately the tornado reaches and touches the earth’s surface.

According to Grazulis 72 upon touching the ground the tornado stars to sweep the all materials on the surface of the earth upwards. It is worth noting that the debris collected can change the color of tornado.

It is important to have in mind that the fatal part of a tornado is when air with very high pressure is being drawn into the tornado which is attributed to the destruction on the track it passes through.

Interestingly, tornado does not form in isolations but trough a group of small one that joins one another. Regarding the end of a tornado, this happens when the air moving down cools hence starting to shut down the funnel and blocking the drawing of warm air. It eventually thins out and become weak losing energy and finally disperses.

Track and damage of the Tornado

It is worth to note that the April 28 2011 tornado did have three major tracks in the state of Alabama. The hardest hit place was Tuscaloosa.

The three major track of the tornado can be clearly seen in the diagram below. In all the three tracks, it I worth noting that they were pale brown in color since the trees as well as other sort of vegetation were uprooted.

The resultant was a ground that was completely disturbed. The track that is at the center and caused huge damages starts from Southwest of Tuscaloosa through Gray City (SPACE.COM par. 3).

The same goes further to reach northwards in the direction of Birmingham. The other tracks run parallel o the one at the center. The one on the northern part is where a tornado was reported by NWS. Although the one passing through the southern part is much more visible, there were reports of a tornado but of winds that were very strong.

An image of Alabama from space shows tornado tracks from April 28, 2011.
Figure 1. An image of Alabama from space shows tornado tracks from April 28, 2011.

Conclusion

Regarding the damage caused by the tornado, the authorities link it with that of 1974. One that will remain in the minds off the American and more so to residence of Tuscaloosa is the shattering of buildings, destruction of vehicles as well as other related properties, (Oliver par 8).

Buildings such as healthcare facilities, schools, business premises, churches, chicken houses to mention but a few were completely destroyed; this is according to one Mr. Linhares Mark an officer with National Weather Service (NWS).

The same views are held by Nichol James “When you see a house that you drive by all your life and then you see nothing, it’s hard to describe” (Oliver par. 6).

Additionally, the destruction of plant life is another sort of damage that deprived the wild animals’ food. More serious consequences of the tornado are the death toll linked to it.

At the end of the disaster about 210 individuals were confirmed dead. It is worth noting that scores were left with serious injuries on their bodies. On the same note roads were also destroyed (Oliver par. 4).

From the review of Hackleburg, Alabama tornado that happened in 28 April 2011, the damages associated with it are indeed enormous such a shattering of building, death and destruction of roads.

The formation of the tornado was as a result of warm and cool air meeting; the differences in air pressure generated a funnel that swept across the State. There are three major tracks; one in the middle and two others in northern and southern parts respectively. These two were running parallel to the center one.

Works Cited

Allaby, Michael. Tornados. New York: Sage, 2004. Print.

Grazulis, Thomas. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991, St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films, 1993. Print.

Oliver, Mike. , 2011. Web.

SPACE.COM. , 2011. Web.

Tornado: “Hunt for the Super Twister” Documentary

The PBS documentary, “Hunt for the Super Twister”, delves into the world of super tornadoes within America’s heartland and attempts to showcase their destructive potential and how scientists are attempting to determine as much as they can about tornadoes so that they can create better early warning systems against them. Based on the documentary and the supposed increase in the number of tornadoes, that are occurring, I have come up with the assumption that the higher amounts of tornadoes are due to the adverse weather conditions brought about by pollution. As such, people within the U.S. should attempt to “go green” to conserve resources and prevent pollutants from entering into the atmosphere, which contributes towards the increase in the number of tornadoes.

The concept of going green is based on the process of altering approaches towards the consumption and utilization of resources to ensure a more environmentally friendly method of using and consuming resources. The basis behind this is the assumption that since the Earth is a closed-off ecosystem with a finite amount of resources if nothing is done to conserve and ensure these resources stay replenishable in the long run there may come a time when the Earth will no longer be able to support human civilization.

Such an assumption is not without merit as the human population continues to expand, so too does the demand for resources increase. Unfortunately, resources that command the highest demand (wood, freshwater, and food) are only replenishable to a certain extent while, others have a set amount (oil, gas, and certain chemicals) and cannot be replenished at all. It is based on this that we should try to properly conserve resources to make sure that they are there for future generations as well as to prevent the current adverse weather conditions we are experiencing at the present.

“Oklahoma’s Deadliest Tornadoes” Documentary

The video “Oklahoma’s Deadliest Tornadoes” revealed to me the sheer destructive scale of tornadoes and how they can adversely affect both businesses and families. When I watched the video, I was able to notice a pattern in the levels of destruction, which I outlined below.

Minor or no Damage to Production Facilities

In the best possible outcome after a tornado occurs minor or no damage, at all, to business facilities and homes ensures that the supply line to these areas can be restored within a matter of two to three weeks at best as the local government deals with the aftermath of the disaster. It comes in the form of restoring the delivery of materials to the neighborhood, encouraging workers to come back to work, and having to hire new workers to replace the workers that refuse to come back to work or have died.

Medium Scale Damage to Area

In this particular situation, business facilities and family homes have been moderately affected by the natural disaster. It can come in form of light to moderate damage to the building, machinery, and possible flooding in certain areas of the town. In such a case it can take up to one to two months to get production capacities back up to nominal levels.

Large Scale Damage to Facilities and Homes

In this case, large scale damage to business facilities and homes means the destruction of the building itself along with all forms of production equipment and machinery. When such a situation occurs, it is unlikely that a business will be able to supply anything until at least a year or more to rebuild facilities. For some families, this involves having to transfer homes to a completely different location due to the sheer scale of the damage.

Overall, this video has taught me that tornadoes can cause a massive amount of damage and should not be underestimated.

