Can the pressure change or wind in tornadoes cause injury/death directly?

[Brian OConnell]

If they held their breath for two seconds while getting hit by a tornado that tried to suck the air out of their bodies but it didn't harm them from the winds, then they would exhale even if unintentionally.

At that point what does it matter if they exhale? A diver who rockets to the surface will exhale too, but the damage is already done

 

[rdale]

At any point - the force of holding your breath cannot exceed the force of the air pushing out of your lungs.

No death.

 

[Brian OConnell]

At any point - the force of holding your breath cannot exceed the force of the air pushing out of your lungs.

No death.

This is factually wrong, scuba divers can and do suffer potentially fatal rupture of the alvioli if they hold their breath during pressure changes that are less than the pressure change in the tulia tornado https://dan.org/alert-diver/article/lung-expansion-injuries/

 

[rdale]

You are referring to divers - we are discussing the tornado survivor.

They will live.

 

[Brian OConnell]

You are referring to divers - we are discussing the tornado survivor.

They will live.

What is the significance of this distinction? The pressure change is what is dangerous, and the tulia tornado had a greater pressure change than that known to be dangerous to divers

 

[RZ Fortner]

I honestly don’t know, I’m not a scientist. But I’m sure there is an explanation of why I’ve never heard of a pressure drop death from a tornado. Yet you do from scuba divers.

 

[Brian OConnell]

I honestly don’t know, I’m not a scientist. But I’m sure there is an explanation of why I’ve never heard of a pressure drop death from a tornado. Yet you do from scuba divers.

In the absence of any other explanation I would have to assume it is possible, but has never been reported by chance

This would only happen if the tornado was small and fast enough to cause the pressure to drop in a couple seconds, the center of the tornado passed directly over the victim, the victim had their windpipe closed at the moment of tornado passage, and the tornado had extreme low pressure, which may only occur in the most extreme EF5s (likely fatal regardless of pressure) and for a brief time during corner flow collapse of moderate tornadoes, these factors make the probability of someone encountering such a danger low, even in a tornado, but it is still a risk, perticularly for those who intentionally put themselves in tornadoes over and over (TIV, ect) it is also possible that this has happened at some point but the cause of death not recognized due to other traumatic injuries that were assumed to be the cause of death

 

[rdale]

It really isn't something to worry about. There's no evidence that it is a risk.

 

[Brian OConnell]

It really isn't something to worry about. There's no evidence that it is a risk.

I'm not worried about it, the question was more about scientific curiosity than concern for my safety, I'm not planning on going inside any tornadoes

That said I do think the pressure change recorded in a tornado being greater than the pressure change that is dangerous to divers constitutes evidence that this is a risk in very specific uncommon scenerios

 

[rdale]

Oh okay - thanks for clarifying. So far there is no evidence or data to back up that claim, but I encourage you to experiment if you can do so safely!

 

[Brian OConnell]

Oh okay - thanks for clarifying. So far there is no evidence or data to back up that claim, but I encourage you to experiment if you can do so safely!

The evidence is that large rapid pressure drops are known to be dangerous, and that a pressure drop recorded in a tornado was as rapid and larger than those known to be dangerous

 

[Jeff Wright]

I honestly don’t know, I’m not a scientist. But I’m sure there is an explanation of why I’ve never heard of a pressure drop death from a tornado. Yet you do from scuba divers.

Benthic pressure gradients are greater than atmospheric variations on Earth, or in a space station in a hard vacuum. The folks on board the diving bell of the Byford Dolphin learned that Nov. 5, 1983, sadly. I had forgotten the sled test-higher wind than DOW record- but that was unidirectional. A super-narrow suction spot means flesh gets it from other angles of attack. Cows more vulnerable with greater surface area?

 

[Jeff Duda]

Thread closed
Thread has devolved into back-and-forth arguing, and the facts of the case have been presented. I see no reason for further arguing.