"The roof was caving in and I thought I was going to die. It was like
your worst nightmare!" said Mary Grandish. Most people think they will die when
they see,or hear of a tornado heading their way.
Although all the details of the formation of a tornado are not yet
understood, it is known that tornados are the result of great instability in the
atmosphere and often appear during severe thunderstorms (see appendix #1 for a
scientific explaination on how it really starts). Strong updrafts present in
severe thunderstorms result in a rotational momentum. Falling rain and/or snow
probably drags air from aloft when it comes falling down. The combination of
severe thunderstorms and sweltering heat are the breeding grounds for a
tornados' formation. The first sign of a tornado is a strong dust whirlwind
along with a funnel growing from the storm cloud. A more organized funnel
descends farther from the cloud, sometimes even touching the ground. Funnel
winds generally move counterclockwise and the funnel can move slowly or at about
100/ft per second. Eventually the tornado becomes fragmented and dissipates
causing the end of the tornado.
Tornados are the cause of great destruction and devistation in the area
in which they occur. For example the Tri-State Tornado of 1925 occured in the
Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas States. This tornado was one of the largest
tornados recorded in history. It killed nearly 625 people. However, the
tornado which strikes closest to home has occured on what Canadians have come to
know as "BLACK FRIDAY".
The tornado of "Black Friday" touched down on July 31st, 1987 at 2:59 pm.
(See appendix #2 for the torndo path). (See appendix #'s 4&5 for maps locating
the disaster sights). 27 people were killed; 25 people died during the tornado
and 2 died later in the hospital. Hundreds of other people were injured and<...