The Tornado Super Outbreak of 2011

A couple of years up to 2011 persuaded many people that the threat brought about by tornadoes had come down. However, the above numbers had not exceeded in the United States for about fifty years. The Nation Weather Service in the United States came up with a countrywide coverage network of Doppler weather radars in the 1990s (Senesac, 2019). It gave warnings that provided enough time for families to take caution and shelter. The tornado outbreak that occurred on April 27 and 28 was one of the deadliest in America (Lengend813a, 2011). The event was catastrophic; however, the presence of the imagery looping played a crucial role in giving out data regarding the situation.

The tornado outbreak was destructive, and huge losses were recorded. There were more than 150 tornadoes, leading to at least 250 deaths recorded in six states (Lengend813a, 2011). Alabama was the most affected region, with sixty-eight tornadoes surveyed by National Weather Service (Lengend813a, 2011). After tornadoes severed major utility lines, the area experienced a power outage that lasted nearly a week. After the power was restored, SPORT team members provided satellite imagery to the National Weather Service, which assisted them in identifying the high-intensity tornado damage tracks.

Aerial imagery looping has the power to give out data more swiftly than the earth-orbiting satellite as it is not subjected to imaging time windows. It captured a couple of view angles of the same area as it covered a wide area. It helped to detect the event of the widespread acquisition of before and after-storm aerial imagery. This was made possible by using a Pictometry fleet. The imagery looping also showed increased efficiency in communicating tornado hazard information (Lengend813a, 2011). Furthermore, it has aided experts in determining its effects on the built environment at various spatial scales ranging from buildings and neighborhoods to entire paths. This imagery has a unique set of resolutions that have helped engineers and atmospheric scientists comprehend the tornado wind speed well.

The comparative coarse resolution data enabled the capturing of personal structures and trees. This imagery looping platform gave a higher spatial resolution for imagery. Furthermore, it required a specific task for data acquisition as well as advanced knowledge about the existence and location of tornado tracks. It gave some basic for many diverse studies about tornado effects in the harsh 2011 attack (Lengend813a, 2011). In a study of tornadoes’ near-ground wind fields, some experts used the image to analyze the patterns of falling trees. Moreover, it aided in determining the tornado’s intensity and the location of tornado wind fields based on the visually identified tree fall pattern in the region’s local forest areas.

In conclusion, society must constantly be reminded how nature can be violent and unforgiving. In 2011, tornadoes caused property damage and claimed more than five hundred lives. Efforts have been made to reduce casualties from frequent weaker tornadoes. However, the option still needs to be more attractive. This is because people are caught mostly in the path of violent tornadoes, the ones stuck in the United States. Moreover, the same applies to the intensity of damages, as reduction will not be economically attractive for the somewhat uncommon violent tornadoes. This tornado event led to the largest property loss compared to any other tornado season on record. It brought insurers concern about tornadoes as a possible catastrophic event.

References

Lengend813a. (2012). [Video]. YouTube. Web.

Senesac, E. (2019). . National Weather Service Heritage. Web.

Community Hazard: Tornado in Joplin Missouri

Introduction

Community hazard analysis is essential for mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery planning. In the process of creating a concrete disaster analysis, this paper identifies the tornado that occurred in the year 2011 in Joplin, Missouri. Besides, the paper determines the social and economic costs, effects, community response, and the extent of sociological ramifications.

The treatise reviews major anthropogenic and natural hazards as a result of the Joplin tornado which wreaked havoc and cause death in hundreds. Flash Flood and thunder as a result of this disaster led to power outages and communication network dysfunction.

The 2011 Joplin Tornado

Exact Nature of the Disaster

This tornado was a natural disaster that occurred on 22nd May, 2011 in the city of Joplin, Missouri. The tornado struck the city in the afternoon covering a width of nearly one and a half kilometers. The tornado became strong within a very short time as it moved through Joplin towards the eastern side of the city.

The tornado touched down at the 32nd Street at an intensity of EF0 and quickly gained speed to EF5. It snapped trees and destroyed every structure on its path such as 300 pound concrete blocks, steel structures, homes, cars, trees, and electric poles (American Red Cross, 2015). The EF5-multiple tornado resulted in the death of one fifty eight people and injured more than a thousand residents. Though the tornado lasted for only a short period, the damages were intense due to its high intensity and heavy rainfall that accompanied it.

The tornado lifted at 23.12 UTC after an hour of ravaging Joplin. At the end of this natural disaster, “6,954 homes were destroyed, 359 homes had major damage and 516 homes had minor damage, 158 people were killed, and 1,150 others were injured along the path” (American Red Cross, 2015, p. 13). A report released by Joplin’s American Red Cross branch indicated that nearly 25% of city was obliterated. The local power and communication networks were also destroyed (Leer, 2013).

Transport system and utility disruption hazards were witnessed due to impact of natural hazard of the tornado in the form of storms and heavy downpour. These disruptions posed major challenges on operations within and without the city. Besides, Hazmat incidents such as harmful material releases in the form of ammonia gas, after the tornado, affected drainage and air quality within the city and its surrounding since it destroyed many gas, sewage, and water pipes within the city of Joplin.

Location of the Joplin Tornado

The 2011 tornado touched down at Joplin in Missouri. The city is located north of Newton County and south of Jasper County within Missouri. The tornado swept across the city from the western side towards the eastern direction, destroying everything on its path. Nearly 8,000 building in Joplin were destroyed by the tornado which lasted for more than an hour within the city.

The EF5 tornado was accompanied by heavy rainfall and more than 15,000 cars were destroyed. At the end of the tornado, it is estimated that more than 25% of the city was destroyed by the strong winds and heavy downpour. The tornado destroyed most of the public infrastructure along its path such as schools, hospital, churches, and roads. The local administration had to reconstruct almost 40% of the city when the situation was finally settled (Leer, 2013).

Just like in any other developed city, the Joplin tornado posed an immediate and high magnitude challenge to the residents. These threats included malevolent strong winds, flying debris, and heavy downpour triggered to inflict casualties and damage to property. Besides, the tornado intimidated behavioral changes which were bad for business and socialization since some residents migrated as a result of fear and heavy economic loses.

