Ivan Tornado

When it comes to tornadoes, they can develop quickly and can come at you almost without warning.

Tornadoes aren’t just a threat during severe weather season.  They’re also a threat during hurricane season.

And this was definitely the case with Hurricane Ivan back in 2004.  The major hurricane produced 123 tornadoes, which is the most ever.

According to some scientists, data shows an increase in hurricane-made tornadoes.

Hurricane season officially starts in June, and now forecasters say once a hurricane reaches land, it could form tornadoes—thousands of miles away.

“This is where I felt the floor shudder,” Tena Selby says.

Selby’s floor wasn’t shaking from an earthquake.  It was a tornado ripping through her backyard. 

“When I peaked around the corner and looked outside, I didn’t see any grass,” she says.  “All I saw was debris, limbs, and the trees had fallen out back.”

Spiraling tornadoes are usually caused by violent thunderstorms.  But now meteorologists say another kind of weather system can stir up tornadoes…

“These are tornadoes that get their strength and power from the hurricane in which they’re embedded,” says Joe Schaefer, a meteorologist at NOAA Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

Once a hurricane makes landfall, the storm often weakens—slowing down winds near the surface, while the winds near the top keep their momentum.  This can lead to tornadoes, even thousands of miles away.

The year 2004 brought the most tornadoes on record with 1,817 and more than 330 of those were from hurricanes.  Hurricane Ivan produced the most tornadoes ever in September 2004 with 123 spawned tornadoes.

Tornado Safety Tips
1. Move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement
2. Stay away from windows
3. Get out of automobiles/Don’t try to outrun a tornado
4. Abandon your mobile home.  Mobile homes offer little protection from tornadoes.
5. An underpass is not safe.  Debris can fly underneath it and be deadly.  Instead, head for a ditch.