Vertical wind shear<span> helps storms become well-</span>organized<span> and long- lived; characteristics </span>associated<span> with severe thunderstorms. Vertical </span>wind shear<span> through a deep layer (3-5 miles) separates the </span>updraft<span> and downdraft areas in the storm, and can induce rotation, at times intense, in the storm's mid levels. </span>