Community response

Community response to the hazards as a result of Joplin tornado was dependent of several factors interacting simultaneously at macro and micro level to create favorable conditions for life, investment, and movement after its occurrence. The responses were organized to address factors such as potential casualties, economic losses, and infrastructure damages.

There was variance in magnitude of response to each hazard as a result of the tornado. Thus, the response adopted the relative risk analysis which approximated risk level of the aftermath of each hazard (Haddow, Bullock, & Coppola, 2011). Indicated below is a refined mitigation plan which summarizes the response that was adopted in Joplin to respond to the aftermath of the tornado.

Types of damages Response
Damaged houses The government and other agencies provided temporary shelter in the form of tents for those who lost their homes. The government also offered from transport to those who wished to be relocated to disaster shelters within Missouri that were not affected by the tornado.
Floods The stakeholders in the Joplin community provided search and rescue facilities and personnel to comb the entire region affected by the tornado to locate survivors. The survivors were rushed to different hospitals around Missouri. The dead were also retrieved from the rubbles and transported to morgues around the city.
Cut communication and power The government and the local Red Cross branch created a disaster response information center to aid the search and rescue efforts. The center also offered first aid services to survivors besides helping them to reunite with their families. The center provided basic needs to survivors such as food, clothing, and counseling services.
Damaged infrastructure The government dispatched a contingent of police units, voluntary rescuers, and equipment to clear the rubble within the city. The team worked for 24 hours each day for almost 30 days and most of the debris was cleared. The local council and other stakeholders constructed temporary shelters and roads to aid in reaching and serving the survivors of the tornado storm. The rescue teams were organized into five units with dogs and heavy equipment to expedite the search and rescue efforts.
Transportation The governor created a rapid transport unit to serve the affected area. The transport unit consisted of 25 ambulances, several buses, and 75 marines to provide logistical support.
Public awareness and communication The local authority established a Social Media Emergency Management Unit to work with the local media houses to widely share any information about survivors and developing stories as the rescue process progressed through the social media. Series of Facebook groups, and Twitter accounts were created to mobile resources from the public to aid in the search, rescue, reconstruction, and medical costs.
Economic losses The housing, health, and property compensation plan was rolled out three months after the disaster to support the survivors in reconstructing their lives. The insurance compensation amounted to $2.3 billion.

From the above table, emergency response in Joplin City was directed towards preparedness against natural hazards. Each hazard was assigned to a quadrant with predetermined response strategies and ‘follow-ups’ upon implementation. Specifically, special attention was directed towards search and rescue efforts since many households were affected by the tornado. Besides, attention was directed towards response to impact of the tornado on housing, transport, and electricity supply.

Factually, the aftermath of this natural disaster affected more that 40% of the city population who could not afford tornado proof housing (Leer, 2013). Therefore, resources were preserved and directed towards addressing the impacts of these disasters especially on coping and survival technique. In mitigating a response strategy, attention was directed towards marking of hot spots and erecting weather tracking devises to give alerts for early evacuation and preparedness in response in the future.

Among the strategic response to the disaster included partnership with the locals in awareness campaigns on survival and understanding natural disasters.

Besides, additional safety and first aid centers have been constructed as hiding point and supplies delivery locations for disaster stricken population (Pine, 2008). Moreover, cooperation with the media has proven instrumental in creating awareness on magnitude and effects of tornadoes on economic, social, and health sectors in order to prepare Joplin residents psychologically for unprecedented losses.

Extent Sociological Ramifications

The sociological consequences of the Joplin tornado were loss of lives, destabilization of families, downward mobility as a result of loss of property, and increased health related challenges such as sickness and stress. From the government data, one hundred and sixty one people died as a result of direct or indirect impact of the tornado.

This translates to families losing their loved ones. Since the tornado resulted in relocation and temporary disappearance of some victims, many families were temporary separated and had to live with the fear of the unknown for their loved ones. Since the tornado resulted in destruction of property, many families experienced downward mobility due to loss of income generating activities.

The aftermath of the Joplin tornado was characterized by increased health concerns due to direct and indirect injuries from flying debris. More than 1,000 residents were injured and rushed to the hospital.

The hospital bills were constraint to families of these victims. In addition, many victims had to accept the facts that property was destroyed, lives lost, and family income affected by the Joplin tornado. These occurrences are known to increase stress and depression limits for the victims struggling to recover from the effects of the Joplin tornado (Ronoa & Johnston, 2010).

Conclusion

Conclusively, emergency response planning reviews major anthropogenic and natural hazards within the boundaries of occurrence predictability and magnitude of impact. Generally, hazards such as floods, storms, disruption of transport and utility systems occurred following the disastrous Joplin tornado in the year 2011.

The responses adopted were very effective towards minimizing the economic and social impacts of the tornado on the residents of Joplin, Missouri. The local community was able to mobile resources through the social media to ensure that the disaster was contained within a month. Despite the heavy losses as a result of the Joplin tornado, the local authority was able to develop different effective disaster management strategies such as supplying free food aid, shelter, and other basic amenities to the victims.

References

American Red Cross. (2015). Joplin tornado. Retrieved from

Haddow, G., Bullock, J., & Coppola, D. (2011). Introduction to emergency management. Burlington: Elsevier, Inc.

Leer, K. (2013). Storm mergers and their role in tornado genesis during the 2011 Joplin storm. Chicago, Ch: University of Illinois.

Pine, J. (2008). Natural hazards analysis: reducing the impact of disasters. Michigan: Auerbach Publications.

Ronoa, K., & Johnston, D. (2010). Promoting community resilience in disasters: The role for schools, youths and families. New York, NY: Springer Publishing.

