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Tornadoes are one of the most destructive forces on the planet. They are basically unstoppable and when they get big enough they can reach sizes that are nearly 1 mile wide. So you are talking about a 1-mile wide monster that is exploding buildings with air pressure. It’s scary.
However, tornadoes are part of something we face, here in American, on an annual basis. There are things that we can do to be more prepared for these regional disasters. With tornadoes, it’s all about the advanced warning. The most recent tornado outbreak in Alabama was predicted by about 9 minutes. That’s a lot of time to seek shelter.
What can you look for to get even more of a notice?
Cloud Base Rotation
When you are observing clouds or a daytime thunderstorm, you will actually see rotation in those clouds. Now that rotation might not always make it to the ground as a tornado but these rotations are a great sign that you might just want to take cover until the storm has passed.
These visuals signs are some of the best examples of how to know when a tornado is on the way. Or at least when a storm as the potential to spawn a tornado.
Wall Cloud
A low cloud that seems to approach more like a wave and less like high cloud formation. This wall cloud is terrifying and looks incredible ominous. They are always attributed to powerful thunderstorms at the very least. You are going to know that at least a high winds and dangerous lightning are on the way. This is a very powerful sign.
Hail
There are large, powerful updrafts in these storms that will cause both hail and tornadoes. Hail is a sign that these updrafts are happening and you are going to see that these same updrafts spawn tornados. If you can understand what is happening with hail, it can give you a clue that more danger could be on the way.
