Is the ‘Diaper’ Method in 'Twisters' a Real Solution For Massive Tornadoes? Not Exactly

A tempest that deed Dunlap, Indiana, during the Palm Sunday tornado outbreak successful 1965 spawned duplicate tornadoes that cycled astir 1 different conscionable arsenic we spot successful the film. Those twins were memorialized successful one of the astir well-known photographs successful upwind history.

Larger tornadoes are often made up of smaller vortices circulating wrong a azygous funnel. These multiple-vortex twisters tin beryllium liable for immoderate of the worst harm successful the aftermath of a unspeakable storm. The smaller suction vortices, arsenic they’re sometimes called, have been documented by mobile Doppler radar packing winds of much than 300 mph.

OK, truthful the film’s “twins” are possible, but what astir its flaming tornado? During 1 of Twisters’ climatic moments aggregate fireballs capable the stormy skies arsenic a convulsive tornado runs done an concern refinery. The twister concisely ingests the flames to go a formidable (albeit brief) firenado.

Fire whirls are real, though not rather the mode they amusement successful the movie. Intense wildfires are well-known for creating their ain weather. If conditions are conscionable right, immoderate of these blazes tin spark thunderstorms implicit oregon adjacent the fire.

While astir occurrence whirls signifier successful a akin ground-up manner arsenic particulate devils, beardown upwind shear created by the occurrence itself tin unit those pyrocumulonimbus clouds to get the rotation needed to make a tornado.

National Weather Service meteorologists confirmed that a occurrence whirl spun up during the Carr Fire adjacent Redding, California, connected July 26, 2018. Survey crews determined the occurrence whirl produced winds stronger than 140 mph, which is the equivalent of a beardown EF-3 tornado.

For each the analyzable ocular effects and technological jargon the actors propulsion around, the underlying question the tempest chasers successful Twisters are trying to reply is simple: Is it imaginable to halt a tornado?

The crippled follows main quality Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) from her days arsenic a tornado-chasing meteorology pupil to her clip arsenic a degreed meteorologist who gets roped backmost successful to 1 much circular of tracking storms—for the science. (Fans of the 1996 movie whitethorn snicker astatine this motion to Bill Paxton’s quality Bill repeatedly saying “I’m not back” earlier hopping successful his motortruck to pursuit a twister.)

Kate’s ngo successful beingness is to halt tornadoes earlier they tin wreak decease and destruction. Her probe led her to effort to motorboat a super-absorbent polymer—“like the ones they usage successful diapers,” 1 quality notes—into a tornado successful bid to sorb the moisture and unit the tempest to shrivel up and dice out.

It’s an admirable goal, but 1 made up for the large screen.

Folks person floated plentifulness of theories implicit the years connected however to halt storms earlier they tin origin harm downwind. Absorbing the moisture or, connected the different extremity of the spectrum, “seeding” a tempest to unit it to rainfall are 2 imaginable options offered by hopeful tempest stoppers. But the forces that make hulking thunderstorms and tornadoes are excessively ample for humans to straight disrupt successful immoderate meaningful way. The little instauration of diaper-grade absorbent worldly surely wouldn’t get the occupation done.

Reliable technology, precocious warning, and emergency planning are the lone surefire methods to guarantee tornado safety. And ultimately, that’s ever been the constituent of a Twister movie. Even arsenic they instrumentality creator license, they’re inactive mostly astir the value of subject successful knowing storms to hole for them. The remainder is conscionable the ride.