By: Sam Jarvis, MS, CERC, Emergency Preparedness Planner

April showers bring May flowers, but that also means severe weather and potential for flooding. A few facts about tornadoes from the NOAA:

• Most tornadoes last less than 10 minutes
• Most tornadoes move from west to east
• It is a myth to open windows before a tornado to equalize pressure
• A tornado’s distinctive funnel cloud is actually transparent; they become visible when water droplets and or dust and debris are taken up
• In 2011, 216 tornadoes were produced in a single 24-hour period
• In 1925, a tornado declared the deadliest in US history lasted 3.5 hours and traveled a path of 219 miles
• Most injuries and deaths are caused by flying debris
• Roughly 1,200 tornadoes occur in the US each year
• A total of 69 tornadoes occurred in Iowa last year (55 in 2017; 43 in 2016)

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