In the path of a tornado

  • Published
  • By Sr. Master Sgt. Gary A. Bristol
  • 507th ARW Safety Office
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Oklahoma --  A tornado is one of nature's most destructive storms. The National Weather Service documents about a thousand tornadoes touching down in the United States each year. The destructive power generated by tornadoes has been classified on the Fujita scale. The Fujita scale associates the probable maximum wind speed by the damage associated with a tornado. The Fujita scale, F0 through F5, classifies F0-F1 as weak, F2-F3 as strong, and F4-F5 as violent tornadoes. You can probably guess that Oklahoma sees more F4 and F5 tornadoes develop per square mile than any other state. As the May 3, 1999 killer tornado flattened the city of Moore, wind speed readings taken by Doppler radar reached 318 mph, the strongest tornado wind speed ever measured. This is the highest wind speed on a Fujita F5 scale. Had the wind speed been 1 mph faster, it would have entered the non-existent and what is considered the inconceivable F6 realm, which has never before been recorded in history.

In 1870, the U. S. Army Signal Corps established a weather forecast service. Weather observers gathered data and created charts for forecasters to make daily weather reports. As a result of tornado studies in March 1884, Sgt. John Finley made the first tornado predictions. Unfortunately, the official policy on the use of the word "tornado" in forecasts was banned, supposedly to prevent undue panic within the public.

Even after the establishment of the Weather Bureau in 1891, there were no significant advancements in forecasting techniques for the next fifty years. On March 20, 1948, a tornado struck Tinker Air Force Base, destroying 32 aircraft and causing $10,000,000 in damage. Five days later Major Ernest Fawbush and Captain Robert Miller, members of the Tinker Air Force Base Air Weather Service, noticed weather patterns similar to the March 20th storm were developing. They came to the conclusion that central Oklahoma would be under the threat of tornadic weather by late afternoon. Reluctantly, they  informed Fred S. Borum, the Commanding General of the Oklahoma City Air Material Command of their conclusions. After all, what were the chances that two tornados could hit Tinker Air Force Base only five days apart, not mention no one had ever issued an operational tornado forecast? The decision was made and the first ever tornado forecast was issued. Shortly after 6 p.m. a tornado touched down at Tinker, and Miller and Fawbush became famous for issuing the first tornado forecast.

Forty-eight people lost their lives in the May 3, 1999 tornado, but it has been estimated that as many as 700 people would have died had it not been for the warnings and the community's response to them. The key point here is to heed the tornado warnings and be prepared as to what to do. The General Motors plant is a great example of how being prepared can save lives. On May 8, 2003 at 5:08 p.m., the GM plant's response group made the decision to activate the emergency system and direct all employees to the tornado shelters. By 5:18 p.m. all employees were sheltered. At 5:30 p.m. an F4 tornado ripped through the GM plant causing tremendous damage. However, none of the 1,200 GM workers were injured by the storm. Through preparation and practice, GM was able to ensure the safety of its workers.

The chances you will ever see a real Oklahoma twister up close are very small; however, if you do, you can greatly reduce the chance of injury by doing a few simple things.

Before the storm: Develop a plan for you and your family when at home. Practice your plan. Listen to radio or television for the latest information.

Indoors: Move to an interior hallway on the lowest floor. The best types of shelters are basements or storm cellars. If no basement or storm cellar is available, take cover in the center of the structure. Go to a hallway, hall closet, or get into a bathtub. Use a mattress for cover. Stay away from all glass windows. The idea is to put as many walls as possible between you and the tornado.

In a car: Do not try to outrun an approaching tornado. Exit the vehicle and move away from the approaching tornado at a right angle. If no building is available, take shelter in a ditch or ravine. Do not take shelter under an overpass or concrete bridge. Taking shelter under bridges and overpasses has proven to be a bad idea.

Outdoors: If caught outside in open countryside, take shelter in a ditch or ravine or lie flat on the ground.

Reference: Historical Essays on Meteorology; Edited by Roger Fleming. Chapter 10, Severe Convective Storms: A Brief History of Science and Practice; Kenneth C. Crawford and Edwin Kessler, Pgs. 307-319