Welcome to our new post! In this article, I'll introduce you to some fun facts about the most dangerous tornadoes and hurricanes in history. Get ready to learn amazing things about these weather phenomena and surprise your friends with these interesting facts.
Did you know that a hurricane and a tornado can happen at the same time? This can happen because the hurricane advances so intensely that it can cause a tornado.
The duration is different, a tornado can last up to 20 minutes, while a hurricane can advance territories for several days. The maximum area of the tornado is also less than that of the hurricane, having up to 300 kilometers. Hurricanes have already reached a maximum area of up to 2,000 kilometers.
The tornado has more speed than a hurricane. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian was observed over the Atlantic Sea, which is considered the fastest to date. This hurricane presented a speed of up to 295 kilometers per hour. The fastest tornado struck Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana in the United States in March 1925 and had a speed of 350 kilometers per hour. Specialists affirm that a tornado could reach a speed of up to 500 kilometers per hour.
You can only predict the occurrence of hurricanes, tornadoes form without warning. Tornadoes can form anywhere in the world, but hurricanes only form in tropical latitudes. Hurricanes always cause flooding, torrential rains, and storm surges, but tornadoes can't cause them.
Both hurricanes and tornadoes are described as gusts of air that revolve around a central point, but the conditions that allow the formation of these phenomena are different.
In the case of a tornado, this air mass rotates on an axis at high angular velocity and is usually located in a thunderstorm often accompanied by hail. These have one end connected to the ground and the other to the clouds. Tornadoes can also occur in the northern sector of a hurricane, where the low winds weaken but the strong ones remain strong.
Already the hurricane is formed by high evaporation, when the tropical sea reaches the temperature of 78.8 Fahrenheit. Then the warm air from the storm meets the warm surface of the sea, causing eddies on the surface. The rotation of the Earth also has an influence to turn eddies into hurricanes and over time they can also increase in category, becoming more dangerous.
The Fujita scale was created to measure the intensity of tornadoes. The vast majority of observed tornadoes occurred between Bangladesh and eastern India.
The most dangerous tornadoes in history
Daulatpur and Saturia, Bangladesh
In Daulatpur and Saturia (Bangladesh) there was a tornado that left around 1,300 dead. An area of 6 kilometers was completely devastated. The tornado originated after a period of intense drought on April 26, 1989. Both cities were completely destroyed.
Dhaka and Comilla, Bangladesh
In Dhaka and Comilla, Bangladesh, one of the deadliest tornadoes killed 923 people. The disaster occurred on April 14, 1969 and was caused by 2 tornadoes, one that hit Dhaka and the other that affected Comilla.
'Tri-State', United States
The deadliest tornado in the United States is the Tri-State, being the third deadliest tornado. This natural disaster affected the states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. Winds of up to 352 kilometers per hour were observed. This tornado has not been rated according to the Fujita scale, but experts estimate that it would fall into the F5 category (the maximum level). It reached up to 377 kilometers of travel.
The deadliest hurricanes in history
Galveston, United States
September 3 was the first time that this hurricane was observed in Cuba. Five days later, when it reached Texas, it had already become a category 4 hurricane. Hurricane intensity is measured by the Saffir-Simpson scale. This hurricane flooded all of Galveston Island and other regions near Texas. About 8,000 people died.
San Felipe-Okeechobee, United States
This hurricane started in the Leeward Islands, when it reached Puerto Rico it was already classified as a category 4 hurricane. On its way it passed through the Bahamas, Palm Beach and continued to North Carolina. Okeechobee was where the greatest tragedy occurred, a 6 to 9 foot flood. Only in the accident in Florida it is estimated that about 1,836 people have died.
Mitch
This hurricane started in the Caribbean Sea and passed through the Yucatan Peninsula, South Florida, the British Isles, and Iceland. The greatest damage was caused with its arrival in Honduras, where its strong winds caused a series of widespread rains and severe flooding.
The impact in Honduras was so great that it even affected Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. It is estimated that this hurricane has caused about 9,000 deaths and many missing.
The hurricane is the more dangerous of the two, because it affects a much larger area and for much longer. In addition to also having the aggravating circumstance of causing other destructive phenomena. The season in which there is the greatest risk of hurricanes in the Atlantic is between June 1 and November 30.
A very interesting fact is that in the United States there is an alert called WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts) that uses radio technology to send an alert text message to all mobile phones that are in the zone.
To stand out from regular text messages and avoid false alerts, WEA messages have their own sound and vibration that repeats twice. This alert warns not only about tornadoes and hurricanes, but also about tsunamis, typhoons, extreme winds, among others.
How can a person prevent themselves in case of a tornado?
It is recommended to have a device that works with batteries or a telephone on hand to keep informed of the latest weather conditions. An emergency kit with non-perishable food, medicine and water. A refuge plan and a list of telephone numbers to request help and information.
It is better to take refuge in a house or building on the lowest floor and without windows, such as a basement. It is not recommended to be in a mobile home, or try to drive faster than the tornado to try to outrun it. Once inside the shelter you must protect yourself under something resistant like a table, covering your body with a blanket or mattress and protecting your head well.
How to prevent yourself in case of hurricanes?
Prepare an emergency kit with non-perishable food, medicines and water. It is recommended to look to see if public shelters are open. It is not recommended to open the windows or the doors of the house during the storm. Not being able to open doors or windows, you have to be very careful with ovens, fireplaces and generators so as not to get carbon monoxide poisoning.
📚 Data source:
https://www.geografiainfinita.com/2013/05/los-cinco-tornados-mas-mortales-de-la-historia/
https://www.france24.com/es/20190902-huracanes-letales-historia-atlantico-dorian
https://www.cdc.gov/spanish/nceh/especiales/tornado/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/spanish/nceh/especiales/huracanes/index.html
https://www.weather.gov/wrn/weahttps://www.weather.gov/wrn/wea
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