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Thomas P. Grazulis

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would be updated and released in two volumes of approximately 705 pages each covering tornadoes from 1680 to 1949 and 1950 to 2019. The new volumes will include updates on statistics, graphs, and charts, as well as analysis of trends in tornadic activity and examination of potential influence thereof
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In the process, Grazulis traveled the country visiting dozens of libraries, museums, university archives, historical societies, and the like, to eventually chronicle 60,000 tornadoes, 50,000 of them included in a single 1,400-page book that is widely referenced. It is estimated he read 25,000
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agencies, the University of Chicago DAPPL database founded by Fujita which ended at his retirement in 1992, and the Grazulis Tornado Project database. As of 2023, the Grazulis database spans from 1680 to 2022 and includes all known
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before focusing on tornadoes and publishing books. He expanded to direct-to-video documentaries (which include extensive printed guides) and posters (with complementary background sheets) in the 1990s. Grazulis also wrote for
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tornadoes (those rated F2–F5 or causing a fatality). Grazulis' database was digitized and included in an international database combining many resources as they became more available in 2000-2020s, The Tornado Archive.
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are used for the score of the outbreak. F2/EF2 tornadoes are given 2 points, F3/EF3 tornadoes are given 5 points, F4/EF4 tornadoes are given 10 points, and F5/EF5 tornadoes are given 15 points.
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In the early 1990s, he and Doris formed The Tornado Project to market tornado videos, books, and posters. He collaborated with storm chaser Roy Britt to produce the popular
191:, a documentary film on tornadoes that was the first to consider tornadoes in a scientific context rather than as a hazard and was the first compilation of tornado footage. 179:(FSU) and was briefly a broadcaster, in part presenting the weather. He was a science teacher in New Jersey and worked on the "Earth Science Curriculum Project" with the 247:. In turn, proceeds of this book and of Tornado Project videos and posters were sufficiently robust to support an update that was published for the years 1992–1995. 231:
studies. Grazulis' tornado database work was considered important enough that he was awarded five years of additional funding from the National Science Foundation.
307:. He used these for air flow experiments and for displays. Grazulis had long been interested in tornado simulators and included earlier laboratory studies in his 935: 340: 239:
and research libraries but also included local libraries when pertinent. The first book (which was two volumes), resulting from the NRC funded work, was
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noting that despite his fascination with storms he had never actually seen a tornado. He saw his first tornado, a very large one, near
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Grazulis amassed one of three authoritative tornado databases, those being the National Tornado Database assembled and maintained by
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on Memorial Day of that year. By the late 1990s, Grazulis also constructed a variety of designs of physical simulator models of
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magazine and others, and presents at meteorological and storm chaser conferences. The following is a list of his major works:
829: 219:, with whom he collaborated in developing their respective databases. The objective was to determine tornado occurrence and 203:(NRC) to create a history of tornadoes. Specifically, he refined and augmented the databases of tornadoes maintained by the 618: 315:
documentary featured a detailed instructional segment with an accompanying printed guide for constructing one's own.
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Maas, Malcolm; Supinie, Timothy; Berrington, Andrew; Emmerson, Samuel; Aidala, Ava; Gavan, Michael (2024).
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which killed 94 people and passed approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) north of his childhood home.
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microfilm reels of (mostly major) newspapers. His work concentrated in state libraries and the U.S.
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contains 51 photographs of tornadoes prior to 1970, the most extensive collection published.
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Grazulis in 2001 penned a book for a general readership, an homage and unofficial update to
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documentary series. In 1995, they adapted this collection for television to broadcast on
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Verbout, Stephanie M.; Brooks, Harold E.; Leslie, Lance M.; Schultz, David M. (2006).
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is considered a critical and authoritative source among severe storms meteorologists.
