Warning: Long and very little about shells except for a brief analogy
 
Art:
        Yes!!!!!!!! Tornados can hit anywhere on earth on any type or
topography. The US has by far the most (on average over 1000 a year) because
of the air flow between the Rockies and the gulf of Mexico. The only other
place on earth that has a significant number of twisters is the Indian
subcontinent with an average of about 100 a year. Australia has about 50 a
year and Europe has about 25 a year. The twisters in Europe rarely exceed F2
on the Fujita scale (comparable to the saffir-simpson scale that hurricanes
are based on). The US not only has the most every year, but they are also the
strongest. I believe that only 1 F5 has ever been recorded outside of the US.
The Majority of tornados occur in the Midwestern states because that is where
those temperature extremes are. The state where the fewest tornados hit is
Hawaii because they just don't have the temperature extremes or the spin in
the atmosphere. I believe that they have only had 3 in recorded history (I am
doing this with out my stats handy because I loaned my entire library on
tornados to my former HS teacher and have yet to go back and pick them up)
 
        The reason why you don't hear about them smashing into major cities
is because (well there are several reasons)
1) cities are few and far between on the whole scheme of things. Let me put
it in snail terms *Grin* You have say 150  Stn. pernobilis on a plane about
100km wide. Now take a straw and touch it down on the plane. What are the
odds of getting a pernobilis? (no I am not doing the math) Put it in the
bigger picture and you have a fair amount of major populated areas (50,000+)
and you have a LOT of land. Now at the most a tornado will be about mile
wide. That's pretty small in the big picture (except if you are in that mile
wide band) What are the odds of a direct hit on a downtown area?
 
 2) Most of the MAJOR cities are in coastal areas were there tends to be
fewer severe storms (this is on Average not Oh we got a storm last week)
Climates on the coast are much more moderated (as in not as extreme in the
temperature differences from day to night) Therefore, the severity of the
storms that do for are generally less than the ones further inland (excluding
Florida but that is a whole different scenario)
 
        Topography affecting tornado touchdowns is actually a myth. If a one
forms, it will go where it pleases. I forget the easy explanation for it (I
am thinking it has to do with orographic flow but as I said before I am
without my books and its a very naked feeling)
 
Also the Miami Tornado was NOT associated with a hurricane.
It was actually a very weak tornado that resulted from a severe thunder
storm. Tornados spun from hurricanes are not ass common as one would think
and they tend to be on the weaker side. I believe that only a few buildings
were damaged and it was in a very small area. There is incredible footage of
it too. After it formed, it went out over the bay where it went a little
while longer and then fizzled out. Another big city tornado that happened
last year was in Little Rock Arkansas. That one was a bit stronger and
actually moved on and I believe it resulted in 1 fatality. That day had a
very nasty outbreak and there were quite a few fatalities. Last year was a
record number for Tornados, Number of extremely intense ones, and Fatalities.
During Hurricane Andrew, there were 3 tornados that were spawned just outside
of New Orleans. One was pretty intense too. I am trying to remember Hugo (Hey
I was 8 years old) but its not coming back to me yet.
 
Sorry to bore you
Sarah Watson
 
 
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Sarah Watson
Silver Spring MD
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" One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can only
collect a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few. "
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh