Caroline+A.

All About Tornadoes

Hello, my name is Caroline and I go to school at [|MICDS]. I live in media type="custom" key="12317024" align="right" [|St. Louis Missouri]. The purpose of this page is to help you learn and be aware of tornadoes, what they can do, and how they effect people. Tornadoes are violent storms that mostly happen in the United States. Their winds may top 250 miles per hour. Continue reading to find out more information about the Tri-State Tornado, current news, and even more about tornadoes. Check out the [|MICDS Weather Station]

Learn more about tornadoes! Check out this cool powerpoint!



On March 18, 1925 a deadly tornado (later called the [|Tri-State Tornado]) swept through the three (3) states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. This [|tornado] killed 695 people, caused 2,000 injuries and set a record for the longest tornado path, measuring 219 miles long! In addition, the tornado was classified as an F5 as measured by the Fujita scale and caused more than $16 million in damages. The towns of [|Gorham, Illinois] and [|Griffin, Indiana] were hit particularly hard and not a single building was standing after the tornado swept thru. The tri-state tornado came so fast that many had little chance to find shelter.

Due to a lack of technology in 1925, there was little warning of the tornado. Today, our advanced technology with radar helps to keep both large cities and small towns informed of dangerous weather in advance and can track a tornado more accurately. More importantly, meteorologists can recognize atmospheric patterns and conditions that are likely to cause tornadoes before the tornado even hits. Cities and towns now have tornado sirens that sound in anticipation of a tornado touching down and also when one is sighted. In addition to other forms of communication thru television and radio, these sirens help [|keep more people safe] by alerting them to take shelter.

What is the Fujita scale? The Fujita scale measures how powerful tornadoes are. The Tri-State Tornado was an F5. 

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Caroline February 21, 2012

"With Early Tornado Outbreak, Alabama Focuses on Warnings" January 31, 2012 <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;">By Kim Severson

<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;"> Based on the recommendations of a report released January 23, 2012 by a statewide council of community and business leaders called together by Governor Robert Bentley, the state of Alabama is trying to improve their warning systems for dangerous weather such as severe storms and tornadoes by using Global Positioning System technologies, weather radios and smartphones. This action was taken in response to the tornado outbreak of 2011 in the state. The report encourages the use of social media such as e-mails, text messages and voice mail rather than the use of older sirens which often times cannot be heard and sound off after a storm has passed. Finally, the report also encouraged the use of electronic billboards and offering warnings in languages other than English. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;"> Last April, 248 people died in Alabama in a single day when more than 60 tornadoes hit ground. Because of this Alabama is trying to improve their warning system and to more accurately predict severe weather. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;"> One of the facts I learned was that a tornado can hit a home and destroy it with little or no time to react. In the article it said a woman named Sheila Wright was sleeping when she woke up to a tornado tearing her roof apart. Before going to bed, she and her children were totally unaware the weather conditions were such that a tornado storm could come their way. The state of Alabama has ben experiencing a very uncertain weather pattern which increases the odds of severe weather. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;"> This story is important to science because the state of Alabama and all other states need to improve their systems now about how to warn everyone of deadly weather events like tornadoes. Without science we could not understand tornadoes behavior. Also, studying the impact of atmospheric events will also improve everyone's understanding of uncertain weather.



<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">I want to thank "Tornado." //U*X*L Encyclopedia of Weather and Natural Disasters//. Vol. 4: Optical Effects to Wildfire. Detroit: UXL, 2008. 533-563. //Gale Science In Context//. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. "Tornado." //U*X*L Encyclopedia of Weather and Natural Disasters//. Vol. 4: Optical Effects to Wildfire. Detroit: UXL, 2008. 533-563. //Gale Science In Context//. Web. 1 Feb. 20
 * For the amazing picture.**
 * And National Geographic for all the other photos**
 * Thank you to** youtube **for the funky video**
 * And** Akin, Wallace. "The Great Tri-State Tornado." //American Heritage// 51.3 (2000): 32. //MAS Ultra - School Edition//. Web. 1 Feb. 2012.
 * And** Potter, Sean. "March 18, 1925." // Weatherwise // Mar.-Apr. 2007: 16+. // Gale Science In Context //. Web. 1 Feb. 2012.
 * For helping me get information on the Tri-State Tornado.**
 * [|FEMA]**
 * [|Wikipeadia]**
 * [|National Geographic]**
 * [|Red Cross Disaster Safety Tips]**