La Gran América Newspaper Vol Número 9, May 2009. | Page 3

Mayo 01, 2009

¿Thunderstorms
or Tornado?
By: Tam Bukowski

Thunderstorms a?ect relatively small
areas when compared with most other
storms. The typical thunderstorm is 15
miles in diameter and lasts for 30 minutes — but whatever their size, all thunderstorms are dangerous.
Severe thunderstorms produce large
hail or winds of at least 58 mph. Some
wind gusts can exceed 100 mph and produce tornado-like damage.

Hail

Hail is product of thunderstorms that
causes nearly one billion dollars in damage every year. Most hail is about peasized. Much of it is the size of baseballs,
and it can reach grapefruit-size. Large
hail stones fall faster than 100 mph and
have been known to kill people.

Thunderstorm Winds

Thunderstorms can produce straightline winds that exceed 100 miles per
hour. For this reason you should treat
severe thunderstorms just as you would
tornadoes. Move to an appropriate shelter if you are in the path of the storm.
The strong rush of wind from a thunderstorm is called a downburst. One of
the primary causes is rain-cooled air

visite nuestra página web www.lagranamerica.com
which accelerates downward, producing
potentially damaging gusts of wind.
Strong downbursts can be mistaken
for tornadoes. They are often accompanied by a roaring sound similar to that of
a tornado. Downbursts can easily overturn mobile homes, tear roofs o? houses
and topple trees. Campers are especially
vulnerable because trees can fall into
campsites and onto tents.
Minnesota’s strongest thunderstorm
gust in 2007 was 85 mph, near Goodridge
on June 19.

Lightning

Every thunderstorm produces lightning.
Lightning kills about 100 Americans
each year — more than tornadoes —and
causes about 300 injuries.
Lightning Safety Tips:
1. All thunderstorms produce lightning.
2. Get inside a building or enclosed
vehicle. Many fatalities occur when
warning signs are ignored.
3. If you are caught in an open area
with lightning around, crouch down immediately! Put your hands on your knees,
but don’t lie down on the groun ??(???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)????????(?)9??????????????????????)?????????()MAE=0(+
?Q???????)Q???????)A????Q??? ?????((?()??????()?????????????????????????????????????????Ž?????????????????????)????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????1??)?????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??5???????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)???????????????()1??Q?????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????1???????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)A??????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)I????)??????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????Ž?)
????????????????????)???????????????)I????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????
?????????M????????????I?????(??Q??????????????????????????????????Ž??????????1?????????)?????????)???????????????????????????????(??E???????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)???????????????5??????????)????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????(??M??????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????A????????????????????)Q?????????????)??????????????????????????????????(??9??????????????????????????)1????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????U???????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)A?????????????????????????????9???????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)1?????????????????1?????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????U?????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????((0