# We had a Tornado touch down..... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-tornado-touch-down/357861 "2006-05-23T03:36:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-tornado-touch-down/357861/1 "2006-05-23T03:36:50Z")
[In Hampton, New Hampshire!!](http://cbs4boston.com/weathernews/local_story_142081402.html) yesterday we had a _BIG_ thunderstorm blow over at around 6 PMish, _heavy_ rains (like we need any more of _that_… :rolleyes:) and massive, window-rattling thunderclaps, in York, Maine, the storm seemed to center over our street, i looked at the skies thick with evil, brooding clouds and remarked to myself that i wouldn’t be surprised to see a funnel cloud drop from the clouds admittedly, it was a “small” tornado, estimated to be an F-0, windspeeds below 75 MPH, something that wouldn’t even raise eyebrows in Tornado Alley, but remember, this was in New England, specifically in New Hampshire… tornados _do_ happen in New England, but they are exeptionally rare, and not very big, still, it’s kinda creepy having a Twister appear in NH… lets see, we had widespread flooding last week, a _tornado_ this weekend, and apparently the mountains are due to get a dusting of _SNOW_ tonight… i know what’s next in the forecast… Locusts 😉 i think Mother Nature’s gone senile, time to put her in a home… ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-tornado-touch-down/357861/2 "2006-05-23T18:45:14Z")
Actually, it turned out to be an F-2 twister (F-0’s can’t overturn trucks…) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-tornado-touch-down/357861/3 "2006-05-23T18:51:23Z")
Tornados can change strengths up and down as they progress. So what started as an F0 might be an F2 just before it dissipates, or vice versa. I’ve been directly in 3, been affected by dozens, and seen possibly a hundred or more with mine own eyes in my lifetime. In Tornado Alley, the conditions for tornadic storms forming are quite common, but as you noted they can happen virtually anywhere. Simply needs the right combination of circumstances.