Top 10 Tornado MythsBy Patrick J. Kiger
Editor Amanda Arnold  Tornadoes — rotating columns of air that extend from a thunderstorm to the ground — are among the scariest forces of nature, and for good reason. With violent wind speeds of up to 250 miles an hour (402.3 kilometers per hour), they're capable of wreaking tremendous property damage and loss of life and limb along mile-wide paths that can stretch for 50 miles (80.4 kilometers) in length. In the United States, where they most often occur east of the Rocky Mountains in the spring and summer months, tornadoes typically cause 80 deaths and injure 1,500 people each year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But because tornadoes are more feared than they are understood by many of us, numerous myths and misconceptions about them have developed. Storm experts and public safety officials are eager to debunk these incorrect beliefs, which can interfere with people taking proper precautions to protect themselves. Here are 10 of the most common myths. |
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