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Tornadoes

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I will not dispute the fact that the sheer destructive force of a Hurricane can match or exceed that of a Tornado. However, living in Minnesota, I can tell you that Tornadoes are often more difficult to spot, track, and elude. It is their very rapid forming and unpredictable path of destruction, that makes me feel Tornadoes are more deadly than Hurricanes. Unlike Hurricanes which can give hours of evacuation time, prime conditions for Tornadoes can form and dissipate very quickly inside a thunderstorm. People rarely evacuate their homes or change their daily habits for a thunderstorm, especially here in Minnesota. However, if you are unfortunate to be out in the open and get caught in the path of a Tornado, making a run to safety can be a harrowing "guessing game."

One muggy, summer day in 1975, our family was out for a drive when the sky went from a bright blue with a few gathering clouds to a dark gray mass with pelting rain and hail in just a matter of minutes. As we headed away from an oncoming thunderstorm, I looked out the back of our truck window to spot a funnel cloud swirling toward the ground a few hundred yards behind us. It snaked its way toward us for about five miles, with my father trying to counter its moves. Then, as quickly as the Tornado appeared, it was gone. If we had lived in a place where Hurricanes were prominent, we would have had much more time to prepare for the storm and wouldn't have been out for a drive. If you are wondering why I still live in a place that spawns Tornadoes from time to time, the answer is I learned long ago when the sky turns green (sign of hail) and grayish black, I don't wait for the siren to blow. A safety plan is already in place.

Learn more about this author, David Duncan.
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