SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. –
The overnight and early morning thunderstorms that came through the St. Louis region and caused some outages around the base and resulted in a late reporting for 932nd Airlift Wing members and others. April 3, 2014 update: Storm update: Most of the power on base has been restored. Engineers are still working on a substation that affects power to the Dental Clinic, Medical Clinic, Chapel, TLF, and Galaxy Housing areas and power is expected to be restored around 3 p.m. All medical clinic appointments have been rescheduled for the day.
More severe storms are expected tonight in the area so keep watch visually and tune in to local television weather and radar reports.
What do you know about how a tornado works?
Each year about 1,000 tornadoes touch down all over the United States and a small percentage strike occupied buildings. The chances that a tornado will strike a building that you are in are very small, but each year people are killed or injured.
One of the most important things you can do to prevent being injured in a tornado is to be alert to the onset of severe weather.
Most deaths and injuries happen to people who are unaware and uninformed. Tornadoes pose the greatest severe weather threat to life and property here at Scott. Tornado season in Illinois is from mid-March through June, but tornadoes can, and have, occurred in every month of the year.
Rotating thunderstorms, called supercells, produce tornadoes (they also produce hail, severe winds, lightning, and flash floods). Not every severe thunderstorm will produce a tornado, but if the conditions are right, a tornado can develop within minutes. Tornadoes can also occur without a thunderstorm.
A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Tornadoes can take many forms, but are typically funnel shaped with very high wind speeds. The clouds are dark and rotate while winds increase and large hail is very common.
They are most frequently seen from mid-afternoon through the early evening, but they can occur at any time. Most tornadoes move from southwest to the northeast and usually move at speeds of 30 to 40 miles per hour. They can move as fast as 70 miles per hour.
Most tornadoes produce wind gusts of 50 to 120 miles per hour and last only a few minutes. Debris will often be seen flying in a swirling motion in the air. The sound that a tornado produces is unique and has often been described as sounding like a freight train.
The area in which tornadoes are most prevalent is known as "tornado alley" and is typically defined as the region from Texas to Nebraska. Geographically, Scott is located in the center of tornado alley. Tornadoes can, and do occur, in every U.S. state.
Illinois averages 29 tornadoes per year. Some tornadoes strike rapidly, without time for a tornado warning. Others leave time for weather reporters to put out a tornado watch or warning.
When you are watching for rapidly emerging tornadoes, it is important to know that you cannot depend on seeing a funnel as clouds or rain may block your view. Keep tuned to local radio and TV stations or to a weather radio. Update courtesy base PA and tornado facts provided courtesy base Safety Office.