Watch the sky for dark clouds. Turn Can tornadoes occur on the TV, radio, or check your phone in South Carolina? for weather updates: Thunderstorm Warning: Severe storms with I thought that was a lightning and hail can quickly turn into tornadoes. Stay indoors and watch the news. Midwest thing! Tornado Watch: The conditions are right for a tornado to form. Keep an eye on the news. Cool Air Tornado Warning: The weather service has spotted a tornado in your area. Take cover!!! Warm air 1938 Tornado: East Bay and Market Streets in Charleston, SC South Carolina Historical Society In the spring, warm air from the south meets cold air from the north. Warm air rises and cold air drops, ! If you’re Tornadoes are violent causing these opposite winds to tumble. outside and columns of rotating air. Warm air pushes the rolling winds you see the clouds get dark or turn They stretch from the ground Cold upward towards heavy clouds. green, get inside quickly! to the thunderstorm. air drops You might also hear a sound similar to a train but it gets louder. cold warm Cold dry air from Canada Warm air rises Jet Stream Cold air falls from the cloud with rain, The quick cycle of cold and warm air but gets sucked back into the cloud as Warm moist air circulating from ground to cloud causes from the Gulf it warms up on the ground. a rotating deadly storm. Warm dry air Fujita Scale from Mexico ! F0 40-72 mph winds The Fujita Scale measures Tornadoes Tornado Alley: Tornadoes occur all over the world, but the the wind speed of tornadoes. are complex. United States has more than any other country. The majority All tornadoes are dangerous. Scientists do not F1 73-112 mph winds Always seek shelter. fully understand them of U.S. tornadoes occur in “tornado alley,” the central region and they are extremely of the country where three air masses meet and the jet stream dangerous to study. carries the storms eastward. F2 113-157 mph winds Tornadoes can drive a drinking straw through a tree trunk or leave Tornado Alley shifts year-to-year based on the current F3 158-206 mph winds papers untouched on a table in weather patterns and shifting jet stream. a destroyed house. No one knows how. 1938 Tornado: City Market in Charleston, SC South Carolina Historical Society F4 207-260 mph winds Tornado vs. Hurricane F5 261-318 mph winds Form over land Forms over water Less than 15 minutes warning As soon as you hear the warning siren or see it on TV, Less than 1/4 mile wide Days, sometimes weeks warning get to a basement, interior South Lasts only a few room, or a closet. minutes to an hour Visit Carolina Can be hundreds of miles wide scemd.org averages Speeds up to Can last for days to figure 11 tornadoes 300 mph tornado out your per year Center of the storm tornado Speeds up to 180 mph plan since 1950. is very violent - 18th in US for # per sq. mile Center of the storm, 1938 Tornado: East Bay Street in Charleston, SC - 26th in US for # of tornadoes called the eye, is calm. South Carolina Historical Society.