Sometimes called "Nature's Most Violent Storms," tornadoes are famous for striking the middle of the U.S, but they can strike anywhere. But why are there so many in one area? Well, tornadoes come down as funnels from clouds in thunderstorms. And clouds need moisture, which there is a lot of in the middle of the U.S. because of all the farming done there, and crops need moisture to grow.
Usually tornadoes are around 500 feet wide and 1,000 feet long, with wind speeds around 100 mph or less. But sometimes, really big tornadoes are formed from stronger winds, and these tornadoes can be up to a mile wide and sometimes winds of up to 300 mph!
Sometimes during severe thunderstorms, masses of air that have different temperatures and humidities meet. The warmer air rises to the top, slowly starting to spin as it rises. Most of the time nothing happens after that, but sometimes it continues to spin until it is fast enough to form a funnel, and then it can be called a tornado.
A famous tornado is the Tri-State tornado of 1925. 695 people died because of the tornado, and over 15,000 homes were destroyed. The tornado traveled 219 miles, through the states of Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois. The Tri-State tornado killed over twice as much as the second deadliest tornado ever.
-M T
