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Palm Sunday, April 11, 1965, will long be remembered by survivors of what has been called "the worst tornado outbreak in history."
Due to the meteorological conditions prevailing over a large area of the Midwest (Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Iowa) - warm, moist air prevailed here, a staggering number of tornadoes formed - 37. The height of the vortices reached 10 km, the diameter was about 2 km, and the speed winds - up to 300 km per hour. By the end of the day, the tornadoes had killed 271 people and injured more than five thousand people. Material damage amounted to approximately $300 million.
"KP in Ukraine" has collected interesting facts about the largest tornadoes in human history.
In Florida, off the Florida Keys, waterspouts appear from the sea almost every day from May to mid-October. For this reason, the area received the nickname “the land of waterspouts.” In 1969, 395 such vortices were recorded here.
According to statistics, the life cycle of a tornado is from several minutes to an hour or longer. However, most of them last no more than 10 minutes. The Mattoon tornado is considered a record-breaking tornado. On May 26, 1917, in 7 hours and 20 minutes, he covered 500 km across the United States, killing 110 people. Another of the longest tornadoes is considered the Tri-State tornado, which on March 18, 1925 passed through the states of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, covering 350 km in 3.5 hours, killing 695 people.
But the largest number of tornadoes within a short period of time was observed on April 3-4, 1974. 147 tornadoes swept through 11 American states and one more in Canada. Seven tornadoes were classified as F5 and another 23 were rated as F4 on the Fujita scale.
Here's what the American newspaper Reader's Digest wrote about the tornado in 1974:
“On that terrible day, April 3, 1974, at 3:55 p.m., the teletypes of the weather service in Louisville tapped out a bulletin warning Kentuckians of the danger: “A tornado is being reported at approximately 3:45 p.m. near Hardinsburg, three miles from Irvington. It's moving northwest at about 50 miles per hour."
The so-called “Irving tornado” on May 30, 1879 lifted the wooden church into the air along with the parishioners who came to the church service. The whirlwind moved the building four meters to the side and then moved away. Apart from injuries from plaster and pieces of wood falling from the ceiling, the parishioners escaped with minor fright.
In Tennessee (USA) in 1923, a tornado instantly destroyed and carried away the walls, ceiling and roof of a rural house. At the same time, the residents who were sitting at the table at that moment escaped with a slight fright.
In 1940, in the village of Meshchery, Gorky Region (Russia), a rain of silver coins was observed. It turned out that during a thunderstorm the treasure of coins was washed away, and a tornado passing nearby lifted the coins into the air and threw them out near the village of Meshchera.
The highest wind speed on the surface of the Earth was recorded during a tornado in the United States in Oklahoma and Kansas on May 3, 1999 - 511 km per hour.
The largest tornadoes were recorded in the state of Oklahoma (USA) during a series of tornadoes in the second half of May 2013. On May 20, a tornado formed near the southern suburb of Oklahoma City - the city of Moore (the wind speed reached 322 km/h, the diameter of the funnel was about 3 km). The tornado that passed through another suburb of Oklahoma City, the town of El Reno, on May 312, 2013 turned out to be even more powerful (wind speed - 485 km/h, funnel diameter - 4.2 km). By the way, the most famous “tornado hunter” in the United States, Tim Samaras, died during this tornado. Along with him was his son Paul Samaras and their colleague Carl Young.
The biggest tornado in the world recorded in the Guinness Book of Records, occurred in the USA (Texas, Wichita Falls) in 1958. The maximum wind speed was 450 km per hour. This is an incredibly strong wind that represents destruction. It lifts light houses into the air and destroys strong buildings to the ground. Such a tornado picks up and carries heavy objects, cars, trees, etc.
A strong wind of this category is also called a tornado. In the USA the designation used is tornado. This country is exposed to destructive winds more often than others. Tornadoes usually occur in the spring, but can also occur at other times of the year. Texas experienced 84 violent tornadoes between 1950 and 2007. The speed of the tornadoes was at least 370 km per hour.
The biggest tornado in the world hit the northern part of the city of Wichita Falls. In this case, 7 people died and over 100 were seriously injured. Damage from the disaster was approximately $15 million. Another powerful tornado struck this locality on April 10, 1979. This day was later noted in history as “Terrible Tuesday.” Local residents were warned in advance about the impending tornado. However, after the tornado, 45 people were killed and 1,800 injured. During the disaster, many people were returning home from work. The tornado caught them right on the road. After a terrible wind, over 20 thousand people lost their homes. The total damage was equal to 400 million dollars.
What is a tornado
The reasons for the occurrence of powerful winds are known. But we have never managed to avoid tornadoes and storms. Experts believe that in recent years, incidents of destructive tornadoes have become more frequent. They associate this with environmental degradation and global warming.
