Tornadoes and their Biblical tendencies?

Tornadoes and their Biblical Tendencies


A delve into the world of Tornadoes also called Twisters. These occur globally but are renowned for forming in the US in the media termed "Tornado Alley". This article takes an in depth look at Tornadoes of various shapes and sizes, admires their sinister beauty and raw destructive force which can verge on catastrophic at times when they are at their most powerful. It's not just the awe inspiring sight of these wind vortexes that fascinates, for me personally it's the path of destruction that they take and how sometimes entire neighbourhoods will be flattened for miles, but for some miraculous reason one house or other object is left untouched and still standing amidst the trail of destruction. Why to this day is a complete baffler even to the worlds leading scientists? Hence the title of this article "Tornadoes and their Biblical tendencies".

This article just like last weeks article on Asteroids and Meteors will have a supporting video which will be released over the weekend over at The Twelve Gates You Tube Channel. A link will also appear in this article. UPDATE VIDEO LINK via The Twelve Gates at You Tube





My definition of a Tornado or Twister is
in simple terms a Hurricane/Tropical Cyclone but on a smaller scale. They work on the same principle like a spiral, cork screw effect but cover a smaller more intense area but the end result is similar. Each tornado has a personality of it's own and are even more unpredictable than hurricanes appearing out of nowhere, changing in intensity and directon by the second and then disappear as quick as they came.

Tornadoes The Wikipedia Definition

A Tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as twisters or cyclones, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology, in a wider sense, to name any closed low pressure circulation. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, but they are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel, whose narrow end touches the earth and is often encircled by a cloud of debris and dust. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour (180 km/h), are about 250 feet (80 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 300 miles per hour (480 km/h), stretch more than two miles (3 km) across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km).

Tornadoes have been observed on every continent except Antarctica. However, the vast majority of tornadoes occur in the Tornado Alley region of the United States, although they can occur nearly anywhere in North America. They also occasionally occur in south-central and eastern Asia, northern and east-central South America, Southern Africa, northwestern and southeast Europe, western and southeastern Australia, and New Zealand. Tornadoes can be detected before or as they occur through the use of Pulse-Doppler radar by recognizing patterns in velocity and reflectivity data, such as hook echoes or debris balls, as well as through the efforts of storm spotters.

Full information Wikipedia

Where does the word Tornado come from?

The word tornado is an altered form of the Spanish word tronada, which means "thunderstorm". This in turn was taken from the Latin tonare, meaning "to thunder".

How do Tornadoes become visible if they are just swirling air?

A tornado is not necessarily visible; however, the intense low pressure caused by the high wind speeds (as described by Bernoulli's principle) and rapid rotation (due to cyclostrophic balance) usually causes water vapor in the air to condense into cloud droplets due to adiabatic cooling. This results in the formation of a visible funnel cloud or condensation funnel

Where are Tornadoes most prevalent?

They are particularly prevalent in the Tornado Alley area of the United States which includes the States of where tornadoes and severe weather are are most frequent which includes parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, Colorado, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Storm chasers have long recognized the Great Plains tornado belt as a productive area for such natural phenonemom and their activities

Strange phenonemom that baffle scientists
Scientists still have many questions. As few as 20 percent of all supercell thunderstorms actually produce tornadoes. Why does one supercell thunderstorm produce a tornado and another nearby storm does not? What are some of the causes of winds moving at different speeds or directions that create the rotation? Why do some things get left standing and everything is completely flattened and demolished. These and many other things are the bafflers that even in this modern day with scientific advances gathering pace.................still the answers remain elusive.
Tornado Strengths and Intensity. Information courtesy NOAA

Tornadoes range in strength fom an F0 being the lowest to an F5 being the highest and most intense. Details below on each category measured by the Fujita Scale with typical wind speeds and what the destructive capability such a tornado can produce.

In the United States, 80% of tornadoes are EF0 and EF1 (T0 through T3) tornadoes. The rate of occurrence drops off quickly with increasing strength—less than 1% are violent tornadoes (EF4, T8 or stronger).Outside Tornado Alley, and North America in general, violent tornadoes are extremely rare. This is apparently mostly due to the lesser number of tornadoes overall, as research shows that tornado intensity distributions are fairly similar worldwide. A few significant tornadoes occur annually in Europe, Asia, southern Africa, and southeastern South America, respectively.