The US Tornado Outbreak of 16-17 December 2019

Abstract

Tornado causes tremendous environmental destruction, loss of lives, and disability. It is described as a fast revolving column of air that spins around a trivial space of extremely low atmospheric pressure with a rotation that touches the ground. Tornadoes being part of the worst occurrences that are always witnessed within the country, the paper explored one of the worst tornadoes to hit the majority regions of the United States on December 16-17, 2019. Emphasis was on the occasions and the destructions caused and the numerous advancements of the tornado. The December 2019 tornado outbreak established the availability of several risk factors within the United States by analyzing the Enhanced Fujita Scale, the atmospheric layers, and the atmospheric variables on those layers. The preliminary severe weather report database demonstrated how useful it is in integrating the atmospheric maps to analyze the events through a synoptic scale. Besides, Obs and Mesoanalysis were used to derive and compare multiple maps with one main variable but this variable has sub-variables such as vorticity and Conservative available of potential energy (CAPE). Based on the analysis done, the synoptic variables indicated their favorability in creating the tornado outbreak in December 2019.

Introduction

Globally, tornadoes are devastating and hazardous as they are capable of causing massive damages. They are associated with adverse weather conditions which result in loss of lives, vegetation, and properties. Despite their occurrence worldwide, the US experiences more tornadoes than any other country (Doswell III et al., 2012). In the US, the economic damages caused by the tornadoes in 2019 were nearly 3.1 billion U.S. dollars (Duffin, 2020). This was the third major economic loss emanating from the effects of tornadoes in the US since the tornadoes of 2011 and 2013 (Duffin, 2020). An updated and insightful analysis is essential in understanding the events around the December 16-17, 2019 outbreak. An evaluation of meteorological synopsis, tornado maps of the various atmospheric layers reveals varied patterns of the wind and its speed, temperature, and jet streams. Besides, the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale) is used to describe the intensity of tornadoes by reflecting better investigations of tornado destruction surveys. In this case, the provision of a clear understanding of the omega question and its associated maps is critical in developing future tornado markers and predictor scales.

The tornado occurrence of December 16–17, 2019 was a noteworthy devastating weather activity, which damaged most parts of the US. Distinct supercells formed in the morning hours of December 16 and progressed towards the northeastern parts of the Southern US, producing several robust, long-tracked tornadoes that ended up coagulating into an eastward-stirring storm line. The regions most affected included Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, and Georgia. A total of 40 tornadoes were confirmed with the maximum EF rating of EF3. The highest wind speed recorded was 158mph with the largest hail of 1.75in (44 mm). During the disaster, the US National Weather Service (NWS) issued several Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) tornado forewarnings with an occasional tornado emergency for Alexandria.

Meteorological Analysis

The principal signs of adverse weather activity started on December 12, with the SPC drawing a day 5 risk zone traversing parts of the Mid-South and lower Ohio River Valley. The effect was a 15% delineation area, which shifted southwestward on December 13 and transformed to a comprehensive Slight risk for destructive weather on December 14. In the subsequent days, the SPC offered an Enhanced risk through portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and parts of eastern Alabama. Close to noon of December 16, a Moderate risk region was presented from Louisiana across central Mississippi.

Anticipations of a tornado occurrence ascended on December 16 as a fine outlined, completely-slanting channel, which occurred through the central US, and a very sturdy cyclonic current established itself along its southeast part. At the crest, a cold front of air was estimated to evolve across the Southeast US while an escalating area of low atmospheric pressure proliferated northeast alongside the frontier. The background across and front of this anterior was expected to be useful for studying hazardous weather signaling, highlighting dew points elevated as the low 21 Degree Celsius, with 500mb Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) in the order of 1,000–2,000 J/kg. In the late afternoon, a stable signal for constant warm-sector supercells emanating from the existing model guidance indicated reliability to possible manifold substantial tornadoes (León-Cruz, Carbajal, & Pineda-Martínez, 2017). The SPC delivered their first warning for a tornado, the first amongst four during the day as the adverse weather condition risk spread eastward. Soon after, discrete supercells settled within the warm sector through southern Louisiana, while a streak of storms thickened within the abnormally advancing cold front.

Lake Charles Sounding at 1800z on December 16, 2019.
Figure 1. Lake Charles Sounding at 1800z on December 16, 2019. (NWS Storm Prediction Center, n.d).

The Enhanced Fujita Scale

The EF-Scale ranks the strength of tornadoes. The countries experiencing frequent tornadoes include the US and Canada. The measure has the same basic plan as the former Fujita scale with six strength classifications ranging between 0-5, signifying cumulative rates of impairment (Doswell III, et al., 2009). It reveals improved inspections of tornado injury surveys, to arrange the wind speeds concerning their allied storm impairment. Besides, it also enhances more types of structures and environmental flora by intensifying degrees of injury and enhancing explanations for variables such as alterations in erection value. Another type of EF-Scale known as “EF-Unknown” (EFU) was added to the scale to reflect the tornadoes whose destructions are yet to be identified.

Table 1. Indicates the EF-Scale rating and corresponding degrees of damage.

ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE
EFU Unknown No surveyable damage
EF0 65–85 mph Light damage
EF1 86–110 mph Moderate damage
EF2 111–135 mph Considerable damage
EF3 136–165 mph Severe damage
EF4 166–200 mph Devastating damage
EF5 >200 mph Incredible damage

The exploration of the diverse atmospheric conditions in the event of the Tornado Outbreaks of December 16 and 17 in 2010 can provide support in explaining the climatic activities. In the event of weather changes, there is a modification of the atmospheric layers to generate hazardous conditions of tornado outbreaks. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the meteorological maps of the various atmospheric layers to reveal sundry patterns of the wind, its speed, atmospheric temperatures, and the jet stream.

