1. Which of the following is true?

A. Opening the windows in a home will protect it by equalizing pressure.
B. A highway underpass is a safe place to take refuge during a tornado.
C. Tornadoes never cross rivers or other water spots.
D. A safe place to seek shelter is below ground level.

Answer: D

Opening the windows of a home is no protection against a twister. Tornadoes travel over rivers, up and down hillsides, and suck people out of highway overpasses and other supposedly safe locations. The safest location is below ground if possible.

2. As the most tornado-prolific country in the world, the United States annually is struck by how many twisters?

A. 100
B. 500
C. 1,000
D. 10,000

Answer: C

Each year the United States is struck by approximately 1,000 tornadoes. Most twisters are not killers, however, in part because they generally strike in the sparsely populated “tornado alley” and also because of improved forecasting and warning systems.

3. A tornado is measured on which of the following scales?

A. Fujita
B. Saffir-Simpson
C. Mercalli
D. Richter

Answer: A

Names for the famed meteorologist, Tetsuya Theodore Fujita, the Fujita Scale measures tornadoes on a scale of F0 to F6, with the latter being the most powerful. An F0 tornado has winds of 40-72 mph while an F6, at least in theory, can reach an astronomical 319-379 mph have been involved in a tornadic event.

Wind speeds in the Moore, Okla., tornado on May 3, 1999, were measured at the upper level of F5 rating. However, these winds were recorded a few hundred feet off of the ground and my not have extended to ground level.

Damage in tornadic events is very chaotic, and it can be very difficult to determine damage ratings at the higher end of the F-Scale since construction quality varies and the analysis centers around structures that no longer exist.

4. On March 18, 1925, a massive tornado raced across Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, establishing the modern record for most tornado-related deaths. The twister was memorable for what reason?

A. Number of deaths = 695
B. Territory covered = 219 miles
C. Speed = 73 mph at one point, averaged 62 mph
D. All of the above

Answer: D

The twister, estimated to be nearly a mile wide, spent nearly four hours smashing it way across the tri-state area, killing hundreds, destroying schools and homes and office places, and leveling vast areas of forest and farmland. In Murphysboro, Ill., the twister killed 234 people, the largest death toll ever for a single city. At least 25 students were killed in three different schools. In nearby Desoto, 33 students were killed in a school, another grisly record.

5. Which month established a new U.S. record for tornadoes?

March 1925
June 1956
January 1999
July 1898

Answer: C

In January 1999, an incredible 169 tornadoes touched down in the United States, shattering the previous record for most tornadoes in a month by 117. Other records established in January 1999 include: The most tornadoes in a single state during a 24-hour period (38 tornadoes struck Arkansas on January 21); and most tornadoes in the U.S. during a 24-hour period (87 occurred on January 21).

6. Which of the following is NOT a warning sign of a potential tornado?

A. Hail
B. Fast-moving clouds (or converging clouds)
C. A sudden silence in the midst of a severe storm
D. Power outage

Answer: D

Heavy rains, hail and strong wind often are followed by an ominous silence before a tornado strikes. Other signs include leaves and shrubs being pulled upward, debris falling from the sky and tear-drop clouds descending toward the ground. Electrical power does not necessarily need to cease for a tornado to be present, as the twister suddenly can descend without warning.

7. A disaster preparedness kit should include all but which of the following?

A. Battery-powered radio
B. Bottled water and non-perishable food
C. Whiskey of some other form of alcohol
D. Candles and matches/flashlights

Answer: C

The American Red Cross recommends that families prepare a disaster kit that includes food, water, batteries, radio, flashlight, work gloves and a first-aid kit.

8. Which of the following does NOT receive a lot of tornadoes?

A. Utah
B. Texas
C. Kansas
D. Oklahoma

Answer: A

Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Kansas and Nebraska receive more tornadoes per square kilometer than any other states in the country. Utah, which rests amidst the Rocky Mountains, generally does not see the ravages of many tornadoes.

9. A powerful, 200 mph tornado produces about 1 billion watts of kinetic energy (equal to the output of two large nuclear reactors). By contrast, a large thunderstorm produces how much energy?

A.100 million watts
B. 2 billion watts
C. 40 trillion watts
D. 15 billion watts

Answer: C

A large thunderstorm, which usually is defined by towering cumulonimbus clouds, heavy rains and strong winds, produces 40 trillion watts of kinetic energy -- 40,000 times more energy than a strong tornado. In fact, aside from hurricanes, thunderstorms are the most powerful systems in the world.

10. True or False: A tornado warning means a tornado is likely to strike an area soon.

A. True
B. False

Answer: A

A tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted and residents are to take shelter immediately. A tornado watch means a tornado is possible under existing weather conditions.