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Weather in the Movies
“Tornado”
ATMO-1010-401-Sp22
Dr. M. Hanenberger
Charles W. Black
February 12, 2022
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“Every year 1,200 plus tornadoes hit the United States” (NOAA). It is not known exactly
why and how tornados form. What is known as a “Supercell Thunderstorm” is where most result
from. As the movie shows, the storm chasers use color doppler radar to locate, track, and try to
predict where the next tornado may develop and touch down. This movie uses Oklahoma as the
area they use to try and track these tornados. Oklahoma is at the base of “Tornado Alley”, and
the Norman Oklahoma weather center is the heart of tornado studies. This is where some of the
world breakthroughs insignificant and technological advances in this field of weather. This
hyperlink shows a weather clip from October 11, 2021, when at least five tornados were
reported. We know that two fronts meet in the Texas area around the Gulf of Mexico. When
they meet, they push against each other, pushing northeast up the Ohio valley, or what is known
as “Tornado Alley”. These Supercells produce high winds, hail, heavy rain, wind shear, and
when conditions are perfect a tornado can form. The circular motion seems to speed up and get
stronger and larger. These vortex winds can knock down buildings and toss things around like a
rag doll. Things don’t get tossed around like in the movie, but things can be moved from one
place to another. Only light debris can be seen flying around in the wind dust and vegetation
kicked up by the tornado. And sometimes vehicles can be thrown around, usually in the F-5
category.
https://www.koco.com/article/tornado-watch-issued.
Tornados are one of Mothers Nature's most destructive weather events on
the planet. The biggest problem we have when it comes to tornados is where, when, and how
strong and destructive a tornado will be. They are measured on the “F” scale or the “Fujita
Scale”.
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The Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity
F-Scale Intensity Wind
Type of Damage Done
Number Phrase Speed
F0 Gale tornado 40-72 mph Some damage to chimneys; breaks branch off trees; pushes over
shallow-rooted trees; damages signboards.
F1 Moderate 73-112 mph The lower limit is the beginning of hurricane wind speed; peels
tornado surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or
overturned; moving autos pushed off the roads; attached garages
may be destroyed.
F2 Significant 113-157 Considerable damage. Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes
tornado mph demolished; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or
uprooted; light object missiles generated.
F3 Severe 158-206 Roof and some walls torn off well-constructed houses; trains
tornado mph overturned; most trees in forest uprooted
F4 Devastating 207-260 Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations
tornado mph blown off some distance; cars thrown, and large missiles
generated.
F5 Incredible 261-318 Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried
tornado mph considerable distances to disintegrate; automobile-sized missiles
fly more than 100 meters; trees debarked; steel-reinforced
concrete structures badly damaged.
(NOAA)
Early warning is the key to preventing loss of life in a Tornado. The movie “Tornado” tries to
show how storm chasers try to predict where, when, and how strong a tornado will be. Using
Color Doppler Radar to help assist them, they keep trying to launce small data-collecting devices
to help them better understand the internal workings of a tornado. Understanding the weather
that causes a tornado is the first step. This hyperlink shows and explains how and what Doppler
Weather Radar is, and a video that can help explain in more detail. https://ownyourweather.com/
https://www.bing.com/videos
Having lived in central Oklahoma, I know firsthand what a tornado can do, even the
small ones. My first experience was in El Dorado Arkansas in 1982. Driving home after fishing
with some friends we came upon a severe storm. High winds, hail and torrential rain, and the
deafening sound of a rumbling roar. We were driving through a wooded area on a straight road.
Along this road were open fields on either side for 5 or 6 hundred yards, the wooded area for a
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half-mile or so. The fields to the right were about 3 hundred yards deep then woods again. So, as
we exited the woods to the right of us, we saw at the end of the field a tornado ripping through
the woods in the same direction we were going. It was moving faster than 50 miles an hour
which was our speed in the car. We slowed down, mouths open saying “holly *^%$#@#$, look
at that”!!! the 60 plus foot pine trees were being ripped out of the ground and being flung like
match sticks. Later that day we went back to that spot and walked down the field to have a look.
We looked left and right and all we could see was a path of destruction as far as we could see
and for several hundred yards in front of us. We knew nothing about this storm or the
possibilities of tornados. There was no warning at all.
With advances in technology, we have a better understanding of the “Tornado”. We still
have much to learn about the formation, paths, and strength or destructive powers of the tornado.
Early warning is still the best defense against the “Tornado”, but we must understand and know
when and where they will pop up. So, for now, we must rely on what we know, have, and how to
use everything at our disposal. Storm chasers, Doppler Weather Radar, and visual sightings to
determine where and when a tornado might show its ugly disposition and domineer.
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Works Cited
https://www.koco.com/article/tornado-watch
https://ownyourweather.com/
https://www.noaa.gov/education
