Any thoughts on which would have more 'force' in the area it's in...a 150 mph tornadic wind or a 150 mph hurricane wind, or would there be a difference? I would think the tornadic wind would have more of an impact because of how much 'torque' that can be involved. Then again a cane's wind might be more persistant. I think the rapid change in direction has a greater impact with tornadoes. Canes also seem to build up a gust more then a tornado would. A tornado you can sort of go from very little to bam.... Just something that I just wondered about.
Mike
http://www.extremeinstability.com
Hurricane winds vs Tornadic wind
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extreme instability
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Hurricane winds vs Tornadic wind
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Stormsfury
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A tornado is much like a hurricane in regards to structure, just on a microscopic level ... and with tornado chasing you can position yourself safely enough to observe this from a relatively safe distance ... damage is destructive but on a small scale (even with 1 mile wide damage paths compared to the hurricane's potential) ...
A hurricane, on the other hand is different ... the wind field covers a much broader scale and to observe the power of a hurricane is to be in it ... Hurricane Charley's field of wind damage was very narrow for hurricane standards, but it was basically looking at a 15-25 mile wide F2 tornado tearing a damage path for miles and miles inland ...
Mark Sudduth (hurricanetrack.com) has intense video of Hurricane Charley and the eye and he wrote a very long post about just how scary the experience was and even comtemplated NOT doing this again ...
SF
A hurricane, on the other hand is different ... the wind field covers a much broader scale and to observe the power of a hurricane is to be in it ... Hurricane Charley's field of wind damage was very narrow for hurricane standards, but it was basically looking at a 15-25 mile wide F2 tornado tearing a damage path for miles and miles inland ...
Mark Sudduth (hurricanetrack.com) has intense video of Hurricane Charley and the eye and he wrote a very long post about just how scary the experience was and even comtemplated NOT doing this again ...
SF
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NorthGaWeather
Still tornadoes are much more destructive on the small scale. I'd rather face a 150 mph hurricane than a 150 mph tornado. People forget in a hurricane the wind is basicly out of the same direction for a few hrs then switches around as the storm passes while in a tornado its a tremendous change on direction which produces much more damage. When people say its like a 30 mile wide F-2 I kinda laugh because yes the winds may be the same but your not getting that change of motion that produces greater damage. Tornadoes generate alot more debris as well which helps damage.
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weatherlover427
I have experienced Category 2 strength winds (100-110 MPH) when we have had some of our stronger Santa Ana winds blow through here. If I ever thought that's bad I NEVER want to experience 150 MPH hurricane winds (with driving rain AND the threat of tornadoes 
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These strong winds, if they get bad enough; can rip heavy concrete tiles off of roofs here; they can blow windows in; they can blow huge trees over and knock fences down - we get it bad here sometimes when it gets up to high Cat 1 or low Cat 2 strength but definitely not as bad as thoser tornado or hurricane winds.
).
These strong winds, if they get bad enough; can rip heavy concrete tiles off of roofs here; they can blow windows in; they can blow huge trees over and knock fences down - we get it bad here sometimes when it gets up to high Cat 1 or low Cat 2 strength but definitely not as bad as thoser tornado or hurricane winds.
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extreme instability
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Any object does a much better job in a sustained wind then it would in a wind changing direction and speed to that level of speed quickly. This year I got some really small vorticies on video inside a tornado and it really opened my mind to somethings I didn't believe could happen before. I never believed small things could become twisted in tornadic winds. These vorticies appeared to be less then 1 foot across. I pictured some object around the same size coming into contact with this thing and it'd almost have to twist. I think a tornadic wind just has alot more torque involved then a cane wind of the same speed. I'm obviously not talking about size here.
Mike
http://www.extremeinstability.com
Mike
http://www.extremeinstability.com
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NorthGaWeather
ericinmia wrote:hhmm...
A lot more debris because no preparations are made.
-Eric
What wood on windows. I don't understand how you came to this conclusion here. I have yet to see a car get thrown over 100 yards in a hurricane by winds. There is nothing you can do to prepare for a tornado except have a safe room. You could make all the preparations you want and have a tornado move over your house and it still will be damaged severely. An F-2 will relocate a house that isn't well secured. Trees are thrown at a much higher speed in tornadoes, which will go thru walls, you get a crack in the wall, wind gets into the house, there goes the roof then the walls. I don't see your point.
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KeyLargoDave
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Seems like there was a beak... I mean a break, in the thread.
Anyway, if this is a purely scientific question, and it sounds like one, I'd say they are the same.
Molecules of air registering 150 mph have a specific mass and velocity producing force; their origin is pretty much irrelevant. To call it a "150 mph wind" means we're not talking about alternating pressure and suction in a tornado, or vortex effects, for some specific amount of time in which the wind doesn't change in force or direction.
I was thinking that greater humidity might make air heavier, but to register 150 mph on a wind velocity instrument normalizes the equation. There are no variables that I can see -- off the top of my head...and with a brain clouded after three weeks of hurricane watching and preparation.
As for practical effects, tornado seems worse because, as others mentioned, the winds are changing, they push and pull and damage things faster than a hurricane's generally more straight-line winds.
Anyway, if this is a purely scientific question, and it sounds like one, I'd say they are the same.
Molecules of air registering 150 mph have a specific mass and velocity producing force; their origin is pretty much irrelevant. To call it a "150 mph wind" means we're not talking about alternating pressure and suction in a tornado, or vortex effects, for some specific amount of time in which the wind doesn't change in force or direction.
I was thinking that greater humidity might make air heavier, but to register 150 mph on a wind velocity instrument normalizes the equation. There are no variables that I can see -- off the top of my head...and with a brain clouded after three weeks of hurricane watching and preparation.
As for practical effects, tornado seems worse because, as others mentioned, the winds are changing, they push and pull and damage things faster than a hurricane's generally more straight-line winds.
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