Something Terrifying Started Happening to Tornadoes

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Tornado Alley, traditionally located in the central U.S., is shifting eastward. States like Kansas and Oklahoma used to be the main hotspots, but now areas like Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee are seeing more tornadoes. The Southeast is getting more severe storms while the central plains are seeing a bit less. And, tornadoes this year are more likely to come in bunches - watch out!    Animation is created by Bright Side. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV   Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightside Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00If you think you're safe from violent tornadoes because you aren't living in the tornado alley, you could be dangerously wrong.

00:07It's shifting to the east. It looks like we're about to see fewer single tornado days and more days with multiple powerful tornadoes.

00:16And because they're shifting into more populated areas, they could take more lives and ruin more homes.

00:22There isn't enough time to build infrastructure to protect everyone from this fast-moving danger.

00:27So the least you can do to save yourself is learn as much as you can about it.

00:34About 1,200 tornadoes hit the U.S. every year.

00:38You got to thank the unique geography that sets up the perfect conditions for it, especially in spring and summer.

00:44Winds from the Pacific drop moisture over the Rockies and become dry and cool as they move east.

00:51They collide with warm, humid airstreams from the Gulf of Mexico over the flat terrain.

00:56And that's how unstable air and wind shear, which are the perfect conditions for tornadoes, are born.

01:04Historically, tornadoes were most common in tornado alley. This term was first used in the 1950s by two

01:10meteorologists as the title for their research project to study extreme weather in Texas and Oklahoma.

01:17Northeastern Texas and south-central Oklahoma are precisely the areas we think of when we talk about tornado alley.

01:23But in the past 10 years or so, it has shifted eastward by up to 500 miles.

01:29Now, eastern Missouri, Arkansas, western Tennessee, Kentucky, northern Mississippi, and Alabama see more tornadoes.

01:37The storms of early 2023 are great proof that this trend is real.

01:42A violent tornado hit Rolling Fork, Mississippi, and another outbreak caused huge damage in the new tornado alley.

01:49Data from the past two years shows that large tornado outbreaks with multiple twisters from a single weather system are

01:55also moving eastward and becoming more frequent and intense.

02:01The tornado alley is shifting eastward mainly because of supercells. Those strong

02:07thunderstorms with rotating updrafts create new tornadoes.

02:11Supercells form when warm, humid air near the ground interacts with cool, dry air higher up.

02:17You can say that we're living in the middle of a natural experiment.

02:21We see changes in the basic ingredients for severe storms, but we don't know how significant these changes are.

02:29Experts predict that supercell storms will become more frequent in the late winter and early spring and less common in the late summer and fall.

02:37The air in recent years is getting warmer and moister, and the interactions between air masses more and more common.

02:45Experts explain that the atmosphere is becoming more unstable, and the Gulf of Mexico sends more water vapor into the southeastern U.S.

02:52All these factors fuel the storms.

02:55Research also shows that the so-called dry line, which divides the wetter eastern U.S. from the drier western U.S., is shifting eastward, too.

03:05This line has traditionally fallen along the 100th meridian, but has moved about

03:10140 miles east since the late 1800s.

03:13This shift can affect where storms form, as the dry line works as a boundary for convection,

03:18where warm air rises and cold air sinks, fueling storms.

03:24Milder winters we've seen recently also mean more opportunities for unstable air masses to interact and form supercells earlier in the year.

03:33It's tricky to predict how the situation will change and how dangerous it is,

03:37because we don't have that much data on how weathered patterns affect such short-lived events as tornadoes.

03:43The U.S. National Weather Service only began keeping tornado records in 1950, and they didn't catch many tornadoes in remote areas.

03:52Data shows that the number of days with tornadoes each year has decreased,

03:56but there's more tornado activity on those days when they do occur.

04:00The records also show that some years,

04:03tornadoes take the lives of up to 20 people across the U.S., and in other years, they take over a hundred lives.