There are several scales for rating the strength of tornadoes. The Fujita scale rates tornadoes by damage caused and has been replaced in some countries by the updated Enhanced Fujita Scale. An F0 or EF0 tornado, the weakest category, damages trees, but not substantial structures. An F5 or EF5 tornado, the strongest category, rips buildings off their foundations and can deform large skyscrapers. The similar TORRO scale ranges from a T0 for extremely weak tornadoes to T11 for the most powerful known tornadoes. Doppler radar data, photogrammetry, and ground swirl patterns (cycloidal marks) may also be analyzed to determine intensity and assign a rating. Fujita Scale ratings below

Category F0: Gale tornado (40-72 mph); light damage. Some damage to chimneys; break branches off trees; push over shallow-rooted trees; damage to sign boards.

Category F1: Moderate tornado (73-112 mph); moderate damage. The lower limit is the beginning of hurricane wind speed; peel surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos pushed off the roads.

Category F2: Significant tornado (113-157 mph); considerable damage. roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles generated.

Category F3: Severe tornado (158-206 mph); Severe damage. Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in forest uprooted; heavy cars lifted off ground and thrown.

Category F4: Devastating tornado (207-260 mph); Devastating damage. Well-constructed houses leveled; structure with weak foundation blown off some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated.

Category F5: Incredible tornado (261-318 mph); Incredible damage. Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distance to disintegrate; automobile sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 yards; trees debarked; incredible phenomena will occur.

The Hollywood Take on Twisters

Numerous attempts have been made at making films that either focus primarily on Tornadoes and their destructive powers or they have been incorporated as part of the film such as in the classic "The Wizard of Oz" and the End of the World film The Day After Tomorrow. There's been a few TV films and B category films that have Twisters in them but these four films listed below in my opinion are the cream of the crop. Acting is normally at times horrendous and plot lines verging on the ridiculous but the real stars of the film are the Tornadoes themselves. Nothing else comes close!

The Wizard of Oz 1938 Tornado Scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1PfVVFq97I

Twister 1996 The Movie Trailer 

Into The Storm 2014 

The Day After Tomorrow 2004 Tornado Scene

Types of Tornado

Tornadoes are generated from mainly two types of thunderstorms the supercell and non-supercell. Tornadoes that come from a supercell thunderstorm are the most common, and often the most dangerous. A rotating updraft is a key to the development of a supercell, and eventually a tornado.

Various types of tornadoes include the landspout, multiple vortex tornado, and waterspout. Waterspouts are characterized by a spiraling funnel-shaped wind current, connecting to a large cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud. They are generally classified as non-supercellular tornadoes that develop over bodies of water, but there is disagreement over whether to classify them as true tornadoes. These spiraling columns of air frequently develop in tropical areas close to the equator, and are less common at high latitudes. Other tornado-like phenomena that exist in nature include the gustnado, dust devil, fire whirls, and steam devil; downbursts are frequently confused with tornadoes, though their action is dissimilar

Outbreaks and families

Occasionally, a single storm will produce more than one tornado, either simultaneously or in succession. Multiple tornadoes produced by the same storm cell are referred to as a "tornado family". Several tornadoes are sometimes spawned from the same large-scale storm system. If there is no break in activity, this is considered a tornado outbreak (although the term "tornado outbreak" has various definitions). A period of several successive days with tornado outbreaks in the same general area (spawned by multiple weather systems) is a tornado outbreak sequence, occasionally called an extended tornado outbreak

Tornado Types

Non-supercell tornadoes include

Gustnadoes, whirls of dust or debris at or near the ground with no condensation funnel, which form along the gust front of a storm.

Landspouts, narrow, rope-like condensation funnels that form while the thunderstorm cloud is still growing and there is no rotating updraft. The spinning motion originates near the ground.

Waterspouts, similar to landspouts, except they occur over water. [+]
A tornado with a nearly cylindrical profile and relative low height is sometimes referred to as a "stovepipe" tornado. Large single-vortex tornadoes can look like large wedges stuck into the ground, and so are known as "wedge tornadoes" or "wedges".

Tornadoes in the dissipating stage can resemble narrow tubes or ropes, and often curl or twist into complex shapes. These tornadoes are said to be "roping out", or becoming a "rope tornado".