Synoptic Upper Air Analysis

Atmospheric Condition at 250mb of December 16.
Figure 2. Atmospheric Condition at 250mb of December 16. (NOAA’S National Weather Service, n.d).
Atmospheric Weather Condition at 250mb of December 17.
Figure 3. Atmospheric Weather Condition at 250mb of December 17. (NOAA’S National Weather Service, n.d).
Atmospheric Weather Condition at 300mb on December 16.
Figure 4. Atmospheric Weather Condition at 300mb on December 16. (NOAA’S National Weather Service, n.d).
Atmospheric Weather Condition at 300mb on December 17.
Figure 5. Atmospheric Weather Condition at 300mb on December 17. (NOAA’S National Weather Service, n.d).
Atmospheric Weather Condition at 500mb on December 16.
Figure 6. Atmospheric Weather Condition at 500mb on December 16. (NOAA’S National Weather Service, n.d).
Atmospheric Weather Condition at 500mb 17 December.
Figure 7. Atmospheric Weather Condition at 500mb 17 December. (NOAA’S National Weather Service, n.d).
Atmospheric Weather Condition at 700mb on December 16.
Figure 8. Atmospheric Weather Condition at 700mb on December 16. (NOAA’S National Weather Service, n.d).
Atmospheric Weather Condition at 700mb on December 17.
Figure 9. Atmospheric Weather Condition at 700mb on December 17. (NOAA’S National Weather Service. (n.d.).
Atmospheric Weather Condition at 850mb on December 16.
Figure 10. Atmospheric Weather Condition at 850mb on December 16. (NOAA’S National Weather Service, n.d).
Atmospheric Weather Condition at 850mb on December 17.
Figure 11. Atmospheric Weather Condition at 850mb on December 17. (NOAA’S National Weather Service, n.d).
Atmospheric Weather Condition at 950mb On December 16.
Figure 12. Atmospheric Weather Condition at 950mb On December 16. (NOAA’S National Weather Service, n.d).
Atmospheric Weather Condition at 950mb on December 17.
Figure 13. Atmospheric Weather Condition at 950mb on December 17. (NOAA’S National Weather Service, n.d).

Figure 2 shows that at 250mb, the wind and the location of the incident of the tornado outbreak were aided by a predominant jet streak. It indicated an upper level that strengthened strong wind shear development in the company of the imposing unpredictability at the atmospheric layer and it keeps developing along the convergence area as shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5 (Davis & Walker, 1992). Figure 2 and Figure 6 demonstrate synoptic upper air analysis of 250-500mb pressure levels on December 16, 2019, at noon UTC, respectively. The anterior system is compelled by a cold volume of air touching southward from higher latitudes with mid-atmospheric levels at 500 hPa (Figure 6). This volume of air converges with a warmer humid air flux from the Gulf of Mexico at low levels producing high perpendicular winds shear in the obverse edge (Figure 7). The air masses with diverse converging qualities have been described as key features in causing destructive storms with a high probability of tornado formation.

The cold volume of air moving from the mountainous zones in the northwest of the US creates high steep lapse rates, concomitant with the formation of tornadic supercells. Notably, the development of the tornado outbreak is supported by a mid-latitude cyclone that was powerful together with an intense shortwave trough at the upper level (Pfeiffer, 2001). Intense, strong heat along with moisture advection was rising to the period that the tornadoes were taking place. More so, the layer indicated two shortwave troughs negatively tilted at the upper level over the western SE, and behind the big trough, which is fixed in the longwave trough at the high level positioned over the central part of the US. This system revealed a potential jet streak at the mid-level of 150+ knots with extreme winds linked to the jet streak at the upper levels. In such a case, the conditions indicated severe weather at the level of the surface.

Figure 4 indicates that the conditions of the weather were even worse at the 300 mb atmospheric layer (NWS Storm Prediction Center, n.d). Despite the flow of the winds being less as shown by the wind bars in comparison to the 250mb (Figure 3), there were well noticeable jet streams, troughs, and ridges in the areas. Jet streams usually energize the troughs as well as the ridges to worsen the conditions of the weather even further. The alterations in the temperature lead to the expansion of capes that are crucial for tornado outbreaks in the upper atmosphere. Besides, the geostrophic divergence at the atmospheric layer was a dynamic forcing mechanism pivotal for the atmospheric explosion.

At 500mb atmospheric layer and isotherm, similar conditions were seen. However, the strength of the wind was reduced as shown in Figure 4. It indicates that the winds had 20 knots as the average speed. In this case, the troughs were larger converging at the center. Large channels usually have lesser wind speed in comparison to shortwave troughs. Generally, the convergence results in a ground force that aids the lifting of the air. Similar conditions led to the diverse vorticities in the area. The airspeed variations lead to negative and positive vorticities in the various regions (Moore & Lambert, 1993). Figure 10 is best used to show differential vorticity advection. The map represents positive vorticity advection (PVA) and negative vorticity advection (NVA). The PVA is more dominant than NVA with this system. This means there is more upward vertical motion with this system and spinning up.

The shortwave trough at the mid-level was most pronounced as shown in Figures 8 and 10 (Storm Prediction Center). By the 700mb shortwave, there was a weak yet cyclonically low-pressure that was organized at the surface. The manifestation of the instability was at the surface-based values of the CAPE of 3,000 J/kg+. Further, a low-level veered hodograph with bulk shear values of 0 to 6 km that was 33kts, as well as helicity values of 0 to 3 km approached the 267m2/s2 was adequate for the production of supercells.

The instability potential to heighten as a result of a dry and mid-level atmosphere that surrounded the 700mb (Oltmer, 2009).In Figure 9, the vertical velocity is essentially showing where the air is rising and sinking. The upward motion of air has a positive velocity and the negative velocity is the downward motion of air (Moore & Lambert, 1993). Moreover, winds were veering around 30 degrees between the surface and 700 mb. In this event, as it is shown from the vertical velocity maps, it shows high positive vertical motion which indicates positive vorticity advection and which is a forcing mechanism to help create the rotation for tornadoes (Moore & Lambert, 1993). Figure 9 indicates the 700 mb and relative humidity.

