A newly forming tornado in Texas

What Causes Tornadoes and Why Are They So Dangerous?

Texas has more than its fair share of dramatic weather. Sometimes it’s majestic and beautiful, but sometimes it’s just scary.

One weather event that’s particularly prevalent in Texas and slides most easily into the scary category is the widely feared tornado. These storms are so intense that many build dedicated safe rooms in their homes to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

At US Safe Room Tornado Shelters, we’ve built many a safe room shelter in Dallas, TX, and we work to ensure that Texans are fully aware of the potential threats to their safety. Check out this blog post about why even your little ones should know about what a tornado is.

What Is A Tornado?

What differentiates a tornado from a regular windstorm is the conical shape that it’s famed for. As opposed to a hurricane, which is strong winds, temperatures cause these winds to rotate around a center point called “the eye”. While the eye is completely still with little wind, the winds that create the shape are strong enough to merit the building of custom safe rooms.

How Do They Form?

Once a thunderstorm occurs, there is always a chance of it developing into a tornado. However, local weather is particularly conducive to these twisters because when the humid air interacts with the dry, chilly storm air, the updraft leads to rotations. The faster the winds move, the more likely this is to happen.

This rotating air is called a mesocycle, and if it continues long enough, it can pull in more humid air, which in turn makes for a faster spin. The visible funnel shape is formed of water droplets being spun around at such a high speed they appear to form a solid shape.

The most dangerous of these storms have laid waste to whole cities, so it’s strongly encouraged to invest in custom safe rooms in Fort Worth.

What Are The Dangers Associated With Them?

Tornadoes are known for ripping apart everything in their path, but apart from destroying personal property, these winds are strong enough to send trains flying, flip cars, and uproot trees.

Furthermore, with the added danger of shrapnel and debris that continues to gather in the funnel, there’s no shortage of things that can go wrong.

How Can I Stay Safe?

Living in Texas, tornadoes are a part of the lifestyle. The best thing to do is to prepare comprehensively. Make sure your storm shelter is installed by a reliable business and can accommodate your whole family, pets included. Also, make sure there’s plenty of space for supplies and any valuables.

Post tornado wreckage in Texas

Texas holds the record for most tornadoes on average, which is about 120 a year. Tornado shelters here are more of a necessity than a precaution. US Safe Room Tornado Shelters can install your choice of shelter in two weeks, be it a steel tornado shelter or safe rooms Dallas or several other Texas locations.

If you’d like to get started on your precautions, call us at 469-629-6000.

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