WEATHER AND EARTHLY PHENOMENON THESAURUS

TORNADO



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HELPFUL TIP:

Don’t be afraid to pair weather conditions with your setting choice to contrast or reinforce a character’s emotions. Hopelessness might be mirrored in the relentless drizzle of rain and the resulting heavy drag of one’s clothes; alternatively, this feeling can stand out in stark contrast to sunlight dancing over fresh snow. Can weather also provide symbolism, thereby enriching the reader’s experience? Think about your goal for the scene and the mood you are trying to create, and then layer your description with meaningful choices.
SIGHTS:
A sky covered in clouds
Thunderstorms
Lightning
Black clouds that are divided by a definable line
A vortex formation swirling the clouds far above
A funnel growing down toward the ground and varying in color from transparent to dark gray
Swirling air and debris
Gale force winds that reach upward of three hundred miles per hour
Lights flickering and going out in nearby populated areas
People running for storm shelters or other areas of safety
High winds causing an outer ring of light debris (grass, broken branches, leaves, garbage) to lift and swirl 
Tiles being ripped from roofs
Siding pulling off of buildings
Unanchored objects tumbling and flying through the air (strollers, rain barrels, garbage cans, bikes, patio furniture, etc.)
Larger objects being crushed, flipped, torn apart, or lifted into the vortex (cars twisted, houses demolished, light posts and power poles ripped out of the earth, trees uprooted and splintered, asphalt peeled away from roads, bridges broken or damaged, sheds crumpled into unrecognizable metal pieces) 

SMELLS:
Rain
Ozone
Sweat

TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS:
A change in air pressure that makes one's ears pop
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SOUNDS:
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REINFORCING A MOOD:
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SYMBOLISM:
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COMMON CLICHÉS:
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WEATHER NOTES:
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SCENARIOS FOR ADDING CONFLICT OR TENSION:
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