A tornado, or thrombus, is an atmospheric vortex that occurs in a cumulonimbus cloud and spreads down to the ground. This is the main difference between a tornado and a whirlwind, which occurs near the ground and rises upward. A tornado has the shape of a cloud sleeve or trunk, the diameter of which can be tens or hundreds of meters. The air inside it rotates at a speed of 100 meters per second or even more, which is why a tornado has an extremely destructive potential. It can tear off the roofs of buildings, uproot trees, pick up animals, etc. But what will happen to a person if he suddenly gets into this “funnel”? You probably thought that he would definitely die, but in fact, there are many cases when people remained alive.
People sometimes get caught in tornadoes and survive. Photo source: adme.media
How Powerful Are Tornadoes?
The most destructive tornadoes are caused by rotating thunderclouds called supercells. These clouds are characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone, which is a vortex of air within a convective storm.
Presumably, the formation of tornadoes is influenced by the difference in mesocyclone temperature. However, scientists still do not know much about the causes of this atmospheric phenomenon, so meteorologists cannot determine in advance the places where the probability of its occurrence is highest. By the way, recently tornadoes have ceased to be exotic even in Russia.
Tornadoes destroy buildings and carry even large objects over long distances. Photo source: rbc.ru
Tornado strength is designated by the Fujita Scale (EF). It is a retrospective rating from 0 to 5. It is called retrospective because it is assigned after the tornado has ended based on several factors, such as wind speed, damage caused, etc. For example, scientists draw conclusions about the destructive power based on the destruction.
The direction of rotation of a tornado depends on the hemisphere of the Earth. In the Northern Hemisphere, the wind rotates clockwise, and in the Southern Hemisphere – clockwise, but there are exceptions.
Typically, a tornado receives 5 points on the EF scale when the wind speed reaches 500 km/h and higher. With such power, wooden frame houses are torn from the foundation and literally fly away for significant distances, the bark is torn off trees, cars rise to a height of up to 100 meters, and even reinforced concrete structures receive serious damage. By the way, there is only one car in the world that is not afraid of tornadoes.
What happens to a person in a tornado
If a tornado tears off roofs and lifts cars, then a person can’t resist it even more. The big problem is that it’s not easy to avoid a tornado. And it’s not just that the “pole” moves at high speed. It’s not always easy to see it, since the wind, even very strong, is invisible to the eye. Sometimes the only sign of a tornado’s approach is a roar that resembles an approaching train.
People hear tornadoes as the sound of an approaching train. Photo source: ren.tv
What about the classic almost black cone that is usually shown in movies? It occurs when a tornado forms a condensation funnel consisting of water, dust and debris. Therefore, contrary to popular belief, you should not think that a tornado is always visible from afar.
So, let's imagine that a person was unable to hide in a safe place in advance and a tornado is approaching him. The closer it is, the stronger the wind will become, and small debris will hit him in the face. At some point, the wind will pick up the person and start circling, lifting him higher and higher. Sometimes the height can be hundreds of meters or even kilometers.
Trees, glass and debris from roofs of houses, billboards and other objects picked up by the tornado will fly near the person. Therefore, serious injuries are guaranteed even in the most favorable outcome.
The air inside the funnel is very thin. Photo source: tvojarabota.pl
If a person somehow ends up in the center of a funnel and does not crash when falling, it will be much calmer in terms of wind, but the conditions are still not the most favorable. The first thing he will feel is a change in temperature, as it can be 20 degrees colder inside. In addition, the air inside is very rarefied – about the same as at an altitude of 8,000 meters, for example, on Mount Everest.
At the same time, the atmospheric pressure is very low. Accordingly, a person cannot get enough oxygen. Therefore, most likely, he will lose consciousness within a few minutes.
How people survive tornadoes
There are quite a few people who have been caught in tornadoes and survived. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) even compiled eyewitness accounts. They all consider themselves very lucky to be alive.
A pizzeria destroyed by a tornado. Photo source: www.weather.gov
One of the lucky ones who managed to be inside a tornado and not get seriously hurt was Chris Tuveng, a resident of Dallas. On October 20, 2019, he went to a local pizzeria, but there was no ready-made pizza there, so he was asked to wait. While he was waiting, the tornado crashed into the building where he was and literally sucked him out.
According to Chris Tuveng himself, at some point he found himself inside the tornado. He managed to find a column to grab onto, but a strong wind “torn” him off and threw him onto a truck parked near the pizzeria. The man tried to grab the hood, but there was nothing to hold on to, and he ended up on the ground. At that moment, the man managed to grab the wheel and hold on until the tornado passed.
Chris Tuveng after meeting with the tornado. Photo source: weather.gov
The tornado that caught the man was EF3. It was more than one kilometer wide. “Words cannot describe what it was like. More than terrifying,” says Chris Tuveng. He himself suffered multiple injuries, with which he was taken to the hospital.
Even more telling is the story of Sheri Bryan, a Texas resident. According to him, on that fateful day, it was raining in the morning, but by evening everything had calmed down and at some point there was complete silence. Then he heard a knock similar to hail, followed by a loud roar. The man was in the garage and saw how the metal gates were bending in the wind.
After seeing Sheri, Brian ran into the house, went into the bathroom, lay down on the floor and grabbed the toilet that was attached to the floor with his hands. At one point, he saw the bathtub rise up and disappear above him. Then he was hit by a “force” that was “indescribable.” The man felt himself lifted into the air and flying at a speed he believed to be over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).
The aftermath of a tornado in Dallas. Photo source: nbcnews.com
At that moment, he was hit by various objects and building beams. After some time, the wind threw Sheri Bryan to the ground. The man realized that he was alive, but his adventures did not end there, as debris and various trash began to fall on him from the sky. “When the debris fell on me, I fought, pushed and shoved everything that fell on me, trying to throw everything off,” Sheri Bryan recalls.
The man was literally buried under the debris, but he managed to create enough space to breathe. At the same time, his ankle was broken and he was bleeding. Nevertheless, he managed to survive despite the fact that he flew in the air for about 30 meters.
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To sum up all of the above, surviving a tornado is not easy, as there is a high probability of being fatally injured by objects raised into the air. At some point, a tornado can throw a person off, as a result of which one can crash, falling from a great height. And given the story of Sheri Bryan, even if a person survives the “flight” and “landing”, he can be killed by debris and rubble that falls from above. Therefore, in the event of a threat, it is necessary to take all measures to avoid being sucked into the “funnel”.