886: 825: 614: 243:. The book filled a gap in tornado information and strong sales led to an expansion, 220: 945: 750: 711: 545: 350: 277: 666: 300: 228: 453: 349:
Grazulis created a new scale called the outbreak intensity score (OIS) to rank
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and first confronted the power of a tornado at age 11 following the violent
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Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events
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Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events
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Significant Tornadoes 1880–1989: A Chronology and Analysis of Events
784:. Minneapolis, MN: American Meteorological Society. pp. 85–88. 510:. NUREG/CR-3670, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 895: 639:"Coming Soon: An Update to the Definitive Book on U.S. Tornadoes" 613:. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. 140: 120: 92: 877: 304: 728: 891: 686: 769: 175:
Grazulis earned a bachelor's degree in meteorology from
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List of tornado outbreaks by outbreak intensity score
689:"Evolution of the U.S. Tornado Database: 1954–2003" 664: 585:"Tom Grazulis: A Different Breed of Storm Chaser" 491:Tornado Video Classics II: The Magnificent Puzzle 452:Grazulis initially produced documentaries on the 902: 318:The Tornado Project's website in 2018 indicated 30:"Grazulis" redirects here. For the surname, see 735:Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 936:Fellows of the American Meteorological Society 808: 806: 804: 95:history, statistical, and climatology research 801: 334: 843: 841: 754: 578: 576: 574: 572: 199:In 1979, Grazulis began working with the 847: 812: 680: 632: 630: 608: 554:The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm 533:The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm 838: 773:; Thomas P. Grazulis (14–18 Sep 1998). 660: 658: 582: 14: 903: 722: 636: 602: 569: 527:Significant Tornadoes Update 1992–1995 508:Violent Tornado Climatology, 1880–1982 267: 205:National Severe Storms Forecast Center 143:and produced documentaries as head of 135:(born August 17, 1942) is an American 627: 187:area in 1970. In 1972, they released 824:: The Tornado Project. p. 637. 655: 211:, as well as the database headed by 856:from the original on 29 August 2023 848:Grazulis, Thomas (29 August 2023). 365:The outbreak intensity score (OIS) 194: 24: 357:and those rated EF2 to EF5 on the 139:who has written extensively about 27:American meteorologist (born 1942) 25: 957: 871: 329:Significant Tornadoes: 1974-2022 245:Significant Tornadoes, 1680-1991 241:Significant Tornadoes, 1880-1989 916:Florida State University alumni 818:Significant Tornadoes 1974–2022 796:Significant Tornadoes 1680-2019 665:Grazulis, Tom; Doris Grazulis. 539:Significant Tornadoes 1974–2022 434:American Meteorological Society 427: 347:Significant Tornadoes 1974–2022 155: 788: 763: 550:Tornadoes of the United States 480:Approaching the Unapproachable 189:Approaching the Unapproachable 13: 1: 782:19th Conf Severe Local Storms 563: 556:. Both were published by the 327:. In 2023, the first volume, 201:Nuclear Regulatory Commission 609:Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). 