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Natural Disasters: Tornadoes

A research topic guide on natural disasters, including avalanches, earthquakes, fire, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and volcanoes.

Resources

Research & Reference

Tornadoes: The Science of Tornadoes

The U.S. is affected by 1,200 tornadoes every year and this phenomenon is growing all over the world. With wind speeds inside their vortex reaching up to 500 km per hour and traveling at the speed of a high-speed train, tornadoes are capable of destroying everything in their path. But how do they start? How can we predict them and minimize their destruction? Is global warming responsible for their increasing frequency?

Source: Kanopy

Tornadoes 101 | National Geographic

 

Tornadoes are some of the most destructive forces of nature. Learn how tornadoes form, how they are rated, and the country where the most intense tornadoes occur.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aacHWoB7cmY

Perspectives

The Man Who Caught the Storm

The life and death saga of one of history's greatest storm chasers: a tour-de-force tale of obsession, ingenuity, and the race to understand nature's fiercest phenomenon--the tornado. "An instant classic of Americana." --Hampton Sides "Many a novel is not written this memorably." --The Philadelphia Inquirer "Masterful. This is what man versus nature is all about." --Skip Hollandsworth "Hargrove is one today's great science writers." --The Washington Post At the turn of the twenty-first century, the tornado was one of the last true mysteries of the modern world. It was a monster that ravaged the American heartland a thousand times each year, yet science's every effort to divine its inner workings had ended in failure. Researchers all but gave up, until the arrival of an outsider. In a field of PhDs, Tim Samaras didn't attend a day of college in his life. He chased storms with brilliant tools of his own invention and pushed closer to the tornado than anyone else ever dared. When he achieved what meteorologists had deemed impossible, it was as if he had snatched the fire of the gods. Yet even as he transformed the field, Samaras kept on pushing. As his ambitions grew, so did the risks. And when he finally met his match--in a faceoff against the largest tornado ever recorded--it upended everything he thought he knew. Brantley Hargrove delivers a masterful tale, chronicling the life of Tim Samaras in all its triumph and tragedy. He takes readers inside the thrill of the chase, the captivating science of tornadoes, and the remarkable character of a man who walked the line between life and death in pursuit of knowledge. Following the tradition of Into Thin Air and The Perfect Storm, Hargrove's debut offers an unforgettable exploration of obsession and the extremes of the natural world.

Tornado: In the Eye of the Storm

Former Tornado Navigator John Nichol tells the incredible story of the RAF Tornado force during the First Gulf War in 1991; the excitement and the danger, the fear and the losses. It is an extraordinary account of courage and fortitude.

Tornadoes and Their Amazing Winds

Tornadoes hit all 50 states of the U.S. and most inhabited regions of the world. Blowing as fast as 200 to 300 mph, they are the most awe-inspiring of extreme weather. But what exactly are they? And why are they more prevalent in some areas than others? Probe tornado facts and myths, and survey some of the deadliest tornadoes of our times.

Source: Kanopy

Mr. Tornado

Meteorologist Tetsuya Theodore "Ted" Fujita spent months studying The Super Outbreak of 1974 - the most intense tornado outbreak on record. Follow the story of the man whose research helped Americans respond to dangerous weather phenomena.

Source: Kanopy