Storms | Twisting about
Twisting about
TornadoesA violently rotating, narrow column of air in contact with the ground and usually extending from a cumulonimbus cloud. are swirling columns of air that have enormous power. They have a short life span, from a few minutes to over an hour, yet are one of the most ferocious storms. They develop on land and come from the energy released in a thunderstorm. This energy is concentrated in a small area, such as the size of a football field, and moves across the ground at speeds of 20 to 40 miles per hour (32 to 64 kilometers per hour). On average, the United States gets about a thousand tornadoes each year. The most violent tornadoes can reach wind speeds of over 250 miles per hour (400 kilometers per hour) and can slice a path of destruction more than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers ) wide and 50 miles (80 kilometers) long.
Fujita Tornado Scale
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