The Green

Dear GREEN Blog readers and those who enjoy the Greenzine, there is an official correction we need to make regarding the feature story in the April 24th Greenzine. Greensburg, Kansas was described incorrectly as being "hurricane-ravaged" when in fact it was "tornado-ravaged." We made a mistake and for this we profusely apologize. We can console ourselves somewhat because the two weather events are relatively similar to each other, at least in that they produce comparable damage.

So, what is the difference between hurricanes and tornadoes?

A hurricane originates on water, and is fueled by disparities between pressure and heat as water and atmosphere intersect on the surface of the ocean. Hurricanes tend to damage coastal areas the most because they lose all their strength as soon as they move inland. A hurricane is an enormous atmospheric formation that can be seen from space.

Tornadoes are much smaller and sporadic phenomena that can crop up around the periphery of hurricanes but can also pop up as the result of a storm system. They are very dangerous because they can strike suddenly and will produce tremendous pressure and wind velocity that can tear roofs off and completely level everything around them.