04:10But now, there are more people living in the paths of tornadoes because the U.S. population has more than doubled since 1950,

04:18and the southeast, where tornado activity could go up, has way more residents now.

04:24Texas and Oklahoma are well-prepared with tornado shelters, but areas in the southeast are less equipped.

04:31Plus, there are many mobile homes in the southeast which are vulnerable to wind storms.

04:37Tornadoes in this region often strike at night, and they are 2.5 times more likely to cause fatalities.

04:44We could possibly have more events like the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak.

04:50It hit the southern U.S. and lower Ohio Valley, and over just 15 hours,

04:5687 tornadoes rushed through the area and caused massive trouble.

05:01Fifty-seven people lost their lives across four states and 18 counties, and many others were injured.

05:07The tornadoes were fueled by strong low-pressure systems that brought record warmth.

05:12There were supercells and rotating winds that produced these violent tornadoes.

05:17Early on February 5th, a squall line developed from eastern Texas to Missouri and moved east.

05:24One of the most intense tornadoes traveled 122 miles over two hours.

05:30By the early morning of February 6th, the severe weather threat shifted to the eastern U.S.

05:36It caused wind damage as the cold moved out to the Atlantic, with snow and freezing rain from Iowa to Quebec.

05:43It ruined many homes and even swept some of them from their foundation, made mobile homes fly,

05:49blew many vehicles and tractor trailers off Interstate 40, and threw some cars on trees.

05:55There were wind gusts over 50 miles an hour from Arkansas to Indiana, hail the size of softballs,

06:01toppled trees, and power outages everywhere.

06:04Some areas were flooded because of heavy rains and melting snow.

06:08All this led to over a thousand flight cancellations at Chicago's O'Hare and disruptions at Toronto's airport.

06:16The data from scientists can help new areas of the U.S. prepare for more tornadoes coming their way.

06:22The people in authority will also need to improve community shelters and warning systems and educate the locals on tornado safety.

06:30You can also get prepared by learning three basic rules.

06:33Get in, get down, and cover up.

06:36When you hear the warning for an upcoming tornado, get into the most interior room in your house and stay away from doors and windows.

06:44If you have a basement or an underground tornado shelter, hide there.

06:48If not, just be on the lowest floor possible.

06:51You can use whatever's at hand to protect yourself from debris.

06:55Clothing, pillows, blankets, a mattress, or a bulky table.

06:59Anything will do.

07:01There's a tip that says that the bathroom is the safest place to hide.

07:05It makes sense because those are mostly right in the center of homes.

07:09In March 2023, a man and his girlfriend in Rolling Fork, Mississippi survived a tornado in their bathtub.

07:16It got thrown into the air but landed safely amid the wreckage of their mobile home.

07:21But there's actually nothing extra safe about being in a bathtub with a mattress.

07:26Closets and walk-in showers that are deep inside the building can also offer good protection.

07:31Don't use elevators.

07:33You can get trapped inside if there's a power outage.

07:35Stay in your shelter until you're sure the tornado threat is over.

07:40If you can, listen for updates from the National Weather Service, local radio, or TV.

07:46Multiple tornadoes can hit the same area, so it might not be safe to leave even after one has passed.

07:52When you do leave your shelter, be very careful.

07:54There could be flooding, debris, collapsing buildings, and blocked roads.

07:59Stay away from fallen power lines and puddles with wires in them.

08:02And don't use matches or lighters in case of gas leaks.

08:06Stay away from damaged buildings as they could collapse at any time.

08:11Being in a car during a tornado isn't much safer than being out in the open or in a parking lot.

08:16Many people get injured trying to drive away from storms.

08:20Tornadoes can produce hailstones the size of softballs and can easily smash a windshield.

08:25If you find yourself outside when a tornado hits, try to get inside any building you can find.

08:31If that's not possible, get as low as you can.

08:34Even a ditch or culvert can be safer than your vehicle.

08:38That's it for today.

08:39So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.

08:44Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!

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