An extraordinary wind, quite a loud noise, people fleeing in different directions, not knowing what to do, and a wave of panic… Pretty scary isn’t it?
Let’s close our eyes and pretend we’re in that exact environment. What will happen to us?
These destructive winds, which occur on average 1300 times each year in the USA, are formed by the opposite contact of moist and hot air with dry and cold air.
In fact, warm air is not as dense as cold air, and therefore warm air is pushed over and displaced by cold air.
As this stream of warm air rises, unexpected changes in wind speed or direction then cause the air to begin to spin and take the form of a funnel. This creates an updraft that creates the hoses.
Tornadoes, which have an extraordinary air force, are a collection of winds blowing at a speed of over 480 kilometers per hour.
In fact, it is their speed that gives strength to the whole of these winds, and the speeds they have make them much stronger. At the same time, the air density at the bottom of the hoses is 20% less than the air pressure at high altitudes.
In this case, it means that if we get caught in a tornado, it will be very difficult for us to breathe. Because the number of air molecules that facilitate the breathing of the lungs decreases.
If we are pulled into a whirlwind, we are blown away by the speed of the wind and begin to spin around ourselves.
But we are not alone in the whirlwind. Depending on the density and severity of these swirling wind columns, we are likely to encounter bricks, glass, wood, and even pieces of houses and cars. Again, when we are in this current, they make us feel that we are deaf, and the different sounds of shattered objects scratch our ears.
Also, lack of oxygen and temperatures reaching freezing point become our biggest concern. Because the wind is constantly blowing towards the center of the vortex, the temperature inside a tornado is on average 15-20°C cooler than outside.
So what else?
About 3 minutes after being pulled into a hose, we pass out from lack of oxygen. In the meantime, the only thing we will probably want is the end of the tornado, but this is the harbinger of another disaster!
Because the moment the tornado ends, we suddenly fall down from the height we have reached, and if we are not in a wheat field, it becomes inevitable to be injured quite severely. As soon as we hear the hose siren, we’d better move on to a safe area where we can protect ourselves.
Since the foundations of the houses are quite strong, if you have a shelter in the basement, that area will be the safest place to go. Since the streets are quite wide and open spaces, these are undoubtedly the most dangerous places. In the meantime, it would be the wisest move to take shelter in the nearest building you can find.
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