Tornadoes: Nature's Phenomenon

What is a Tornado?

A tornado is "a violent, destructive, whirling wind accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud that progresses in a narrow path over the land" (Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2012).

Tornadoes can develop in mere seconds and destroy everything in their path

Sometimes, a tornado will happen so quickly that there is little or no sign before it starts (Federal Emergency Management Association, 2012). A tornado can have the strongest winds on earth, up to 300 MPH, and can cause "fantastic destruction and great loss of life, mainly from flying debris and collapsing structures" (Snow, 2012).

How and What of Tornadoes

How, What

The National Severe Storms Laboratory studies tornadoes and says that tornadoes come from thunderstorms. Before the thunderstorm, the wind changes direction, becomes faster and becomes higher. Then it becomes an invisible spinning wind going horizontally in the lower atmosphere. While the thunderstorm is happening, air...
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