Tornadoes and tornado deaths, sorted by
Fujita class.
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of University of Chicago
Tornado Stats
Most of the world's tornadoes happen in the United States. The area where
most of them occur is know as
Tornado Alley. There are
about 750 tornadoes each year in the U.S. and about 100 people each year
are killed by tornadoes. Most tornadoes only last a few minutes and
travel a few miles, but some have been know to last longer and travel
over 100 miles.
Tornadoes are divided into groups according to how strong they are. The
most violent
ones don't happen very often but they cause the most destruction and loss
of life. Scientists can give the public earlier
warnings because of
new technologies that improve
forecasts. In most
cases people can seek shelter before a tornado strikes. This has led to a
decrease in the number of deaths caused by tornadoes. But, since they
can't stop them, the tornadoes will still cause a lot of damage.
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