Picture of a May 11, 1991, tornado in Cimarron County, Oklahoma
Click on image for full size (65K GIF)
© Greg Stumpf
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Tornadoes form from
severe thunderstorms.
They have a very high energy density which
means that they affect a small area but are very destructive to that area.
They also don't last very long which makes it hard to learn about them.
Since they're hard to study, they're also hard to forecast. People know
even less about tornadoes, which is why there are a lot of different myths that aren't true.
Tornadoes can occur anywhere in the world. About 75% of them happen in
the United States, most in an area know as Tornado Alley. There are
also some other interesting facts about tornadoes.
People who are interested in tornadoes sometimes become trained tornado spotters for their
community. Others chase tornadoes, either to research these incredible storms, or to photograph them. After
a tornado touches down, scientists try and figure out how strong it was
by using the Enhanced Fujita
Tornado Scale.
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Sizes of Tornadoes 
Tornado Image Gallery 
