Hurricane Ian Produces 70 Tornado Warnings
Most people don’t think of tornadoes when they hear the words “hurricane warning.” We tend to overlook the propensity of both during periods of chaotic weather patterns because we’re too focused on the bigger storm looming on the horizon. But tornadoes remain one of the more unfortunate byproducts of larger hurricanes. Like residual flooding that can take weeks to subside, tornadoes form as offshoots of tornadoes from the fast moving bands that lash out from the inner eyewall. During Hurricane Ian’s landfall in the southeastern US last week, the National Weather Service released a whopping total of 70 tornado warnings from Florida to North Carolina. While tornadoes are nothing new to the southeast and Gulf Coast, many residents understandably felt overwhelmed by the trifecta of damaging seemingly striking from all sides.
How Do Hurricanes Cause Tornadoes?
Tornado Alley isn’t the only place that twisters can form. Anywhere in the US with relatively flat land can be struck hard by a tornado at anytime of the year. Areas that experience hurricanes and tropical storms are no exception. Hurricanes and tropical storms shake the very ground and swell the waves of the land and seas that they conquer. Every possible cataclysm imaginable accompanies these terrible storms. Dark clouds, surging storm water, ferocious whirlwinds and frightening lightning strikes are the tell-tale signs of an approaching tropical cyclone. All that’s missing from Mother Nature’s repertoire of surgical strikes is hot lava flowing into the blue lagoons of the Atlantic and Florida panhandle. But as the case with all works of nature, the propensity for tornadoes during hurricanes is all grounded in logic and science. The volatile combination of daytime heating, shearing winds and, of course, the natural spin of the hurricane has all the right ingredients to spin off troubling tornadoes. For those Halloween thrill seekers, you can think of these storms as spin-offs from the primetime slasher flicks. They might pack the same slice ’em and dice ’em thrill yo u get from the headlining act, but the thrills and chills can be just as tantalizing.
How to Protect Yourself Another Hurricane Ian and More Tornadoes
Hurricane Ian wasn’t the first, and most certainly won’t be the last hurricane to produce a barrage of tornadoes. Every year, powerful hurricanes strike the US, producing waves of deadly tornadoes. You just don’t hear about them as much because they pale in comparison to the damage done by the tropical storms. By a stroke of serendipity, the same threats that make hurricanes so dangerous also reside in a tornado’s bag of tricks. Both bring killer sheering winds that launch debris into missile driven projectiles that penetrate almost every fortification imaginable, except a safe room from Elephant Safe Room. When installed correctly, our safe rooms can withstand windspeeds of up to 250 miles hour. Safe rooms are the most formidable defense against twisters and hurricanes. In most scenarios, running away from imminent landfall is futile and actually more dangerous than simply riding out the storm. If you’re caught in the eye of the storm, you will want to be well-protected without giving up to many creature comforts.
An Elephant Safe Room can handle almost anything Mother Nature can throws its ways. It’s steel welded paneling is thick enough to stand up to brutalizing wind-thrown debris that would demolish traditional structures. But the all-around protection doesn’t stop there just because the storm clouds have parted. We have several different types of shelters in our arsenal to protect you and your family. Even with this heavy duty equipment and materials, an Elephant Safe Room panelized shelter is versatile enough to be retrofitted into any existing floor plan, including an office or even a walk-in closet. Hurricane Ian won’t be the last storm to produce offshoot tornadoes that threatened already storm damaged areas. Invest in steel protection today to ride out the unthinkable storms of tomorrow.