Figure 10 and Figure 11 indicate the 850mb geopotential height field as well as the 850mb isotherm and wind vector. The warmer along with the low-level air that is moister, the increasing atmosphere that is unstable is because of the air that is saturated. In addition, there is the maximization of the latent heat that is released, which maintains a warmer air parcel in comparison to its environment for a long time (Song et al., 2007). The differences in the pressure are responsible for the wind together with the temperature advection in that layer. Besides, the center had a lower pressure in comparison to the other regions. The center had a low pressure of 320 on December 16 and it kept around this value for entire the event with a decreased temperature of 2 degrees as indicated by Figure 12 and Figure 13 (NWS Storm Prediction Center, n.d ). Moreover, in Figure 13 the maps of SLP, Low pressure, and High pressure with the fronts indicate what is expected in severe weather. Besides, both figures represent surface conditions. The low-pressure kind to be stationary and it signed as a strong low with a value of 996 mb.

Also, the surface map indicates that the backing surface wind and the upper jet stream at 250 mb played a significant role to conduct and create tornadoes over the area. Moreover, Theta-W in Figure 13 represents the instability weather in the region. Since increasing Theta-W is a result of increasing temperatures and/or moisture, the instability also increases. The last two days show an increase in Theta-W along with great Plan to South Part of US which burse the convective activity and tornados as well. The phase lag Figure 13 shows the thickness between 100-500 mb and 500 mb height. It gives in phase lagging in both troughs of height and isotherm but there is out of phase in the last day at the ridge and out of phase in the trough between December 16 and December 17, which explains the sudden change in the number of tornadoes over that area.

The skew T diagram

Lake Charles/Muni (72240) at noon UTC.
Figure 14. Lake Charles/Muni (72240) at noon UTC. (Pagé, 2019.)

The skew T diagram designates the fluctuations in the temperature and the wind. As shown by Figure 13, the changes in the pressure along with the temperature resulted in the formation of wind shear causing the meeting of the cold and the warm air flows. Most times, the wind shear leads to the deterioration of the weather conditions to cultivate tornadoes outbreaks. Thus, there were ideal conditions for the occurrence of a tornado outbreak by the changes in the pressure and temperature.

The Omega Equation and Differential Vorticity Advection

The following points describe parts of an omega question that describes the rate of change of atmospheric pressure over time.

It gives the first term A: 3-D Laplacian of omega. On the right-hand side, the first term is in place of differential vorticity advection (DVA) which indicates the upward signal. The upward motion is evaluated when incorporating the advection vorticity at between 1000 and 500 mb. If term A > 0 downstream of the 500mb trough located upstream surface cyclone, we can see that vorticity 700 mb increases absolutely at low levels on the surface. On term B: (DVA) that states the upward motion is associated with vorticity advection increasing with heights and the Laplacian of advection of temperature by the geostrophic wind. This term is estimated at 700 mb. A region of maximum warm air advection (term B > 0) is linked with forcing for ascent at 700 mb. An area of maximum cold air advection (term B < 0) is characterized by pushing for descent at 700 mb.

Term A and C annulled each other since they both have the Laplacian operator. Therefore, it is possible to analyze the (DVA) maps in Figure 9. The vorticity is taken in 500 mb with plug color and it is vibrant with a magnitude of the vorticity. In the same map, the (DVA) is shown in 700 – 250 mb which is represented by the blue counter. Conversely, the worm advection areas which are in maps with the red color represent an upward drive. In such adverse weather, the DVA is usually the most crucial stage that can be observed.

Additionally, there is another form of vorticity advection that might be taken known as potential vorticity (PV). While the DVA is observed on one layer of atmosphere as in the same Figure 9 in 500 mb, the likely vorticity advection is enclosed between two isentropic surfaces. It could be displayed on any other cover, but if its potential vorticity is located on a surface with constant possible temperature, and then it is known as isentropic likely vorticity advection (ILVA). In Figure 9 on the right-hand side, the PVA is displayed between 400- 250 mb, and it is clear that the location of PV is the same as DVA with high positive values.

Overall, the increase in differential vorticity and PVA indicate such severe weather on the surface as it happened on December 16-17, 2019. High cape areas are associated with enough moisture in the air. Tornadoes can be formed when several thunderstorms occur in areas of unstable air when winds change direction or speed with a height that is the primary ingredient for tornado formation. When warm air rises over the mountain to the peak, it loses moisture on the leeward side. The pressure differences and when the cold air and warm air crush support tornado formation. It is worth mentioning that the Most Unstable cape is used to determine and forecast severe weather like thunderstorms and tornadoes when a low-level inversion might be present in the region. It also is useful to forecast thunderstorm which occurs out ahead of the worm front with the same place of low-level inversion.

Conclusion

A simplified and insightful analysis of the December 16-17, 2019 has been described to offer a clear understanding of the events leading to and the aftermath of the outbreak. Meteorological synopsis, tornado maps of the various atmospheric layers has also been demonstrated to reveal varied patterns of the wind and its speed, temperature, and the jet stream. Besides, EF-Scale that reflects the intensity of tornadoes has been described to improve the investigations of future tornadoes, thus arranging winds more closely than closely with related storm damage. In this case, the provision of a clear understanding of the omega question and its associated maps has been demonstrated to be critical in developing future tornado markers and predictor scales.

References

Ahrens, C. Donald. (1998). Tornadoes essentials of meteorology: An invitation to the atmosphere (6th ed). Wadsworth Pub. Co.

Davis, R. E., & Walker, D. R. (1992). An upper-air synoptic climatology of the western United States. Journal of Climate, 5(12), 1449-1467.

Doswell III, C. A., Brooks, H. E., & Dotzek, N. (2009). On the implementation of the enhanced Fujita scale in the USA. Atmospheric Research, 93(1-3), 554-563.

Doswell III, C. A., Carbin, G. W., & Brooks, H. E. (2012). The tornadoes of spring 2011 in the USA: An historical perspective. Weather, 67(4), 88-94.

Duffin E. (2020). Statista. Web.

León-Cruz, J. F., Carbajal, N., & Pineda-Martínez, L. F. (2017). Meteorological analysis of the tornado in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila State, Mexico, on May 25, 2015. Natural Hazards, 89(1), 423-439.

Moore, J., & Lambert, T. (1993). Weather And Forecasting, 8(3), 301-308. Web.

NOAA’S National Weather Service. (n.d.). NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Web.

