Hurricanes vs Tornadoes
Hurricanes and tornadoes are two of the most devastating forces of nature. Hurricanes also referred to as typhoons in the Pacific Ocean, are massive spiral tropical storms with constant surface winds of 74 miles per hour or greater (Emanuel, 2005). Tornadoes, on the other hand, are intense storms distinguished by their exceedingly powerful winds whirling around a focal point in a funnel-shaped cloud (Edwards et al., 2013). They move at speeds of 40-320 miles per hour. Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters. Tornadoes, conversely, form over land. Hurricanes are less intense in terms of the strength of their winds when compared to tornadoes. Hurricanes bear winds of up to 155 miles per hour. Tornadoes, contrariwise, bear
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The winds held by tornadoes far much more out-blow those held by hurricanes. The Saffir-Simpson Scale classifies hurricanes into five categories (Emanuel, 2005). Their intensity increases from category 1 to 5. Tornado strength, on the other hand, is measured using the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which classifies tornadoes into six categories on a scale of 0 to 5. The intensity of tornadoes also increases from a scale of 0 to 5 directly proportional to the level of damage caused. However, the difference between tornadoes and hurricanes is that tornadoes bear much stronger winds. For example, hurricanes categorized on a scale of 4 to 5 have winds with a speed starting from 131 miles per hour with a maximum of 155 miles per hour. Unlike hurricanes, the tornadoes classified on a scale of 4 to 5 bear much stronger winds starting from 207 miles per hour to 320 miles per hour. Such tornadoes can cause devastating damage and death due to the strong winds. Meanwhile, hurricanes develop storm surges that can reach an outstanding 20 feet high and 100 kilometers into the land causing numerous deaths (Rosenfeld, 009). The Hurricanes’ high intense winds could also trigger tornadoes and cause further damage by bringing torrential rains and