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Do you remember the first time you ever
saw a tornado? For many kids it was during the movie The Wizard
of Oz. Granted, the movie's man-made tornado was pretty scary,
but not nearly as scary as the real thing. Real tornadoes are dark
funnel-shaped clouds made up of violently rotating winds that can
reach speeds up to 300 mi/h.
If you were watching the news on May 3, 1999, you probably heard
about the F5 tornado that struck Oklahoma. It tore through homes,
businesses, and farms, shredding everything in its path. It was
one of the worst tornadoes in U.S. history. But what exactly is
an F5 tornado? Well, F5 refers to the Fujita scale, which is used
to determine the severity of tornadoes. The scale, which ranges
from F0 to F5, classifies tornadoes according to the damage they
cause. Almost half of all tornadoes are F1s. These tornadoes reach
speeds of 73–112 mi/h and can overturn automobiles and mobile
homes and rip off the roofs of houses. Only about 1 percent of tornadoes
are F5s, which cause devastating damage. With wind speeds over 261
mi/h, these tornadoes can lift houses off their foundations and
hurl them through the air.
Tornadoes occur all over the world, but the greatest number of tornadoes
and most intense tornadoes happen in the U.S. About 1,000 tornadoes
touch down in the U.S. each year. Though most tornadoes hit "Tornado
Alley," a section of the Great Plains, they can—and do—occur
in every state.
Some people say it's important to prepare for tornadoes, but is
this really necessary? Well, remember Dorothy from The Wizard
of Oz? Had she been better prepared when the tornado hit, she
would have known to stay away from her bedroom window. And if she
had, she might have avoided getting that nasty bump on her head.
So if you were in Dorothy's shoes, would you know what to do? Here
are a couple of tips suggested by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA): Pay attention to storm warnings. If you're at home,
go to a basement. If you don't have a basement, go to a small inner
room without windows, such as a bathroom. Also, stay away from corners
and fireplaces, and protect your head with a pillow or mattress.
Cars and mobile homes are the most dangerous places to be in a tornado,
so leave these to find safe shelter in a nearby building that provides
better protection. Don't end up like Dorothy; be prepared!
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