The Body of a Tornado

As a little kid, growing up in tornado alley, I was exposed to plenty of bad weather. Moving to Texas, I am amazed at the fear and awe that comes with crappy weather. Traffic locks up and people run for their homes, and I am looking around like, 'it's just a little wind, people!'

I spent a good number of childhood nights sleeping in the bathtub because the bathroom was the safest place from a tornado. I've seen a few in my time, and it is exasperating to see so many others run and hide in fear of a little wind and rain. It's amazing how little people really understand about this phenomenon.

What is a tornado?

Well, a tornado is a swirly cloud that drops down out of the sky and sucks you up! No, not quite. A tornado is the result of contradicting wind currents or storm fronts running together. If a warm front and a cold front collide, the hot air will rise up through the cold air. This causes the warm air to cool, and drop again, and vice versa. This churning chaos is what causes vortexes to form. Have you ever watched the dishwater drain from your sink? It's the same idea.

Tornadoes form quickly and are not predictable enough for meteorologists to give us a really straight answer to why they are formed. But they give us a pretty good idea.

What do tornadoes do?

In the past, it has been said that a tornado creates a vacuum of air pressure, and your home will suffer less damage if you open the windows. While it is true that tornadoes create a 'sucking' vacuum effect, you should not, under any circumstances, open your windows during a tornado. This will only allow the damaging winds into your home.

In essence, a tornado is simply a swirling wind. It will huff and puff and blow your house down, it won't suck your house up. But just the same, if you live in a trailer you should probably get somewhere else.

What should I do in a tornado?