tornado
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A tornado photographed 35 km/22 mi southwest of Howard, eastern South Dakota, on 28 August 1884. This is the oldest known photograph of a tornado. In terms of annual numbers of tornadoes, only Australia can compete with the USA.
Extremely violent revolving storm with swirling, funnel-shaped clouds, caused by a rising column of warm air propelled by strong wind.
A series of tornadoes killed 47 people, destroyed 2,000 homes, and caused $500 million worth of damage in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas in May 1999.
| A tornado can rise to a great height, but with a diameter of only a few hundred yards or less. Tornadoes move with wind speeds of 160–480 kph/100–300 mph, destroying everything in their path. They are common in the central USA and Australia. |
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