Tornado Parts — Labeled for a 6-Year-Old

A tornado is a spinning column of air that comes down from a big storm cloud and sometimes touches the ground. Here are the main parts, with very simple words.

• Cloud base - The bottom of the big storm cloud. This is where the tornado can start.
• Wall cloud - A lower, round part of the cloud that can hang down. A tornado can come from here.
• Funnel cloud / Condensation funnel - The skinny cone that hangs down from the cloud. It looks like an ice-cream cone made of cloud. If it reaches the ground, it's a tornado.
• Debris cloud - Dust, leaves, and things picked up from the ground that swirl around the bottom of the tornado. It can make the tornado look darker near the ground.
• Ground - Where the funnel touches the earth. When it touches, the tornado can move things on the ground.
• Spinning - A tornado spins around like a top or a merry-go-round. That spinning is what makes it strong.

Simple picture you can imagine:
BIG CLOUD
     |
     | ← funnel cone coming down (funnel cloud)
    /\
  /__\ ← debris cloud at the bottom

Safety tips: If you hear a tornado warning or see a funnel, go inside right away to a basement or a small inside room without windows. Stay low and cover your head.

Fun activity: Draw your own tornado: draw the big cloud, draw a cone coming down, draw little bits of dirt for the debris cloud, and label each part.