Tornadoes.. Russian womens perception

[facetrock]

   One thing I've always been asked about when traveling to the FSU is have I ever been in or seen a tornado. Actually I've never seen one. I did once back in 1981 have a funnel cloud go right over me at night. A funnel cloud is basically a tornado that hasn't touched ground yet. It was at a softball game. People started panicking and running in all directions when the big white ball appeared. The wind picked up to at least 100 mph. I remember getting out of my car and being knocked to the ground and almost tore my jacket off. So that's been my only experience. I've encountered the 75 to 100 mph straight line winds many times though. That's scary enough. I have however scene the aftermath of tornadoes.
 
  What I've noticed from people from the FSU is they think there a weekly event for us. I think they believe thousands are killed every year. Actually the chance of getting killed by one is remote. About like winning a lottery.
   So FSU women. What was your perception about tornadoes before you arrived here?

[Ooooops]

   So FSU women. What was your perception about tornadoes before you arrived here?

We all read "Wizard of Oz" as children in USSR, so who is here to blame for TMI about tornadoes?   

[facetrock]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_1968_tornado_outbreak
 
I remember this outbreak very well when it came busting through Iowa. One tornado came within 2 miles of my little village. I never saw the tornado but the winds were incredible. Knocked trees down everywhere.

[facetrock]

Yes you did read it but did you see the movie

[mendeleyev]

Nice topic!  Торнадо = tornado.

What we have is a lack of news coverage outside Russia.

Tula, Russia 22 May 2013:





Russia is the largest country on the planet and even after the Soviet breakup the current boundaries take up 1/6 of the earth's surface. It isn't that Russia doesn't experience tornadoes, the question is where do they appear most frequently. Although they normally don't occur in the Far East, last year one person was killed when a twister came down at Blagoveshchensk near the river border with China.

Blagoveshchensk, Russia:





Along rivers and sea areas water spouts and micro bursts occur and do damage but sometimes rain storms do turn into tornadoes. http://russianreport.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/micro-burst-storm-hits-russia/


Recent tornadoes from past seasons include Sochi and  Novorossiysk, for example. The last major one near Moscow was in 2009 near Sergiev Posad the famous monastery town along the "Golden Ring" area. Over a hundred people were hospitalized and one school child was killed when he was crushed under a falling tree. It was classified as an F3.

In June of 1984 a large tornado near Moscow killed over 400 people. That twister struck north of Moscow along the Golden Ring towns of Ivanovo and Yaroslavl.

[mendeleyev]

In winter, out in the far east and Siberian plains there are "white tornadoes" which are the same idea, but kicking up snow and ice to do damage from open fields and nearby rivers.

I would say, facetrock, that is seems that for the most part, tornadoes in Russia are not usually of the wind speed and destructive force as found in the USA's "tornado alley."

[Ooooops]

  Торнадо = tornado.



Смерч = tornado.   

[mendeleyev]

Yes, the original is better than some of the "borrowed" words. Thanks, Ooooops!

[viking]

My wife is from Belarus. She tells me that they ( at least near her) have no tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes or really terrible storms. Having lived through Hurricane Sandy, we live near the water in NY and doing without elec, water, toilet, heat, basically nothing for several weeks, she was about ready to move back. It was a very interesting experience for her.

[lonedrake]

 Apparently there was a "hurricane" near Kiev the other day. Everyone is talking about it.

 This is what Marta told me. Maybe it was a tornado or just strong winds....i don't really know.

[tfcrew]

Wife was in Odessa this past month.
She told me about a 'tornado' and saw this kind of damage...

[Gator]

Russian womens perception.    
 
Perception.        Perception suggests that her opinion  could be changed if you provided her  additional information, particularly of a scientific nature.      Tornadoes would be one of 1,000 items I could list.