Tornado Season Is Upon West Michigan, Here Are 5 Interesting Facts About Twisters

Even though tornado's are horrible, they are also interesting at the same time.

If you live in the mid west there is a pretty good chance that you have lived though a tornado. If not, I am confident that people living here know what to do if one visits town. In fact, Kalamazoo was hit hard by a tornado many years ago and Wikipedia.com describes the natural event as...

"The Kalamazoo Tornado of 1980 struck downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, on May 13, 1980. The tornado, which touched down at 4:09 pm, was rated F3 on the Fujita scale. The tornado killed 5 people and injured 79. Damage was estimated at $50,000,000.^[1]"

A day that many will never forget...

In Michigan April through July is when the state is most frequently hit by twister and there is a great web-site called Tornado-facts.com that lists some interesting and dare I say fun facts about tornado's....

More tornadoes touch down in the United States then any other country.
Tornado winds are the fastest winds on Earth.
In 1928, a tornado in Kansas plucked the feathers right off some chickens.
In 1931 a tornado in Mississippi lifted an 83 ton train and tossed it 80 feet from the track.
Usually, a tornado's color matches the color of the ground.

Of course that got me thinking about the important things we need to know about tornado's. The web-site regency-group.com did a great job of explaining the difference between a 'watch' and a 'warning'.

A Tornado Watch Means...

" that conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop. Be alert to changes in the weather, account for all family members, and listen to local radio and TV stations for updated storm information. Move cars inside and keep car and house keys with you. If time permits, move lawn furniture and equipment inside to minimize flying debris. If a tornado siren sounds, stay inside and take cover."

A Tornado Warning Means...

" a tornado has actually been spotted or is indicated on weather radar in your area. This means danger is imminent and you may only have seconds to take cover."