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Severe Weather
Cause an average of 70 fatalities and 1,500 injuries each year
- Produce wind speeds in excess of 250 miles per hour.
- Can be one mile wide and stay on the ground over 50 miles.
Tornado Facts
- A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground.
- Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year but are most frequent during the spring and summer months.
- 88% of all tornadoes are classified as weak tornadoes with winds less than 110 miles per hour with a lifetime of 1 to over 10 minutes.
- 11% of all tornadoes are classified as strong tornadoes with winds 110 to 205 miles per hour with a lifetime that may last 20 minutes or longer.
- Less than 1% of all tornadoes are classified as violent tornadoes with winds greater than 205 miles per hour and a lifetime that can exceed 1 hour.
- No place is safe from tornadoes.
- People caught in the open should seek shelter in a sturdy building if at all possible. Overpasses, ditches, and culverts may provide limited protection from a tornado, but your risk will be greatly reduced by moving inside a strong building.
Who Is Most at Risk
People who are in mobile homes and automobiles!
Be Prepared
- In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement.
- If an underground shelter is not available, move to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor and get under a sturdy piece of furniture. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.
- Stay away from windows!
- Get out of automobiles. Don't try to outrun a tornado in your car. Lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands.
- Be aware of flying debris.
- Leave mobile homes immediately! Go to the lowest floor of a sturdy nearby building or a storm shelter.
More Information
More information on tornadoes can be found at the Storm Prediction Center website.