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Frequently Asked Questions
Tornado FAQs
- What exactly is a Tornado?
- What is the difference between a Tornado Watch and Tornado Warning?
- When are Tornadoes most likely to occur?
- How fast do Tornadoes move?
- Where is the safest place during a Tornado?
- What causes most of the damage?
- Is there a rating scale for Tornadoes?
- Can I use my shelter for other purposes?
What exactly is a Tornado?
A tornado is a rotating column of air that makes contact with the ground.
A Tornado Watch implies that tornadoes and severe weather are possible. A Tornado Warning means that a tornado has been sighted in the vicinity of the warning. When a Tornado warning is issued:
You should move to your TornadoSafeRoom™ storm shelter or basement, lower floor interior hallway or room. If you are in an automobile, leave the car, find a low spot (culvert, drainage ditch), and lie flat on the ground. Do not try to outdrive a tornadoMobile homes provide little or no protection from a Tornado and you should leave one during the tornado watch. Tornadoes can develop rapidly and sometimes no warnings are possible. Keep alert for signs of an approaching Tornado. Most deaths and injuries are due to flying debris.
Tornadoes can develop at any time of the year. The most tornadoes occur in April, May and June. Tornadoes are most likely to appear between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. but they can occur at all hours of the day or night.
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Most often, a tornado moves from southwest to northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
The average speed is about 30 mph but this can vary from nearly stationary to more than 70 mph. Tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of 250 mph or more. Damage paths can be wider than one mile and fifty miles in length.
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No place is 100% safe from a Tornado. However, the safest place is a Storm Shelters of America custom made TornadoSafeRoom™ shelter. Even areas that have little history of Tornadoes can be susceptible. A few years ago, a tornado hit Yellowstone National Park leaving a path of destruction up a 10,000 ft. mountain.
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Violent winds and flying debris cause most structural damage and is responsible for most deaths. Never open your windows. Instead, proceed immediately to your Storm Shelter.
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Yes, the Fujita Scale for Tornado Intensities is below:
| Rating | Wind Speed | Damage |
| F0 - Weak | 40-72 mph | Light Damage Some window damage, chimneys damaged, small trees pushed over. |
| F1 - Weak | 72-112 mph | Moderate Damage Roof material peeled off, cars blown off road, mobile homes overturned. |
| F2 - Strong | 113-157 mph | Considerable Damage : Roofs torn off frame homes, mobile homes destroyed, trees uprooted. |
| F3 - Strong | 158-206 mph | Severe Damage : Trains overturned, smallest cars become missiles, cement lifted off ground. Large trees uprooted. |
| F4 - Violent | 207-260 mph | Devastating Damage : Reinforced structures leveled, cars thrown and disintegrated, trees never come down. |
| F5 - Violent | 261-318 mph | Total Annihilation : F5 can be up to 1 mile wide. Strongest of structures disappear. Automobiles carried several hundred feet. Trees debarked. Up to six inches of soil lifted up. Incredible phenomena will occur. |
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We encourage you to make use of your storm shelter for a number of other purposes. Whether you need a place to store your home made canning goods, or if are concerned about other things, a protected, TornadoSafeRoom™ "room" from Storm Shelters of America is a perfect solution.
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Will you be ready the next time a Tornado hits your area?
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