is a tornado or hurrincane stronger?

Answer 1

Tornado wind speeds are stronger than hurricanes when comparing their speeds per category through scales (fujita vs. saffir simpson). For example, and F1 tornadoes wind speed is stronger than that of a category 1 hurricanes, and so on. Hurricanes are a lot larger storm systems though, so they tend to cause a larger path of destruction than a tornado would.

If we are going by pure wind speed strength, I would say tornado. Hurricanes just cause more widespread destruction.

Answer 2

In terms of wind

Tornadoes are much stronger, the OKC/Moore tornado had a recorded wind speed on 318mph, at the theoretical limit of the F scale for tornadoes.

Hurricanes can only manage wind speeds of around 200-220mph.

Damage wise Hurricanes will always cause more damage because of their size and the ability to batter a object for hours.

You could say a tornado is a stick of dynamite which will destroy something very fast where as a Hurricane is a baseball bat.

pressure wise we know what levels a hurricane can reach but there has only been a very limited number of successful pressure readings from inside a tornado. Hurricanes so far are stronger here but 1 attempt recorded a drop of 100mb durning a moderate (F2-F3) tornado. We wont know for sure till someone is able to probe a violent F4-F5 tornado

Answer 3

A tornado has the higher winds of the two storms, for instants a F5 tornado can get over 400 MPH when a Cat. 5 hurricane can reach 200 MPH however neither one are to be, taken lightly their very dangerous storms,a hurricane is wider destruction , because their larger storms, but a tornado is so intense for a short time, though nothing no matter how well built, very often stands much chance surviving a direct hit from a F5 tornado. so I guess a tornado has more wind speed, though a shorter life cycle.. but you know what force of nature is the most powerful of all, it's water, from floods, to tidal waves, to mega tidal waves as high as the empire state building , an they say it could happen some day, if some volcanic mountain on the Canary Islands were to erupt and fall into the deep waters, it would send a mega wave to the U.S.A. and wipe out the whole, eastern seaboard from New York to Miami 15 teen miles inland at least.. not a pretty thought is it. but thats the disaster, that makes me wonder how could anyone survive it...

Answer 4

A tornado can reach much higher speeds. Some have been clocked with rotations over 300 mph.

But hurricanes are larger and can do more damage because their (slightly) slower winds are spread over a wider area.

Also, a tornado is very concentrated and doesn't have much affect outside of what it touches. But a hurricane has low pressure that can pull the sea level up by ten feet and flood areas even where the winds are not very strong.

Answer 5

A tornado is generally considered to be the stronger of the two in terms of concentration of major damage, wind speed, and ferocity. A hurricane is considered weaker because it takes its toll gradually through attrition as the storm moves aground. The sustained winds, and surges of a hurricane cause its damage and it can be far more costly(i.e. New Orleans, LA). However, due to the quick formation and concentration of wind, which can almost instantly destroy a structure, a tornado is stronger.

Answer 6

Tornadoes are definatley stronger than hurricanes. Don't they call tornadoes...nature's most violent WINDSTORM? I have studied tornadoes for 5 and 1/2 years! The reason that tornadoes are more powerful than hurricanes is because they occur over land. They are faster AND more powerful. I hope that answers your question! BYE-BYE!

Answer 7

A tornado track a quarter mile wide is considered a large tornado.
Hurricanes can cover entire states and spawn many tornadoes.
Hurricanes are stronger than tornadoes.

Answer 8

In general, Tornadoes are stronger

Answer 9

The amount of energy released by a hurricane is much, much more than even a powerful atomic bomb. It's just spread out over a very large area over a much longer time. Tornados release an enormous amount of energy in a smaller area over a shorter time than hurricanes. Overall, hurricanes have the potential to do much more damage to a broad area but tornados can do much worse damage to a small area.

Answer 10

At least we will get warning about a bad hurricane but tornadoes come even when it rain a little and sometimes their is no warning. Tornadoes kill whatever is in there path. so i believe that tornadoes are more dangerous that hurricane.