In the United States, tornadoes are around 500 feet (150 m) across on average and travel on the ground for 5 miles (8.0 km).[23] However, there is a wide range of tornado sizes. Weak tornadoes, or strong yet dissipating tornadoes, can be exceedingly narrow, sometimes only a few feet or couple meters across. One tornado was reported to have a damage path only 7 feet (2 m) long.[23] On the other end of the spectrum, wedge tornadoes can have a damage path a mile (1.6 km) wide or more. A tornado that affected Hallam, Nebraska on May 22, 2004, was up to 2.5 miles (4.0 km) wide at the ground, and a tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31, 2013 was approximately 2.6 miles (4.2 km) wide, the widest on record.[3][27]
Nain Types of Tornadoes

Multiple vortex Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8NENOeKjaM
A multiple-vortex tornado is a type of tornado in which two or more columns of spinning air rotate around a common center. A multi-vortex structure can occur in almost any circulation, but is very often observed in intense tornadoes.

Waterspout Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaJKYWKdyHw

A waterspout is defined by the National Weather Service as a tornado over water. However, researchers typically distinguish "fair weather" waterspouts from tornadic waterspouts. Fair weather waterspouts are less severe but far more common, and are similar to dust devils and landspouts. They form at the bases of cumulus congestus clouds over tropical and subtropical waters. In contrast, tornadic waterspouts are stronger tornadoes over water. They form over water similarly to mesocyclonic tornadoes, or are stronger tornadoes which cross over water. Since they form from severe thunderstorms and can be far more intense, faster, and longer-lived than fair weather waterspouts, they are more dangerous.

Landspout Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBZUKuT-_qk

A landspout, or dust-tube tornado, is a tornado not associated with a mesocyclone. The name stems from their characterization as a "fair weather waterspout on land". Waterspouts and landspouts share many defining characteristics, including relative weakness, short lifespan, and a small, smooth condensation funnel which often does not reach the surface. Though usually weaker than classic tornadoes, they can produce strong winds which could cause serious damage.
Gustnado Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yera7AvLzbM
A gustnado, or gust front tornado, is a small, vertical swirl associated with a gust front or downburst. Because they are not connected with a cloud base, there is some debate as to whether or not gustnadoes are tornadoes. They are formed when fast moving cold, dry outflow air from a thunderstorm is blown through a mass of stationary, warm, moist air near the outflow boundary, resulting in a "rolling" effect

Dust devil Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rIi5S-zDAc

A dust devil resembles a tornado in that it is a vertical swirling column of air. However, they form under clear skies and are no stronger than the weakest tornadoes. They form when a strong convective updraft is formed near the ground on a hot day.

Fire whirls Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsyvOYcWgcg

Not really Tornadoes but are small-scale, tornado-like circulations can occur near any intense surface heat source. Those that occur near intense wildfires are called fire whirls. Fire whirls usually are not as strong as tornadoes associated with thunderstorms. They can, however, produce significant damage.[21]

Steam devils Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2fChOqOhmQ

A steam devil is a rotating updraft that involves steam or smoke. Steam devils are very rare. They most often form from smoke issuing from a power plant's smokestack. Hot springs and deserts may also be suitable locations for a steam devil to form. The phenomenon can occur over water, when cold arctic air passes over relatively warm water

Tornado appearance and how it changes
Lighting conditions are a major factor in the appearance of a tornado. A tornado which is "back-lit" (viewed with the sun behind it) appears very dark. The same tornado, viewed with the sun at the observer's back, may appear gray or brilliant white. Tornadoes which occur near the time of sunset can be many different colors, appearing in hues of yellow, orange, and pink

Tornadoes can have a wide range of colours, depending on the environment in which they form.

Record Breaking

The most record-breaking tornado in recorded history was the Tri-State Tornado, which roared through parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on March 18, 1925. It was likely an F5, though tornadoes were not ranked on any scale in that era. It holds records for longest path length (219 miles, 352 km), longest duration (about 3.5 hours), and fastest forward speed for a significant tornado (73 mph, 117 km/h) anywhere on Earth. In addition, it is the deadliest single tornado in United States history (695 dead).The tornado was also the costliest tornado in history at the time (unadjusted for inflation), but in the years since has been surpassed by several others if population changes over time are not considered.

