They frequently occur between 3 and 7 p.m. but have occurred at all hours. They tend to move from a westerly direction, usually from the southwest. The path of a tornado is anywhere from 10 to 40 miles long. The average width is about 400 yards but some have been as much as mile wide. They travel about 25 to 40 miles an hour with wind speeds as high as 300 miles per hour within the tornado.
Tornadoes vary in intensity and destructive power as the following chart shows.
If you are not already a part of one of those committees, you should take steps to get involved. Typically these committees are composed of officials of the local government and other essential infrastructure systems, various emergency response organizations, utilities, school officials, health care and social service agencies, and disaster relief organizations. These committees are generally responsible for insuring a coordinated response to the disaster situation. Some communities may not have standing emergency response committees. In those situations, AAAs can advocate for their creation.