A tornado or meso-hurricane is a powerful air current or vortex that rotates at an incredibly high speed. During a tornado, a funnel is formed that can demolish any buildings and turn them into rubble. The air flow is distinguishable, since it is made visible by the earth, dust and all objects that fall inside. The tornado reaches 50 km horizontally and 10 km vertically. The funnel rotation speed is at least 30 m per second. A tornado can take any shape - a pipe, a funnel, a trunk, a column, etc. It all depends on the size and nature of the wind. Interestingly, the rotation in a tornado is counterclockwise.
Types of tornadoes
They can occur due to severe thunderstorms or for other reasons, according to scientists. Thunderclouds are capable of forming air currents that move very quickly. Subsequently, they form a funnel heading towards the ground. There is no complete explanation of the nature of tornadoes. Experts cannot figure out why and how the speed inside the tornado increases to unimaginable proportions.
There are the following types of tornadoes:
Scourge-like - happen more often than others;
vague - their width prevails over height;
composite ones are the most dangerous and destructive.
Small vortices arise inside the tornado. They begin to rotate much faster than the main wind. The speed of small vortices reaches 300 m per second. This speed represents a destructive force. There is low pressure right inside the tornado. As a result, a “pump effect” is formed in the funnel. Everything that comes in the way of the wind is drawn in there. It is simply impossible to study a tornado thoroughly. Scientists only speculate what processes are occurring inside the funnel.
The USA is the birthplace of tornadoes
Every year in this country there are many tornadoes of varying strength and speed. Daily wind events occur in Florida from May to mid-fall. However, they do not threaten the safety of people, since their craters form far from the surface of the earth. The United States experiences about 1,000 tornadoes annually. Oklahoma City suffers the most from them. More than 100 officially recorded tornadoes have occurred there. Tornadoes also form quite frequently in Northeast Africa and Australia.
A meso-hurricane can occur not only on land, but also on water. It has minor differences from the land wind. When the funnel touches the surface of the sea, drops of water fly up.
The largest tornadoes in the world
The most destructive wind is considered to be the one that hit the city of Shatursh in Bangladesh in 1989. It led to the death of 1,300 people. This is the most tragic tornado on the planet. Residents of the city were warned about the impending disaster, but many ignored it. Therefore, the number of victims was very high.
If we consider waterspouts, then among them there are also record holders. For example, a tornado formed in Massachusetts Bay, the height of which exceeded 1000 m. At the very top its diameter was 250 m, and at the surface of the water - 70 m. The tornado cascade had a diameter of about 200 m.
In the past, tornadoes were considered very dangerous because they were impossible to predict. But today weather forecasters have learned to recognize the beginning of a disaster. Therefore, the number of victims can be significantly reduced. Frequent victims of the elements are curious wind hunters. They strive to capture the tornado on camera, trying to get as close to it as possible. However, people underestimate the power and speed of the wind. Usually such curiosity ends sadly. A tornado with a radius of 1 km and a speed of about 70 km per hour already contains a force commensurate with the energy of an atomic bomb.
An interesting fact is that tornadoes also occur on other planets. They were recorded on Mars, Jupiter, Neptune and Venus.
Here is a list of the largest tornadoes in the world:
In Kansas, the town of Irving suffered in 1879. There were two tornadoes there at once. They tore off the steel bridge and literally twisted it into a ball.
In 1917, the Mattoon tornado occurred. He walked 500 km in 7 hours. 110 people are listed as dead.
The longest and most terrible tornado captured the territory of three states (Illinois, Missouri, Indiana) in 1925. It covered 352 km in 3 hours at a speed of 117 km per hour. The tornado killed 350 people and injured 2,000. Losses exceeded $40 million.
In Canada in 1974 there were powerful outbreaks of tornadoes. It was possible to record 148 tornadoes in 18 hours.
In the United States, people are always warned about tornadoes. The formation of tornadoes is monitored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The biggest tornado in the world was also predicted in advance, although this did not help avoid a disaster. The population of the most tornado-prone cities knows what to do in the event of a tornado. If a person is in a house, then he must hide in a shelter - a cellar, basement or other safe place. If the wind comes from outside, then you need to go inside the nearest building or find a ditch to “lie down.” The main thing is not to fall into the terrible funnel of a tornado, because it is impossible to get out of there.
Few people will be happy with hot, dry, windless weather. But even less joyful are the strong gusts of wind that knock people off their feet and destroy everything around them. It is this kind of squally wind that is called a hurricane. Its speed can reach 300 meters per second. In this article we will talk about which of the most powerful hurricanes in the world caused significant damage to people and claimed human lives.
