How Tornadoes Form
Moore Tornado Fun Facts
Affect on the Community
Warnings/Preparedness
Lessons Learned
100
Does air temperature have an affect on tornadoes?
Yes, the warm air and the cold air together are what causes tornadoes.
100
Did it break the record for highest winds ever recorded?
Yes, at the time it was the fastest winds a tornado had ever released.
100
Did the Moore tornado damage/destroy any houses?
Yes, it was estimated that around 8,000 homes were damaged/destroyed.
100
Was it warned on television before the storm hit?
Yes, it was broadcasted on four different news stations to warn Oklahoma.
100
Did the Moore tornado teach lessons to only the state of Oklahoma or the entire U.S.?
The entire U.S., the Moore tornado taught many lessons to the U.S. as a whole about not only tornado safety but weather safety in general.
200
Funnel clouds are a main warning sign of tornadoes, are these clouds horizontal or vertical before the tornado is completely formed?
Horizontal, funnel clouds are horizontal before they touch the ground.
200
What day did this happen on?
May 3, 1999
200
Did the tornado kill over 40 people?
Yes, it killed 46 people in total.
200
Were the people in Moore prepared for the tornado about to come through their town?
No, unfortunately many people underestimated the power the tornado had.
200
Many people felt as if they had no where to go when the tornado came through their town. What was the reason of this?
The reason was that there were not enough tornado shelters that were available (as in distance) for every person.
300
What type of storm are tornadoes associated with?
Supercell Thunderstorms
300
How tall was the tornado? a) 23 1/4 feet tall b) 10 2/3 feet tall c) 18 feet tall
b) 10 2/3 feet tall
300
What was the cost of this tornado financially? a) 1.5 million dollars b) 90 million dollars c) 400,000 dollars
a) 1.5 million dollars
300
There were tornado shelters available for people in Oklahoma because it is apart of Tornado Alley. Were there enough shelters in Moore for this tornado?
No, there were shelters but not nearly enough for this big of a tornado. Many people had no where to go as this tornado crossed through their town.
300
One of the lessons learned was a reevaluation of the Fujita scale. This changed its rating from F-1 to EF-1. What did the "EF" stand for?
Enhanced Fujita, after this tornado the scale became Enhanced Fujita scale because the scale was more enhanced hence the name of it; it was based more on the damage the different wind speeds could do rather then wind speeds in general.
400
Warm air columns rise in supercell thunderstorms, and these columns get caught in an updraft. What does this form?
A funnel cloud
400
How many people lived in Moore at the time that the tornado hit? a) 48,000 b) 72,000 c) 55,000
c) 55,000
400
What affects did the tornado leave environmentally? a) None b) It had a major impact on the oxygen levels in that area. c) It spread toxic chemicals around.
c) It spread toxic chemicals around. When the houses were damaged/destroyed this caused many chemicals be release into that area. The wind from both the tornado and afterwards pushed the material with this chemical around.
400
At this time there were the building structure of homes could be more "tornado-proof" similar to the way houses near the coast are "hurricane-proof." True or false?
False, until this time people really had to reassess their thoughts on how to build there homes to be safer for tornadoes.
400
One of the lessons learned was about where to hide, is there anywhere safe besides a shelter?
Yes, anywhere underground is decently safe. Although tornado shelters are the SAFEST place to be.
500
The last step before a tornado is formed is when the funnel cloud touches the ground. What causes the funnel cloud to touch the ground?
Precipitation from the thunderstorm pushes the funnel cloud down until it touches the ground and the tornado is officially formed.
500
The Moore tornado had wind speeds of an astonishing 484 miles per kilometer. How many miles per hour was this?
301 miles per hour
500
What was the original rating of the Moore tornado on the Fujita Scale? a) F-1 b) F-4 c) F-5
F-4. The original rating was and F-4 based on the wind speed, but after the damaged was looked at it was bumped up to an F-5.
500
What was one of the most dangerous places that people thought was safe?
Underneath highway overpasses was one of the places were many of the deaths occurred yet people thought were safe.
500
At the time people did not expect such a impactful tornado to hit their town, what lesson did this teach?
Underestimation/Unpreparedness. This taught everyone that people should never underestimate any weather/ to be more prepared for tornadoes to hit them.
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