558:University of Oklahoma Press 432:Grazulis is a Fellow of the 150: 7: 637:Henson, Bob (3 June 2018). 463:magazine, occasionally for 282:Twister: Fury on the Plains 181:National Science Foundation 160:Thomas Grazulis grew up in 10: 962: 589:Weather People and History 583:Heidorn, Keith C. (1999). 496:Tornado Video Classics III 338: 29: 440:to supplant the original 126: 116: 106: 99: 88: 78: 46: 39: 756:10.1175/BAMS-D-23-0123.1 486:Tornado Video Classics I 474:The New Jersey Shoreline 447: 335:Outbreak intensity score 177:Florida State University 162:Worcester, Massachusetts 83:Florida State University 18:Outbreak intensity score 911:American meteorologists 850:"The Outbreaks Section" 771:Doswell, Charles A. III 696:Weather and Forecasting 482:(1972 documentary film) 476:(1967 educational film) 822:St. Johnsbury, Vermont 501:Secrets of the Tornado 313:Secrets of the Tornado 286:Twister: Nature's Fury 274:Tornado Video Classics 185:St. Johnsbury, Vermont 166:1953 Worcester tornado 941:Scales in meteorology 669:. The Tornado Project 438:Enhanced Fujita scale 359:Enhanced Fujita scale 320:Significant Tornadoes 295:In 1997, he became a 290:Significant Tornadoes 249:Significant Tornadoes 217:University of Chicago 209:Kansas City, Missouri 591:. The Weather Doctor 278:The Learning Channel 223:distributions, i.e. 878:The Tornado Project 852:. Tornado Project. 814:Grazulis, Thomas P. 747:2024BAMS..105E1137M 708:2006WtFor..21...86V 643:Weather Underground 366: 311:documentaries. The 268:The Tornado Project 237:Library of Congress 225:tornado climatology 145:The Tornado Project 121:The Tornado Project 892:Thomas P. Grazulis 883:Thomas P. Grazulis 741:(7): E1137–E1152. 364: 133:Thomas P. Grazulis 41:Thomas P. Grazulis 831:978-1-879362-01-7 552:(1953), entitled 425: 424: 370:Type of outbreak 351:tornado outbreaks 331:, was published. 130: 129: 101:Scientific career 16:(Redirected from 953: 866: 865: 863: 861: 845: 836: 835: 810: 799: 792: 786: 785: 779: 767: 761: 760: 758: 726: 720: 719: 716:10.1175/WAF910.1 693: 684: 678: 677: 675: 674: 662: 653: 652: 650: 649: 634: 625: 624: 606: 600: 599: 597: 596: 580: 546:Snowden D. Flora 367: 363: 345:Within the book 195:Tornado database 60: 56: 54: 37: 36: 21: 961: 960: 956: 955: 954: 952: 951: 950: 901: 900: 874: 869: 859: 857: 846: 839: 832: 811: 802: 793: 789: 777: 768: 764: 727: 723: 691: 685: 681: 672: 670: 663: 656: 647: 645: 635: 628: 621: 607: 603: 594: 592: 581: 570: 566: 450: 430: 398: 343: 337: 301:Tulsa, Oklahoma 270: 229:risk assessment 197: 158: 153: 79:Alma mater 74: 61: 58: 57:August 17, 1942 52: 50: 42: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 959: 949: 948: 943: 938: 933: 928: 923: 918: 913: 899: 898: 889: 880: 873: 872:External links 870: 868: 867: 837: 830: 800: 787: 762: 721: 679: 654: 626: 619: 601: 567: 565: 562: 542: 541: 535: 529: 523: 517: 511: 504: 498: 493: 488: 483: 477: 454:Earth sciences 449: 446: 429: 426: 423: 422: 419: 416: 413: 410: 407: 404: 401: 393: 392: 389: 386: 383: 380: 377: 374: 371: 336: 333: 325:climate change 269: 266: 196: 193: 157: 154: 152: 149: 128: 127: 124: 123: 118: 114: 113: 108: 104: 103: 97: 96: 90: 89:Known for 86: 85: 80: 76: 75: 62: 48: 44: 43: 40: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 958: 947: 944: 942: 939: 937: 934: 932: 931:Living people 929: 