What is a hurricane
A hurricane is a strong wind whose speed is significantly higher than 30 meters per second. In the southern hemisphere of the planet, the wind blows clockwise, and in the northern hemisphere it blows in the opposite direction, that is, against it.
Typhoon, cyclone, storm and breeze are multiplied definitions of a hurricane. Hydrometeorological center specialists have multiplied the concepts of the word “hurricane” to simplify their work. Often hurricanes and cyclones are given names similar to women's names, but in the modern world this rule is changing slightly so that there is no obvious discrimination.
The largest hurricanes in the world have caused significant damage to humanity, causing a huge number of casualties and damage. This is the most powerful thing imaginable. Hurricanes have enormous energy.
Gusts of wind demolish buildings, destroy crops, disrupt power lines and water supply lines, damage highways, uproot trees, and cause accidents. This type of damage causes the world's most powerful hurricanes. The list and statistics of the most powerful natural disasters of our time are updated with new cyclones every year.
Hurricane classification
There is no standard classification of hurricanes. There are only two groups of them: a vortex storm and a flow hurricane.
During a vortex storm, funnel-shaped gusts arise, which are caused by the activity of cyclones and spread over a large area. In winter, snow storms prevail, which are called blizzards or blizzards.
A flow hurricane does not travel as far as a vortex storm. He is conditioned and significantly inferior to his “brother”. There are jet and katabatic hurricanes. A jet storm is characterized by a horizontal flow, while a runoff storm is characterized by a vertical flow.
Hurricane Matthew
The Atlantic hurricane, called "Matthew", originated on the African shores on September 22, 2016. The cyclone gained strength as it moved toward Florida. On October 6, the hurricane weakened slightly, affecting a small part of the Bahamas and Miami. The next day, the storm wind reappeared with redoubled force, its gusts reaching 220 kilometers per hour. This mark indicated category 5 hurricane power on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It is worth noting that category 5 is the highest level.
It is impossible to overestimate the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew. At least 877 people became victims of the disaster, 350 thousand were left homeless and without means of survival. 3.5 thousand buildings were destroyed. Matthew, which struck Florida in 2016, is the world's most powerful hurricane this decade. Photos of the consequences prove this.
Citizens affected by the disaster were provided with temporary housing or a place in a shelter. Health workers say cholera outbreaks are possible in the near future as the water is contaminated.
Myanmar: Hurricane Nargis
The most powerful hurricanes in the world that have occurred over the past 10 years have caused irreparable losses from which people cannot recover to this day. Cyclone Nargis, which hit Myanmar in 2008, was just such a disaster.
People were not notified in time about the impending disaster, so they could not prepare. In addition, the country's government initially refused all assistance from other states.
But after some time, the entry of humanitarian goods was allowed, and people received the necessary help.
Myanmar is the poorest country, with an annual income per citizen of only $200. Hurricane Nargis dealt a crushing blow not only to the citizens of the country, but also to the state economy as a whole.
Cuba and Hurricane Sandi
Hurricane Sandy struck southeastern Cuba on October 25, 2012. The wind speed exceeded 183 meters per hour.
A large number of people were injured. In Jamaica, a man was killed by a boulder that fell from the sky. In Haiti, a flood swept away a woman who was never found. As a result of the disaster, about 200 people died and more than 130,000 buildings were destroyed.
Sandi is the 18th tropical storm to hit this decade. Before hitting Cuba, the hurricane intensified to almost category two.
Looking at the photo of the cyclone, we can say with certainty that Sandy and the rest of the most powerful hurricanes in the world over the past 10 years have become for people the only terrifying disaster in their lives.
Hurricane Ike
Tropical storm Ike hit the United States in 2008. The hurricane was not too strong, but very impressive in its scale. The origin of the cyclone occurred in the southeast of the American coast. Meteorologists were preparing for a hurricane of 5, the highest, on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
It was approaching the mark of 135 kilometers per hour. But gradually the wind died down and the elements weakened.
Texas, especially the small city of Galveston, was hit the hardest. An interesting fact is that this town has already felt the power of the strongest hurricane of the 20th century.
Texas authorities carried out a massive evacuation of people, but most citizens did not want to leave their homes. The authorities were prepared for the disaster to cause colossal damage and lead to floods, as often happens.
The most severe hurricanes in the world cause severe consequences, from which people do not recover immediately. The names of many of them will forever remain in the memory of the affected people.
It is important to know
Every country suffers from the effects of cyclones to varying degrees every year. Therefore, it is so important to know certain rules of behavior during a storm. Under no circumstances should you:
- climb a hill, bridge, power lines;
- be near poles, trees, flammable substances and toxic chemicals;
- hide from the wind behind billboards, signs, banners;
- being in a damaged building, as we know, the most powerful hurricanes in the world easily destroy buildings;
- use electrical appliances.
