Tornadoes are already viewed as one of nature’s most violent forms of weather, and aside from tornadoes themselves, the signs indicating they are about to touch down in a general area could be far worse than the second they touch the ground. During severe thunderstorms, tornadoes are generally accompanied by pouring rain, low, howling winds, violent lightning and hailstones.
While most signs are obvious, the main one that people should have their eye on is the one that happens in a clear line of view within a thunderstorm. Extreme Weather coordinator and storm chaser Forrest Lambert says, “The most prominent sign to look for is lots of rotation and a funnel cloud that comes down.” People tend to let the blinds be pulled over their eyes when rotation is in progress, but the minute a funnel gets started, they are quick to grab a camera and head outside rather than taking shelter.
As a tornado approaches, they can be hidden within rain and may blindside residents in an instant. Other times, a tornado can be standing alone when there is no rain at all. Skywarn storm spotter Autumn Hartman said, “The rotation is found usually by looking at the base of the storm where there is no rain. Most storms usually have low, hanging wall clouds in the precipitation-free area of the storm in which tornadoes usually develop.”
Rotation within a thunderstorm can be weak at times, generating smaller and less damaging tornadoes. At other times, rotation can be powerful, creating the most violent tornadoes on record. “Rotation develops from wind shear inside of the storm. You gotta have wind shear in order for tornadoes to form,” Lambert said. Hartman said, “Rotation happens throughout the storm. You have rotating updrafts, mesocyclones and in a whole, tornadoes are just a tiny part of rotation in thunderstorms.”
Hail, lightning and howling winds can be pretty fierce when it comes to tornado development, but in the end, the rotation wins the competition by a landslide. “Because most people don’t keep their eye out for it, when they see something that resembles a tornado, they get excited and put in a false report which can cause panic in the general public,” Hartman stated. Rotation can happen so fast that storm chasers, storm spotters and meteorologists have to be on guard at all times watching signs where a tornado is in progress or on the ground.
The general public can put themselves in danger attempting to get a closer look at an approaching severe storm, but when it is all said and done, those getting the information on the storms are at the highest risk. Lambert said, “Chasers and spotters are most likely to see the most damage because while everyone else is taking shelter, they’re out there to warn people and the National Weather Service about what they see in the field.” In this case, storm spotters and storm chasers are the informants of the field, and even in the worst of times, they still stand strong as a unit for the general public.
Location is also a factor in terms of who sees the most damage before a tornado touches down. “In the field, if it’s a highly populated area, vehicles and homes will see the most damage. However, if the storm is out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by chasers and spotters, they will see the most damage from hail and potentially be struck by lightning. It all depends on the location of the storm,” Hartman says.
Tornadoes can definitely bark a lot worse than they can bite, but evaluating the concept of severe storms in general, all of the signs that point to their arrival are just as dangerous. Anyone is open to be struck by lightning if they are in the wrong place or even pelted by hail hard enough to leave dents and small cuts and bruises behind. Once the calm before the storm arrives, people should keep open eyes and ears out for all tell-tale signs of tornadoes before it is too late to take necessary precautions.
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Tornado Signs Story on NOLA.com
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