The difference between straight-line wind and a tornado

During severe weather outbreaks, strong storms can bring heavy rain, lightning and gusty winds. Unfortunately, the strong winds can cause damage to property, due to straight-line winds or a tornado. But how can you tell the difference between the two by looking only at the damage?

The difference between straight-line winds and tornadoes

Straight-line winds stem from a downdraft of a storm. A downdraft is caused when rising air within a storm reaches its capacity and can no longer support the amount of water within the cloud. Cold air begins to drop from the thunderstorm at a rate of about 20 mph. Once the air reaches the surface, it begins roll along the ground, causing winds to dramatically increase. Sometimes, those winds can become stronger than some tornadoes.

A tornado is a tight column of air that extends from the bottom of a thunderstorm down to the ground. This vortex is comprised of condensation made from water droplets, dust and debris it picks up along its track. The strength of a tornado depends on the strength of the storm. Some of the most powerful tornadoes occur from super cells. On average, Central Florida experiences weak EF0-EF1 tornadoes, with winds between 65 mph and 110 mph.

How can you tell the difference between the two by looking ONLY at the damage?

It all comes down to directional damage. Survey teams from the National Weather Service are sometimes dispatched to determine if the damage was cause by straight-line winds or a tornado. They look for evidence of circulation in the debris fields. For example, if all the downed trees fell in one direction, it was most likely due to straight-line winds. If the trees fell in different directions, then a tornado is the likely culprit. Sometimes, survey crews will not investigate, if they receive enough video and picture evidence to make the decision. 

One big misconception related to tree damage concerns twisted trees. Just because a tree twisted off, doesn’t necessarily mean it was due to a tornado. Differences in the structure of the tree could  cause the tree to twist, even during a straight-line wind event. It’s important to look at the entire damaged area to decipher the cause.

It is very easy to mistake straight-line winds for tornadoes, since The both can pick up wind speeds of over 100 miles per hour, and both can create scary roaring winds. 

On average, damage from straight-line winds ais much more common than damage from an organized tornado within a storm.

It doesn't matter if a storm causes destructive straight-line winds or tornadoes, since both can cause damage and need to be taken seriously. When a storm threatens, your best defense is being informed and alert. Make sure to have a way of receiving alerts of strong to severe storms. This includes the free News 6 Pinpoint Weather App. Just search for WKMG in your app store.