Introduction
Each year severe weather races across the United States. Tornados can happen anywhere, although they typically occur in the spring and summer in TORNADO ALLEY. (Tornado Alley is based on where dangerous tornadoes and tornadoes in general are most likely going to take place in a given year.)
In an average year, 800 tornadoes are reported nationwide, resulting in 80 deaths and over 1,500 injuries. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of 250 miles per hour or more. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Once a tornado in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, carried a motel sign 30 miles and dropped it in Arkansas! These statistics are taken from NOAA site: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/NWSTornado/
Picture from NOAA photo library: http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/index.html
