Tornado in NYC?

Question

Although it happened in Brooklyn, it was relatively weak, so if a violent tornado touched down in Manhattan, would New Yorkers even be prepared for it?

They always say it can't happen here, but what if it did?

A tornado going through a crowded city like NYC would be devestating, so are they even prepared for it?

Answer 1

Well they got through 9-11...and that terrorist attack caused more damage than a tornado probably would.  If a tornado were ever to strike the city, the friction and obstacles (i.e. buildings) would prevent it from becoming a strong tornado.  It would likely only be a weak to moderate tornado, and most skyscrapers are built to withstand those kinds of winds.  There would certainly be a lot of blown out windows and people on the street would need to take shelter as there would be a lot of debris blowing around.  But chances are there would be no major structural collapse or anything like that.  So I think the city would fair pretty well.  Look up the tornado that hit downtown Nashville several years back and see what kind of damage it did.