Tornadoes are dangerous, violent, and often deadly — and we’ve seen a full display of their horrific power in the past few weeks. They’ve ripped through towns, wiping entire communities out in their destructive wake.
While tornadoes have occurred on 6 of the 7 continents (only chilly Antarctica gets a pass) — the United States is actually the country with the most tornadoes per year (we average about 1,150). And while they happen in all 50 states, they historically tend to cluster in the area called “Tornado Alley.”
This area reaches from across the Great Plains to the Upper Midwest, the Ohio Valley, the Tennessee Valley, and the lower Mississippi Valley.
While a tornado can (and does) strike at any time throughout the year, there are certain seasons where twisters are most likely. These hotbed seasons vary upon where you live:
Whether the tornado looks like an archetypal large funnel, a narrow swirl, or isn’t even visible — twisters develop as warm, humid air rises… and cool air falls.
Such divergent weather patterns cause spinning air currents to churn inside the clouds of a thunderstorm — and although these currents start in a horizontal direction, they can quickly turn vertical and drop down from the cloud.
Tornadoes can strike with little to no warning. But some telltale signs a cyclone may be about to form include:
If you get an alert — either on an app or because you’ve sensed the dangerous change in weather conditions, immediately seek shelter.
If you’re out on the road, and you see a twister in its infancy or you’re at a great enough distance, you may even still be able to get out of its path.
Drive away from the funnel cloud, moving at a 90-degree, right angle from its path of destruction. In other words, if it’s heading east, drive south.
The twister may not be very far off in the distance. Apart from calling out for Auntie Em and Uncle Henry, read our Do’s and Don’ts Of Tornado Road Safety.
Being in a vehicle is extremely risky in a tornado. After all, twisters basically gobble up cars and spit them out, potentially dropping them many miles away from where the winds first scooped them up. But if you’re caught out on the open road with absolutely no shelter to run into — there are at least a few less risky options, according to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the government agency that forecasts weather.
Make sure any other passengers also are wearing their seatbelt and covering their heads as much as possible; the car windows and even windshield could get hit from incoming debris.
Continue to use extreme caution, avoiding downed power lines (which could be live), fallen trees, broken glass, nails, or other dangerous objects may be strewn across the ground.
As always, empowered drivers are safer drivers, more thoughtful drivers, and more engaged drivers. Check out more of our safety tips, including:
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