927: 924: 922: 921:Storm chasers 919: 917: 914: 912: 909: 908: 906: 897: 893: 890: 888: 884: 881: 879: 876: 875: 855: 851: 844: 842: 833: 827: 823: 819: 815: 809: 807: 805: 798: 797: 791: 783: 776: 772: 766: 757: 752: 748: 744: 740: 736: 732: 725: 717: 713: 709: 705: 701: 697: 690: 683: 668: 661: 659: 644: 640: 633: 631: 622: 620:1-879362-03-1 616: 612: 605: 590: 586: 579: 577: 575: 573: 568: 561: 559: 555: 551: 547: 540: 536: 534: 530: 528: 524: 522: 518: 516: 512: 509: 505: 503:(documentary) 502: 499: 497: 494: 492: 489: 487: 484: 481: 478: 475: 472: 471: 470: 468: 467: 462: 461: 455: 445: 443: 439: 435: 420: 417: 414: 411: 408: 405: 402: 400: 395: 394: 390: 387: 384: 381: 378: 375: 372: 369: 368: 362: 360: 356: 352: 348: 342: 332: 330: 326: 321: 316: 314: 310: 306: 302: 298: 293: 291: 287: 283: 279: 275: 265: 262: 257: 252: 250: 246: 242: 238: 232: 230: 226: 222: 218: 214: 210: 206: 202: 192: 190: 186: 182: 178: 173: 171: 167: 163: 148: 146: 142: 138: 137:meteorologist 134: 125: 122: 119: 115: 112: 109: 105: 102: 98: 94: 91: 87: 84: 81: 77: 73: 72:United States 69: 68:Massachusetts 65: 59:(age 82) 49: 45: 38: 33: 19: 858:. Retrieved 817: 813: 795: 790: 781: 765: 738: 734: 724: 702:(1): 86–93. 699: 695: 682: 671:. Retrieved 646:. Retrieved 642: 610: 604: 593:. Retrieved 588: 553: 549: 543: 538: 532: 526: 520: 514: 507: 500: 495: 490: 485: 479: 473: 464: 458: 451: 442:Fujita scale 431: 428:Affiliations 396: 385:Devastating 379:Significant 355:Fujita scale 346: 344: 328: 319: 317: 312: 308: 297:storm chaser 294: 289: 285: 281: 273: 271: 253: 248: 244: 240: 233: 198: 188: 174: 159: 156:Early career 144: 132: 131: 117:Institutions 100: 926:1942 births 548:'s classic 466:Weatherwise 460:Storm Track 288:. His book 261:significant 207:(NSSFC) in 111:Meteorology 905:Categories 673:2014-04-04 667:"About Us" 648:2019-05-02 595:2014-04-04 564:References 339:See also: 213:Ted Fujita 53:1942-08-17 860:29 August 397:Number of 388:Historic 221:intensity 151:Biography 141:tornadoes 64:Worcester 854:Archived 816:(2023). 418:120–249 305:vortices 32:Gražulis 946:Tornado 896:Twitter 743:Bibcode 704:Bibcode 537:(2023) 531:(2001) 525:(1996) 519:(1993) 513:(1990) 506:(1984) 415:80–119 215:at the 93:Tornado 828:  617:  412:30–79 409:11–29 399:points 391:Super 382:Major 376:Minor 227:, for 107:Fields 778:(PDF) 692:(PDF) 448:Works 421:250+ 406:7–10 373:Weak 168:, an 887:IMDb 862:2023 826:ISBN 615:ISBN 403:2–6 284:and 256:NOAA 47:Born 894:on 885:at 751:doi 739:105 712:doi 323:by 309:TVC 907:: 840:^ 820:. 803:^ 780:. 749:. 737:. 733:. 710:. 700:21 698:. 694:. 657:^ 641:. 629:^ 587:. 571:^ 560:. 444:. 170:F4 147:. 70:, 66:, 55:) 864:. 834:. 759:. 753:: 745:: 718:. 714:: 706:: 676:. 651:. 623:. 598:. 51:( 34:. 20:)

Index

Outbreak intensity score
Gražulis
Worcester
Massachusetts
United States
Florida State University
Tornado
Meteorology
The Tornado Project
meteorologist
tornadoes
Worcester, Massachusetts
1953 Worcester tornado
F4
Florida State University
National Science Foundation
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
National Severe Storms Forecast Center
Kansas City, Missouri
Ted Fujita
University of Chicago
intensity
tornado climatology
risk assessment
Library of Congress
NOAA
significant
The Learning Channel
storm chaser

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