After the wind subsides, it is dangerous:
- approach broken wires;
- touch swinging signs, banners, billboards;
- stay in the house during power outages;
- use electrical appliances;
- If there was a thunderstorm, you should not touch electrical appliances to avoid electrical discharge.
Did you know that the destructive power of a particular hurricane can lead to the fact that the name assigned to the cyclone will be crossed off from the list of names that can have the most powerful hurricanes in the world. For example, Hurricane Katrina of 2005 fell under this rule, and meteorologists will never use this name again.
Among all the natural elements, a tornado fascinates in a special way. The spectacle of a wind column, with enormous force lifting tons of dust, debris or water into the sky, has always made people tremble and be horrified. Strong tornadoes can cause significant damage to property and human health, and people have not yet learned how to deal with such natural phenomena.
Where are the strongest tornadoes?
A small tornado can form during any thunderstorm, and everyone could observe such a phenomenon at least once in their life. But there are places in the world where tornadoes reach such gigantic proportions that it is almost impossible to imagine something like this without seeing it with your own eyes. Most strong tornadoes are recorded in North America. In the United States there is the famous “Tornado Alley” - an area where the largest tornadoes in the history of mankind were recorded. This alley spans six central states and has been the site of terrifying tornadoes over the years.
Strong tornadoes in the central states of the United States are recorded regularly, but it is not always possible to not only see, but also capture such a monster on video, because this is associated with a risk to life. But sometimes giant tornadoes still hit video, thanks to which you can feel not only the full power of this element, but also see the main stages of the formation of huge tornadoes.
Tornado Alley in the USA
The Mattoon tornado is the longest-lasting tornado.
The record for the longest duration of existence was set in 1917 by a tornado, which was nicknamed the “Mattoon Tornado.” It formed during a thunderstorm on May 26 and raged across the states of Illinois and Indiana for 7 hours and 20 minutes. The tornado traveled 500 kilometers and maintained incredible power throughout its entire path. The diameter of the tornado funnel that day at its peak reached 1 kilometer and it did not leave anything intact along its path. The Mattoon tornado killed 110 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
The Tri-State Tornado is the most destructive tornado ever.
This tornado is considered the most destructive tornado and the deadliest ever recorded in US history. The tornado formed on March 18, 1925 and within 3.5 hours moved through the states of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, covering 350 kilometers. On the path of the tornado lay many small villages and towns, from which the elements left no living space. At that time, there were no tornado warning systems or special shelters in place in case of a large tornado. Therefore, 700 people died that day, which is the largest number of deaths from a tornado.
Consequences of a tornado
The wind speed inside the 1925 tornado reached 300 km/h, while the tornado itself was moving at a speed of 100 km/h. Such colossal energy led to the formation of a huge crater, the size of which ranged from 800 meters to 1.5 kilometers. Historical accounts of this tragedy mention that local residents, who had never seen such a gigantic tornado before, could not believe its size and thought that several hurricanes were approaching them, not just one. The whirlwind easily lifted houses, schools, animals and people into the air, and then brought everything down to the ground from a height of tens and hundreds of meters.
Tornado epidemic - the largest number of tornadoes
The beginning of April 1965 will forever go down in the history of the US Midwest as a mournful date. The beginning of the month was marked by hot weather, but on April 11, Palm Sunday, a thunderstorm raged. As a result, the heated, moist air began to quickly rise to the clouds, instantly forming vortices hundreds of meters high. By the end of the day, 37 large tornadoes were moving through the states of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Iowa. The height of the largest of them was more than five kilometers, and the diameter reached one and a half kilometers. The tornado killed 271 people and injured another 5,000 of varying degrees of severity. Damage from the tornado epidemic amounted to $300 million.
Oklahoma Tornado - Maximum Danger Level
Many people know that there are many “tornado hunters” in the world who love to film the most destructive tornadoes. One of the most famous among them was Tim Samaras, who died during another storm chase. This time he went after the tornado with his 24-year-old son and work colleague, but the giant tornado abruptly changed direction, turning straight towards the car where the people were. The road itself was blocked at that moment and Tim and his loved ones died, leaving behind only this photo.
Oklahoma tornado photo
Oklahoma had seen some of the biggest tornadoes in years during those May months, so Tim was hoping to capture something similar. On May 20, a tornado formed near the southern suburb of Oklahoma City, Moore, with wind speeds rising to 322 km/h and a funnel reaching a diameter of 3 km. The tornado traveled 27 kilometers through a densely populated area of the state and was classified as a maximum danger level. The disaster caused $3 billion in damage and injured hundreds of people. 24 of them died.