Top 25 Deadliest Tornado Incidents via The Examiner as at 2013
Tornadoes Fact and Fiction

Interesting article from the New York Times going into detail on Tornadoes and FAQ's and what is fact and what is fiction.



Are the frequency of Tornadoes increasing?

Interesting article answering the question are Tornadoes increasing in frequency as a result of the El Nino/ Climate Change factor? Via Live Science
Safety

Some information on what you should do when a Tornado is about to strike. They form very quickly but the weather patterns that lead to their formation take a while longer and Meteorologists are getting pretty good at giving advanced warnings.

What should I do when a Tornado Strikes Information courtesy Missouri Storm Aware 

Tornado Sirens

What should I do when I hear the sirens?
When you hear tornado sirens, go inside and tune to local media to get more information.

Why can’t I hear the sirens in my house?
Sirens are an outdoor warning system designed only to alert those who are outside that something dangerous is approaching.

How can I get alerts when I’m at work or in my house?
For alerts indoors, every home and business should have a NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards. NOAA Weather Radio is like a smoke detector for severe weather, and it can wake you up when a warning is issued for your area so you can take appropriate action.

When are sirens tested?
Sirens are tested according to local community policies.

Why don’t the outdoor warning sirens sound an all-clear signal?
People should be indoors and monitoring local media for updates on the storm.

Will the sirens warn me of every dangerous storm?
The safest approach is to be proactive and use all of the information available to protect yourself and your family from threatening weather. Nothing can replace common sense. If a storm is approaching, the lightning alone is a threat. Sirens are only one part of a warning system that includes preparation, NOAA Weather Radio, and local media.

Who activates the sirens?
Sirens are typically activated by city or county officials, usually a police or fire department or emergency management personnel. Check with your city or county officials to learn more.
Bible Quotes relating to Tornadoes and examples of Tornado Survival Stories

Tornadoes especially the larger ones have a strong biblical quality to them and seem to have an otherwordly quality like the finger of God is pointing down at that time and is being controlled by superior forces. Confirmation of that fact exists in many bible quotes. Here's a few examples listed below that either refer to End Times or s judgement at a different time period.

Tornado Survival Stories
Tornado Picks Up Womens Truck Filmed Inside

Oklahoma Tornado: Stories of Survival and Hope

8-year-old tornado survivor tells her story

The Oklahoma Storm 2013 and some lucky escapes Article and Video http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22604251

Bible Quotes relating to Tornadoes

3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
And will not at all acquit the wicked.

The Lord has His way
In the whirlwind and in the storm,
And the clouds are the dust of His feet. (Nahum 1:3)

11 But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. 12 Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. 14 “But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.” (Zechariah 7:8-14)

21 A cyclone sweeps them up — gone!
Not a trace of them left, not even a footprint.
22 Catastrophes relentlessly pursue them;
they run this way and that, but there’s no place to hide —
23 Pummeled by the weather,
blown to kingdom come by the storm.’
(Job 27:21-23,
12 Woe to the multitude of many people, like the multitude of the roaring sea: and the tumult of crowds, like the noise of many waters.

13 Nations shall make a noise like the noise of waters overflowing, but he shall rebuke him, and he shall flee far off: and he shall be carried away as the dust of the mountains before the wind, and as a whirlwind before a tempest.

14 In the time of the evening, behold there shall be trouble: the morning shall come, and he shall not be: this is the portion of them that have wasted us, and the lot of them that spoiled us. (Isaiah 17:12-14, DRB)



“God’s tornado is on its way,
roaring out of the desert.
It will devastate the country,
leaving a trail of ruin and wreckage.
The cities will be gutted,
dear possessions gone for good.
16 Now Samaria has to face the charges
because she has rebelled against her God:
Her people will be killed, babies smashed on the rocks,
pregnant women ripped open.
(Hosea 13:15-16,)
19 Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord has gone forth in fury —
A violent whirlwind!
It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back
Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart.
In the latter days you will understand it perfectly. (Jeremiah 23:19-20)



23 Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord
Goes forth with fury,
A continuing whirlwind;
It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not return until He has done it,
And until He has performed the intents of His heart.

In the latter days you will consider it. (Jeremiah 30:23-24)

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