NOAA’S National Weather Service. (n.d.). NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Web.

Oltmer, D. A. (2009). The Use of conditional and potential instability axes for severe weather forecasting. Naval Postgraduate School Monterey Ca.

Pagé C. (2019). UQAM/Mateocentre.com. Web.

Pfeiffer, K. D. (2001). The mesoscale evolution of explosive cyclogenesis: A numerical study of the March 1993 storm of the century. North Carolina State Univ At Raleigh.

Song, G., Yan, H., Yang, S., & Li, W. (2007).Chinese Journal Of Geophysics, 50(1), 58-66. Web.

Tornado’s Variations and Formation

Introduction to Tornadoes

A tornado looks like a column of air or condensed funnel, which is moving anti-clockwise at high speeds with one end of the column being in contact with the ground and the other touching the heavy clouds (Galiano, 2000, p. 3). Sometimes, the vertical funnels consist of clouds of debris, dirt, objects, or dust.

Conversely, tornadoes occur in various shapes and sizes including rope-like, wedge-shaped, classical, fat cylinders, and conical tornadoes. Furthermore, tornadoes can be classified into several types including supercell, waterspout, landspout, gustnado, dust devil, and firewhirls.

Accordingly, a wedge-shaped tornado consists of straight edges, a non-funnel shape, and its damage path is usually wide. Moreover, its width is much bigger than its height. On the other hand, classical tornadoes consist of funnels that never touch the ground, and thus, the ground surface rises in such a way that the tornado is half funnel and half dirt or dust (Prokos, 2008, p. 10).

During any form of tornado, some vital signs can be noticed such as the occurrence of a dark-green sky, dense and low-lying clouds, unusual loud sounds, and large hails.

Therefore, it is advisable for one to take immediate cover upon observing these weather changes. Thus, some of the safety measures during a tornado include avoiding windows, discussing safety measures with family members, avoiding mobile homes, stopping the car if driving, avoiding trees and tall buildings, and lying flat on the ground or a ditch while protecting the head (CDC, 2007).

To further understand the dynamics of tornadoes, the Bernoulli’s principle has been utilized to explain the principle behind the formation of tornadoes. Accordingly, in fluid dynamics, the principle has it that in some fluids with zero velocity (theoretical fluids displaying inviscid flow), an increase in the velocity of the fluid follows a subsequent decrease in fluid pressure or potential energy.

As a result, the formation of tornadoes can be affected by Bernoulli’s principle since most tornadoes show a local vortex (the wall of the air column) flow whereby the velocity of the flow is greatest at the center of the vortex (Grazulis, 2001, p. 20).

The sound made by most tornadoes involves loud roars, which resemble the sound made by freight trains, waterfalls, or jet engines. According to the Earth Systems Laboratory Study of Sound, the use of infrasonic arrays is effective in detecting tornadoes occurring in high plains several minutes before they can touch the ground.

This study referred to as infrasonics involves detection of infrasonic signatures, vibrations, or disturbed waves with frequencies below the level detectable by the human ear (Galiano, 2000). Furthermore, the study shows that tornado sounds are caused by the tornado vortex winds and the interaction between airflows and the ground dust or debris. Moreover, the funnel clouds have been shown to produce whistling, buzzing, humming, and whining sounds.

Tornado Variations

As mentioned earlier, tornadoes occur in many shapes, sizes, and categories. For example, landspout also known as dust-tube tornado is a tornado with lesser intensity compared to supercell tornadoes, and thus, they occur for a short period.

As opposed to supercell tornadoes, which involve thick vertical columns of air rotating constantly at 200 mph (mesocyclone), the landspout does not have any characteristics of a mesocyclone. However, a landspout can generate strong winds that can cause massive damage particularly when the smooth funnel touches the ground (Galiano, 2000, p. 61).

On the other hand, multiple vortex tornadoes consist of numerous vortices, which form the center of the main vortex or part of it. Additionally, the multiple vortices can be seen rotating around the main vortex.

This type of tornado is visible when it is forming for the first time or when the condensation funnel together with the debris or dust is dense enough so that the subvortices can appear clearly.

Conversely, the structure of multiple vortex tornadoes involves a family of vortices that form the wall of the main tornado, which rotates around a common center with the strongest of the vortices lasting for the longest duration (Galiano, 2000).

Furthermore, waterspouts are tornadoes, which occur in water bodies whereby the cooler humid air on the surface of water rotates as a result of the warmer air beneath rising. Moreover, since the humid air is lighter, it whirls skywards forming a column of air known as the vortex (which is the wall of the tornado funnel).

Subsequently, as the water vapor condenses to generate heat and water droplets, the vortex makes rapid rotations upwards, and thus, causes the formation of either of the two types of tornadoes namely tornadic and non-tornadic waterspouts (Grazulis, 2001).

Formation of Tornadoes

Most studies note that there is no fully acceptable process of tornado formation to date. However, a typical tornado forms several miles above the surface of the earth within a strongly rotating thunderstorm known as a supercell, which can be detected via the Doppler radar (Grazulis, 2001, p. 20).

Furthermore, a set of weather conditions are required for tornadoes to form. For instance, the interaction of three distinct types of air forms the basis of tornadoes.

Here the favorable weather conditions for tornado formation include, a layer of warm and wet air together with southern winds occurring near the earth’s surface, cool air together with southwestern winds occurring in the upper atmosphere, and temperature and moisture changes between the upper atmosphere and the earth’s surface.

Other favorable weather conditions include changes in the direction and velocity of wind, which causes wind shearing that eventually leads to furious air rotations characteristic of most tornadoes (Grazulis, 2001).

On the other hand, the establishment of a third hot and dry air layer between the warm humid air on the ground and the cooler air at the upper atmosphere, forms a cap that forces the warm humid air below it to become warmer and unstable. Subsequently, a storm that occurs in the upper atmosphere causes different layers of air to rise, and as a result removing the cap and causing the development of explosive thunderstorms and updrafts (Grazulis, 2001).

