The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm

I wanted a book for by granddaughter who is 10 and who had expressed an interested in tornadoes. It was, perhaps, a little above her level, however it can be read in parts. I ended up reading the entire thing before I could let go of it to send it on. Puts the tornado,the incidence of seeing one, and the likelihood of experiencing damage all into perspective. Knocks down the myths of tornadoes, when, where and what they strike. A must for any library on meteorology. Sufficient statistics and hard science to satisfy even the already knowledgeable storm chaser.

From the intorduction, you read that the author's intent with this book was to write a modernized edition of Snowden D. Flora's 1953 book "Tornadoes of the United States" -- which was billed at the time as the first general reference book on tornadoes. In that respect, Tom Grazulis has fully succeeded."The Tornado" covers all the basics about tornadoes, like the highly complicated (and still enigmatic) process of tornado formation, forecasting, historical aspects of tornadoes -- as well as major tornadic events of the past, safety, climatology/frequncy, international frequency and major events, the Fujita scale, myths (more than you might think), and a pleasingly non-sensational chapter on storm chasing.The text is never too complicated, and even the more technical points are easy to understand. The fact that the book is up-to-date is also a plus, as is the scope of the book's coverage. It's also somewhat more relevant to an American audience than Arjen and Jerrine Verkaik's "Under the Whirlwind," which -- though good, and including some of what this book covers -- was written with a Canadian audience in mind. (In which case Canadian readers are advised to read that book before this.)About the only real minus is that there are limited illustrations, and those in the book are black and white. This text accompanied with more -- and color -- illustrations might have been more useful, although in moderation so as not to draw attention away from the text; at any rate a section of color plates would have been a nice addition.That aside, this is a terrific guide to all things relevant (or even just the stuff you might have thought of once!) to tornadoes.

I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in tornadoes and wishing to learn more about the subject. Topics covered include nearly every aspect of tornado development and subsequent evolution, forecasting and warnings, the Fujita scale for rating damage, and tornado risks by geographical region. As a meteorologist, I think he does a great job communicating core scientific concepts to the reader in an easy-to-understand manner, and the chapters "Tornado Myths" and "Tornado Safety" contain valuable information and are must-reads, esp. for those less familiar with severe storms/tornadoes.In short, a good read for anyone interested in tornadoes, and definitely a book you will want to have on your shelf.

Lets start with the few negatives about this book. Grazulis does use the term, "I" fairly often in this book. This doesn't bother me as much as it does some people. He has to use the first person as he explains what brought about his interest in tornadoes and he has been involved in much of the research he talks about. The only real drawback I can find is that he gets a little too technical for the average reader on occasion. Still, considering the complicated nature of his subject I think he does a fine job of getting his point across and helping someone like me began to understand these killer storms.Grazulis leads us down the path of tornado history making stops along the way to point out interesting facts. The reader is given stories of survival as well as tragedy. We even get a story about the one of the 18th century's most famous scientists chasing on horseback after what may or may not have been a tornado. I can just see Ben Franklin charging down the road in hot pursuit. Grazulis also spends some time trashing some tornado myths and giving some safety tips. There is also a very interesting chapter on tornadoes in other countries. I have even begun to understand what straight line winds and downbursts are because of this book.Best of all the reader will be treated to an inside look at the progress science has made in understanding and predicting tornadoes. The new equipment, the new ideas, and the ever present danger of trying to get too close to a tornado to study it. Science has come a long way since early April, 1974 when forecasters all over the eastern U.S. watched the "Super Outbreak" on surplus World War II radar. No matter if you are a weather junkie or are just in awe of the power of nature I feel sure you will find this to be an interesting read.

Many readers in Oklahoma know the scenario all to well. Typically the spring or summer day begins warm and clear with a sometimes hazy blue tint to the sky shimmering with humidity. By all accounts, another good day to wash the car, have a cookout, or attend to the myriad of chores that seem to demand attention. Sometime during the mid-afternoon a careful observer will notice the clouds beginning to rise in the southwestern sky as the heat and humidity build. Sometime between three and seven p.m., according to official records, the National Weather Service will broadcast a warning and residents in the midwest typically began another evening in Tornado Alley. All to often, some will never live to see the light of day. Thomas P. Grazulis, a tornado research meteorologist and director of The Tornado Project and Fellow of the American Meteorological Society, has written a gripping, spellbinding book for the general public that is a must read for anyone remotely interested in tornadoes and weather related phenomenon. Surprisingly, this is the first book of it's type written since 1953 when OU Press published what was until now the standard general text on tornadoes. This book is a fit replacement. The book is a careful blend of scientific findings and common sense explanations on one of the most deadly, and feared, forces of nature. There is an enlightening chapter on tornado risks, the numerous misconceptions and contradictory theories surrounding tornadoes, how the Fujita Scale was developed and what it means, and a host of stories and findings that will provide the reader with a better understanding of what has been described as "...little more than a mixture of insubstantial air and water vapor." In addition to a most helpful series of graphs and tables explaining everything from the frequency of tornadoes, not only by location but time of day, to tornado risks at specific points east of the Rocky Mountains, there are also chapters on tornado history, forecasting, formation, safety, and myths. The chapters dealing with safety and myths are especially noteworthy. For example, the author argues there is no evidence that tornadoes seek out trailer parks or that the southwest corner of the house is the safest location. That, of course, is contrary to everything I was taught about Tornado safety. This is the best available book on the subject for the general reader that I have read. It has a bibliography, index, appendix, easily read charts and graphs, photographs, and is reader friendly given it's sometimes necessary technical nature. It is a must have for residents of Tornado Alley.