The Nashville office posted on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, late Thursday that tornadoes touched down in Maury County, in Columbia, in Robertson County, near Springfield and in Rutherford County, in Eagleville, leaving behind a path of destruction, injuries and at least one death. On Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service confirmed a fourth tornado in Giles County .
Crews responsible for determining if a tornado happened and the path that it took were scheduled to go out again Friday, according to the social media post.
"We know that there are other tornadoes from yesterday, and our survey teams will regroup and head back out Friday morning," read a reply post to the original tweet.
As we wait for updates on the number of tornadoes that actually hit the area, here's what we know so far about the confirmed ones.
The tornado that hit Columbia was rated at a EF-3 with winds upward of 140 mph, while Robertson County near Springfield was hit with and EF-1 with 90 mph winds and Rutherford County near Eagleville was hit with an EF-0 with 80 mph winds.
On Friday, the weather service confirmed the Giles County tornado as a EF-2 with estimated winds at 115 mph.
Find out more about their path and strength here .
What causes a tornado?
The National Weather Service defines a tornado as " a violently rotating column of air touching the ground, usually attached to the base of a thunderstorm".
The main reason we can see a tornado is because of the funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris.
While the wording of definitions may vary, there is one constant: For a weather phenomenon to be classified as a tornado, it must be in contact with the ground and a thunderstorm cloud at the same time, the Storm Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states.
No ground contact means it's just a funnel cloud.
How is a tornado confirmed?
The first step of confirming a tornado is gathering information from the people who are dealing with it first hand: emergency personnel, weather spotters and the public.
Information, videos and photos gathered from these sources allows crews with the National Weather Service to determine if an investigation is needed in an area to determine if a tornado has occurred. If a team is sent out, it will carry out a storm survey.
The storm survey is the preliminary conclusions about the storm's severity and nature due to the damage left behind.
Finally, it's up to a meteorologist to take all the data that has been shared and found in the storm survey and consult with other experts to give a final decision on what the tornado rating is. It could take hours or days to determine a rating, according to the National Weather Service.
The scale measures the strength of a tornado based on the damage it caused. Tornadoes are only rated after they've made their way through an area.
Tornadoes rate from EF-0, which brings light damage, to EF-5 tornado which brings incredible damage. Where a tornado ranks is based on a list of damage indicators and degrees of damage, which help estimate the range of wind speeds the tornado likely produced, according to the National Weather Service.
What is the EF scale for tornadoes?
The EF scale is a set of wind estimates (not measurements) based on damage that is seen after a possible tornado has come through an area, according to the NWS. Here's how the EF rating and windspeeds correlate with one another.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0