Furthermore, the subsequent interaction of the updrafts or thunderstorms with the surrounding eastern winds causes upward air rotations similar to those observed in most tornadoes. Sometimes, the rising air columns or funnels consist of water droplets, debris, dust, or objects, and thus, they are visible.

However, some tornadoes fail to touch the ground, thus they are mainly made up of the rotating wind, which may not be visible. Conversely, tornadoes are frequently formed in Central United States particularly around the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains in the western part, and the Gulf of Mexico located to the southern parts.

Conclusions

This essay presents a detailed discussion regarding tornadoes. According to the discussions presented above, tornadoes are columns of air or condensed funnels rotating anti-clockwise at high speeds with one end of the funnel touching the ground and the other end reaching the heavy clouds in the upper atmosphere.

The rotating columns of air produce loud roars resembling the sound produced by freight trains, jet engines, or waterfalls.

Since the vertically rotating columns of air contain several objects, dust, or debris, they are a possible danger to people because of their ability to cause massive damage such as lifting roofs or cars. As a result, upon noticing signs such as a dark green sky, heavy low-lying clouds, loud roars, or large hails, there is the need to take immediate cover.

Therefore, during a tornado, it is advisable to avoid windows, tall buildings, mobile homes, stop the car if driving, and lie flat on the ground or a ditch while protecting your head against flying objects.

Reference List

CDC. (2007). Emergency preparedness and response: During a tornado. Clifton, USA: Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Galiano, D. (2000). Tornadoes. New York: The Rose Publishing Group.

Grazulis, T.P. (2001). The tornado: Nature’s ultimate windstorm. USA: University of Oklahoma Press.

Prokos, A. (2008). Tornadoes. USA: Gareth Stevens.

The Tornado Incident in Southern Ontario

The Tornado incident that occurred in Southern Ontario in 2009 is described as a sequence of various rigorous thunderstorms that led to a chain of many tornadoes leading to the South West regions of Ontario, the Greater part of Toronto and also Central Ontario. August 20Th of 2009 led to the devastation of Ontario as it was the biggest tornado to ever last a single day. The tornado is also considered as the biggest to have ever hit Ontario in the history of Canadian tornados. There was a total touchdown of 19 tornadoes which accounts for much more than what the region would typically experience in a period of a year. Four of such tornadoes would typically result in at least an F2 damage range (Vaughan Weather).

The total number of rainstorms linked to this particular period is far more than the tornado that occurred in August of 2006. In addition to this, the hurricane caused the greatest harm that cost the province more than it had in the past. The effects of this tornado comprised one death. This situation is claimed to be a rare occurrence out of the many mild tornadoes that have occurred in the recent past (Vaughan Weather).

At one particular point, a total of more than 10 million inhabitants of Ontario were forcefully put either under warnings or tornado alerts. This included inhabitants of the city of Toronto who had to be warned of the storms that were rolling through the city. Consequently, the storm resulted in a need to review the warning systems and also the responses of tornadoes within Toronto and Ontario.

Weather conditions that may have led to the tornado

According to environment based societies in Canada, it was established that a tornado of magnitude F2 occurred, accompanied with winds of speeds ranging between 181 to 253 kilometres an hour strong. Moreover, it was observed that there was an average pathway that had the width of between 50 and one hundred metres bearing a track length almost 3.8 kilometres long (Vaughan Weather).

Development of the Ontario tornado
Diagram 1: Development of the Ontario tornado

Storm Timeline

The afternoon of the occurrence of the tornado was marked by big spell of thunderstorms that developed above the Southeast region of Michigan towards the Southwest region of Ontario. At about 3pm, the rainstorm swiftly became stronger and an intense film formed around the southern region of Lake Huron initiating a storm that found its way into Ontario. Later on, the storm found its way into parts of Huron and the Grey County before proceeding to the Durham region.

Damages

At the first touchdown of the tornado at 14 kilometres down southwest of the urban settlement the rainstorm proceeded to grow to an intensity of F2 in grade. The tornado weakened and moved towards rural regions before striking the town of Markdale. In this town, fifty homes were damaged in addition to a number of trees. In total, the tornado covered a path that was 36 km long. The next tornado hit Thornbury, a town situated along the Georgian Bay shore. It then proceeded to the south, where it went through Blue Mountain and later to Clarksburg. The tornado finally moved out above the water. More cells intensely formed ahead as the storm moved eastward.

Role of Home Insurers

Just like the case of many segments in the financial system of Canada, the property and casualty insurance business is regulated both provincially and federally. Insurers who are federally integrated under property and victim insurance make up about 75% of the entire premium volume share (Coopers & Lybrand 9). The casualty and home industry is highly competitive in Canada and consists of about 230 companies that are largely foreign based. In addition, these firms employ a total of 100,000 people and more in Canada. These insurance companies ensure that homeowners have a starting point in the event a natural calamity takes place. In addition, these companies insure homes against other events that may put home owners at risk (Insurance Bureau of Canada 6).

Tyres Made of Rubber

Wheels have a metallic part that acts as a ‘faraday cage’ allowing lightning to go through particular surfaces of the car. This occurs before getting to contact with the ground after jumping and surpassing the tires. This condition takes place after the lightning has passed the metallic wheels of the automobile. This makes automobiles a safer place to find safety in the event of a lightning. However, rubber tires do not have the capacity to protect one from lightning (Atlantic Lightning Protection).

References

Atlantic Lightning Protection. “The flash of light that accompanies a high-tension natural electric discharge in the atmosphere.” AtlanticLightning Protection (2010). Web.

Coopers and Lybrand. “The Property/Casualty Insurance Industry,” Paper Prepared for the Task Force on the Future of the Canadian Financial Services Sector, 1998, p. 9.

Insurance Bureau of Canada. ‘Facts of the General Insurance Industry in Canada,’ 2002, p. 6

Vaughan Weather. “AUGUST 20th 2009-WOODBRIDGE TORNADO.” Vaughan Weather (2009). Web.