Have You Ever Seen a Tornado in Person? Options

[wsushox1]

Funnel Clouds never reach the ground. Tornadoes are on the ground.

If a funnel cloud is more than 60% to the ground chances are it is touching the ground.

[futureweatherman...]

Nope, but still, that's better than anything I've seen. At least you live in a more rural/open area.

Actually, I live in the city, but go to school in a rural area. I was around 7 years old when I saw a skinny, rope-like, rotating cloud just to the north of me. Tornado sirens were going off at the time. The paper said there was a funnel cloud a street north of me, which is where I was looking.

[wsushox1]

Anyways I have seen two rope tornadoes, one high based barrel tornado and a brief stove pipe tornado. No pictures unfortunately. All were EF-1's except for the rope tornadoes which were EF-0 (technically F-0's)

Now if you were to ask my father totally different story, he chased Andover 1991 and Haysville 1999. Many tornadoes in western KS.

This post has been edited by wsushox1: Jun 7 2010, 03:13 PM

[MIW]

Actually, I live in the city, but go to school in a rural area. I was around 7 years old when I saw a skinny, rope-like, rotating cloud just to the north of me. Tornado sirens were going off at the time. The paper said there was a funnel cloud a street north of me, which is where I was looking.

Interesting.

[wingsovernc]

I would love to ride shotgun with an experienced storm chaser, one who doesn't mind taking risks because where's the excitement of watching from a distance. I've never seen a tornado but would love to experience it's awesome power up close (but not from the inside!).

[mmi16]

In college I got to watch several touchdown about 4 or 5 miles South of my Dorm before they evacuated everyone to the basement of the structure.

Following pictures are from a tornado that touched down in Walbridge Ohio over the weekend.







This post has been edited by mmi16: Jun 7 2010, 04:16 PM

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[jdrenken]

NWS Glossary...

Funnel Cloud
A condensation funnel extending from the base of a towering cumulus or Cb, associated with a rotating column of air that is not in contact with the ground (and hence different from a tornado). A condensation funnel is a tornado, not a funnel cloud, if either a.. it is in contact with the ground or b.. a debris cloud or dust whirl is visible beneath it.

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air, usually pendant to a cumulonimbus, with circulation reaching the ground. It nearly always starts as a funnel cloud and may be accompanied by a loud roaring noise. On a local scale, it is the most destructive of all atmospheric phenomena.

[harmelrhy]

NWS Glossary...

Thanks. I'm sure the NWS glossary is more accurate about weather terms than the American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. lol

This post has been edited by harmelrhy: Jun 7 2010, 04:46 PM

[mmm...bacon...]

Do Toranados count? I've seen plenty of them. I think they were rated F-.

[hamps_41]

i have seen a tornado up close. i was in the basemant of a house that was hit by a tornado. i was in 6th grade and had a broken leg. one of the scariest expiernces of my life for sure.

[zaxflaya]

Funnel Clouds never reach the ground. Tornadoes are on the ground.

A funnel cloud could be not touching the ground and still a tornado if you can see dust or debris being blown around below it. The rotation of air could be in contact with the ground even though the funnel itself isn't.

[cavalier]

i've seen 2 relatively close tornados and quite a few funnels,but i live in oklahoma, that would be like asking someone in florida if they ever been through a hurricane

[jdrenken]

A funnel cloud could be not touching the ground and still a tornado if you can see dust or debris being blown around below it. The rotation of air could be in contact with the ground even though the funnel itself isn't.

Per the NWS definition...in a word...no.

A condensation funnel is a tornado, not a funnel cloud, if either a.. it is in contact with the ground or b.. a debris cloud or dust whirl is visible beneath it.

[zaxflaya]

Per the NWS definition...in a word...no.

That's right, but I was talking about it being a funnel according to the eyes.

[john72ss]

1972 a few miles away and i missed it!

[wxdude1964]

In college I got to watch several touchdown about 4 or 5 miles South of my Dorm before they evacuated everyone to the basement of the structure.

Following pictures are from a tornado that touched down in Walbridge Ohio over the weekend.

Oh well, so much for those cars and trucks. I've heard of a "hail sale", what would the call this????

[WeatherMatrix]

I've seen three funnel clouds, ironically two of them while on vacation at the beach, the other one last month here in State College. I've never been out west chasing.

[Majorpotter]

2008 was the worst day and most fearful day I have ever seen. Tornados in Georgia was everywhere. It was Mother day on a beauiful Sunday,,,, I thought. I have to give storm chasers alot of credit. I sw a 32ft boat smash into a bluiding that would have kill 100's if it would have been a Saturday, tree limbs not broken but bent into a horseshoe, my office blown within a 2 mile area and I had just got into my car leaving the office when I saw a F2 in my rearview mirror. If I would have waited another 10 seconds I would have been in my office when it went with the wind. We now have a underground basement just for Tornado's. I wasnt afraid. I WAS SCARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!thinking of my wife and children.

This post has been edited by Majorpotter: Jun 14 2010, 05:13 PM

[Niyologist]

I was 4 yards away from a funnel cloud. Also, I have seen what is inside a funnel cloud. Nothing, but the DARKNESS.

[TheMaineMan]

I've seen a brief, 3 second waterspout, but never a funnel cloud nor tornado. I think it would be kind of cool to see one in the distance, but I'd freak out at the same time.