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This is how a tornado forms:
First, the wind gets bad, after, it becomes very still, and then the tornado begins. The bottoms of thunderclouds get bigger, andit twists, and coils around itself. The bulge starts to spin faster, taking on the shape like a cone. The funnel gracefully reaches towards the earth. It looks like it is going up, but suddenly, the funnel stabs down, touching the earth. It picks up lots of dirt. It turns the funnel gray and black. Then there is a sound like a freight train, getting louder, and coming at you. Now the funnel cloud has become a tornado. Tornadoes can last from a few seconds to many hours. When a tornado is coming, take shelter.
PICTURE BY AMY'S DAD
Hundreds of tornadoes touch in North America's "Tornado Alley" every year. The Tornado Alley includes most of of the central United States, from Texas to Minnesota. In that area, warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meets cool, dry air from Canada. The air twists around itself, creating powerful winds. The moist air rises and condences to form huge thunderclouds. In 1965, a series of 37 tornadoes in six states caused 271 deaths in only 9 hours. The worst tornado recorded was the famous tri-state tornado of 1925. This huge twister ripped a path across 219 miles of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. It killed 689 people, and wrecked 1,100 homes.
PICTURE OF COKATO AFTER A TORNADO
(BY AMY'S DAD)
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