Q: What is the fastest speed ever recorded for a tornado and a hurricane?
—Eddie Webster, Dallas
A: The tornado that hit the Oklahoma City suburbs of Bridge Creek and Moore on May 3, 1999, registered a wind speed of 318 mph, the highest on record, according to the National Weather Service. It was measured by a truck-mounted Doppler radar unit called Doppler on Wheels (DOW). The tornado that hit Moore on May 20 had estimated wind speeds between 200 and 210 mph. Cyclone Olivia, which hit Australia in 1996, had wind speeds measured at 253 mph, according to the Hurricane Research Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Hurricane Camille, which hit Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida in 1969, and Hurricane Allen, which hit Mexico and southern Texas in 1980, had estimated wind speeds of about 200 mph. But "such winds are inherently going to be suspect as instruments often are completely destroyed or damaged at these speeds," according to the Hurricane Research Division's website.
Q: Do the Atlanta Braves and their support personnel need passports when they visit Canada to play the Toronto Blue Jays?
—William McKee Jr., Flowery Branch
Q: All members of the travel party need passports, a Braves spokeswoman told Q&A on the News in an email. According to the U.S. Department of State: "All persons, whether U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, must present a valid passport or alternate approved travel document to enter or depart from the United States by air."
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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