September 5, 2018, 16:52

Ellie from Kansas with the help of a tornado was transferred to a magical land. But not everyone is so lucky. Someone was simply left homeless or even injured. Do you know what to do during a hurricane and a tornado?

Big city can't protect you

Tornadoes, especially strong ones, do not often end up in big cities. Between 2004 and 2014, large megacities were spared from a tornado with an EF3 rating or higher on the Fujita scale. But this has nothing to do with the fact that megacities can protect their inhabitants. Rather, a confluence of circumstances, due to the fact that cities constitute a small percentage of the land area. It would seem that the skyscrapers could break a column of rotating air, but in fact, their dimensions are incommensurable. The tallest building in the world has a height of 828 meters. A tornado can reach 8-16 kilometers. In addition, the study found that heating systems in homes could increase the power of a tornado in Atlanta in 2008.

It seems that hiding under a bridge is a good idea. This is not true

It is quite clear the desire of motorists to stop under the overpass during a tornado. At the level of emotions I want to hide somewhere from danger. But meteorologists do not advise doing this. Wind from a tornado increases at elevation, and this means that even a small rise under the overpass can lead to a greater risk of injury from flying debris. Worse, the overpass device creates the effect of a wind tunnel. The force of the wind increases when it passes through a narrow space. This was demonstrated in 1999, when a powerful tornado killed and injured people on the ramps in Oklahoma.

The best thing to do if you see a tornado while driving is to drive off the road and find the nearest shelter. If this is not possible, you must move into a ditch or lowland and cover your head with your hands.

No dependence on the corner of the room where you are and your safety

There is a myth that being in the southwestern part of the room is safer during a tornado. This myth was born in 1887 thanks to a book written by a meteorologist named John Park Finley. However, it does not stipulate that a tornado does not always move from southwest to northeast, and even if they do, the wind does not necessarily blow in a straight line.

Open windows to equalize pressure (and your house will lose its roof)

The earlier advice to open windows when a tornado occurs is based on the fact that the difference between the low pressure inside the tornado and the higher pressure in the house will cause the house to explode. Opening windows would solve this problem. But then with the help of more steadfast observations, they found out that the wind that falls inside the room is tearing off the roof of the house. So this advice only made it worse.

Do not try to overtake a tornado

It would seem that the car can reach speed to move faster tornado. But the danger is that the tornado can move erratically. Your path may block the trash or just a traffic jam. If you are already in the room, wait there, it is not worth the risk. After a series of tornadoes in the United States, it was found that half of the deaths and injuries occurred to people fleeing their cars. Many of them left their homes, which ultimately remained intact.

A source: Howstuffworks.com