Tornado Links
Tornadoes are rotating columns of air that descend to the ground from thunderstorm clouds. The wind speeds of tornadoes range from 75 to 300 miles per hour. Tornadoes can toss 13-ton vehicles thousands of feet and send pieces of straw through wood. In the United States, they are most prevalent during the spring and summer in the infamous "Tornado Alley" between Nebraska and Texas. Tornadoes almost always make the news because they are so destructive.
Try these Planet Diary Tornado Activities:
- The Scoop on Tornadoes
Find out how tornadoes form and where they're most likely to occur. You'll also look at common myths about tornadoes and learn what to do if you're ever around when one strikes. - Tornado Density and Effect by State
Learn how tornado frequency and intensity vary by region of the country. Explore the concept of "weighting" tornado data according to state population and area.
Tornadoes
This FEMA for Kids site is a great source for information on tornadoes.
The Tornado Project Online
The Tornado Project brings twisters to a personal level with stories of people who have lived through them, as well as strange-but-true tales of past tornadoes. There are facts on storm chasing, the Fujita scale, and tornado statistics, but most of the information focuses on the effects of tornadoes, not what causes them.
Nature's Most Violent Storms
NOAA offers complete info on how tornadoes form, where they occur, their various shapes, and lots more.
Tornadoes: Going Around in Circles
Find facts on twisters from The Why Files. There are cool illustrations explaining how, where, and why tornadoes and related phenomena occur, whether they can be predicted, and what to do if one is headed your way. The site includes a glossary of tornado terms and a tornado quiz.
USA Today Weather
This site is a great source for tornado information and is often full of helpful diagrams. Check out these topics:
- A closeup view of tornadoes
- "Twister" blows away reality
- Tornadoes are Earth's most violent storms
- Fujita scale ranks tornadoes by damage
U.S. Tornado Warnings
The National Weather Service posts any current tornado warnings for the U.S.
Tornado Climatology
This site from the National Climatic Data Center gives the average number of tornadoes that occur in your state, as well as ratings stronger than F2. It also provides data on tornado density.
Twister in a Bottle
Make a vortex out of soda bottles!
