5 ms·

I used to live in northwest Arkansas, about 45 minutes south of Joplin, Missouri. My home had a steel tornado shelter dug into the ground. We used it several

by JPKab 10y ago

I used to live in northwest Arkansas, about 45 minutes south of Joplin, Missouri. My home had a steel tornado shelter dug into the ground. We used it several times a year when the sirens went off. Tornadoes in the UK are a freak phenomenon. In the central and southern US, they are a regular part of life. The point being that people outside of Tornado Alley don't really get how common tornadoes are in that part of North America. In the fall and spring, they are an inevitability, along with the most intense thunderstorms in the world.

pmoriarty 10y ago
Ok, really stupid and ignorant question: Tornadoes happen mostly where there are no trees, right? That's why they happen in dust bowls, if I'm not mistaken. How expensive and practical would it be to re-forest populated areas to reduce the likelihood of tornadoes? Would that work? If so, have there been any serious plans to do that?
- dragonwriter 10y ago
  You seem to assume that the inverse correlation of tornadoes and trees is because trees prevent tornadoes, rather than alternatives like the presence of tornadoes either directly making things inhospitable for trees or being a product of other factors which make things inhospitable for trees.
  - pmoriarty 10y ago
    That assumption is based on experience and reasoning: I've been in many wide open places without trees, and have experienced much higher winds there than in places which have lots of trees -- for example, forest vs golf course. The trees seem to do a good job of blocking and reducing wind. It would make sense that they could do a good job of at least reducing the number of tornadoes in tornado-prone lands. I'm sure tornadoes uproot trees as well, but I am not sure whether tornadoes are common or even possible where there are lots of tree around - such as in a forest. I would love to be corrected if I'm wrong. And it would be helpful if the questions I raised in my previous post could be answered.
- gph 10y ago
  That's not really how it works. Tornadoes can form anywhere that enough warm humid air hits enough cold dry air. And that happens a lot in the Midwest/Plains region during certain times of year. Tornadoes would form there even if there were forests. The trees might stop the classic funnel cloud from touching down completely, but it won't stop the storm.

by JPKab 10y ago

pmoriarty 10y ago

Ok, really stupid and ignorant question: Tornadoes happen mostly where there are no trees, right? That's why they happen in dust bowls, if I'm not mistaken. How expensive and practical would it be to re-forest populated areas to reduce the likelihood of tornadoes? Would that work? If so, have there been any serious plans to do that?

dragonwriter 10y ago
You seem to assume that the inverse correlation of tornadoes and trees is because trees prevent tornadoes, rather than alternatives like the presence of tornadoes either directly making things inhospitable for trees or being a product of other factors which make things inhospitable for trees.
- pmoriarty 10y ago
  That assumption is based on experience and reasoning: I've been in many wide open places without trees, and have experienced much higher winds there than in places which have lots of trees -- for example, forest vs golf course. The trees seem to do a good job of blocking and reducing wind. It would make sense that they could do a good job of at least reducing the number of tornadoes in tornado-prone lands. I'm sure tornadoes uproot trees as well, but I am not sure whether tornadoes are common or even possible where there are lots of tree around - such as in a forest. I would love to be corrected if I'm wrong. And it would be helpful if the questions I raised in my previous post could be answered.
gph 10y ago
That's not really how it works. Tornadoes can form anywhere that enough warm humid air hits enough cold dry air. And that happens a lot in the Midwest/Plains region during certain times of year. Tornadoes would form there even if there were forests. The trees might stop the classic funnel cloud from touching down completely, but it won't stop the storm.