Portal:Tornadoes

The Tornadoes Portal

A tornado near Anadarko, Oklahoma, in 1999

Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air that are in contact with the Earth and either a cumulonimbus or a cumulus cloud. Tornadoes are often referred to as twisters, whirlwinds, or cyclones. While most tornadoes attain winds of less than 110 miles per hour (180 km/h), are about 250 feet (80 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers), the wind speeds in the most intense tornadoes can reach 300 miles per hour (480 km/h), are more than two miles (3 km) in diameter, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km). Various types of tornadoes include the multiple vortex tornado, landspout, and waterspout. Other tornado-like phenomena that exist in nature include the gustnado, dust devil, fire whirl, and steam devil. Most tornadoes occur in North America (in the United States and Canada), concentrated in a region nicknamed the Tornado Alley. Tornadoes also occur in South America, South Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

Selected tornado article -

The large storm complex across the Midwestern United States on December 1, 2018

The tornado outbreak of November 30 – December 2, 2018 was a late-season tornado outbreak that occurred across portions of the West South Central states and Midwestern United States. As a potent shortwave trough moved across the southern portions of the country, it was met with ample moisture return and destabilization, resulting in widespread severe thunderstorms that produced damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. The event began late on November 30 in Oklahoma, spreading east and resulting in one fatality in Aurora, Missouri. Several tornadic supercells moved across portions of Illinois on December 1, and resulted in 29 confirmed tornadoes. This outbreak was the largest December tornado event on record in Illinois history, surpassing the December 1957 tornado outbreak sequence. The most significant tornado of the event was an EF3 that impacted Taylorville, Illinois, damaging or destroying hundreds of structures and injuring 22 people. (Full article...)

Selected tornado list -

This is a list of all tornadoes that were confirmed by local offices of the National Weather Service in the United States in May 2015. (Full article...)

Selected image -

An F3 tornado in Le Sueur County, Minnesota, on August 24, 2006.

Selected tornado year -

(Full article...)

Related portals

2024 tornado activity

Map of tornado warnings and confirmed tornadoes from the outbreak sequence

A multi-day period of significant tornado activity occurred across the Midwestern United States and the Mississippi Valley as well as an additional tornado in the Canadian province of Quebec. From May 19–27, 2024, tornadoes were reported across large portions of the Central United States, with multiple Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) watches issued across the sequence. Five fatalities were confirmed with a large, violent EF4 tornado that went through Greenfield, Iowa on May 21. Tornadic activity continued over the next several days, including a nocturnal outbreak that occurred during the overnight hours of May 25 into May 26. Seven fatalities were confirmed from a destructive tornado that struck Valley View, Texas while two more fatalities were confirmed from an EF3 tornado that struck Claremore and Pryor, Oklahoma. Another fatality was confirmed from a tornado in Olvey, Arkansas and an additional tornadic death also occurred in Arkansas. Many other tornadoes occurred on the afternoon and evening of May 26, including a very destructive, intense EF3 tornado, which prompted the issuance of 4 tornado emergencies across western Kentucky. (Full article...)

Tornado anniversaries

June 2

• 1925 – A significant tornado outbreak affected the Midwestern United States. An F4 tornado near Madison, Nebraska killed three people along with 25 horses, 100 cattle, and thousands of chickens. Another F4 tornado killed three people on a farm near Adair, Iowa. The next day, twin F4 tornadoes (both possibly F5) hit areas in and near Neola, Yorkshire, and Persia, Iowa, killing an infant and injuring 30 other people. Two others were killed by an F2 tornado near Florence, Wisconsin.
• 1965 – An F4 tornado caused major damage in Cotton Center, Texas and leveled a portion of Hale Center, killing four people and injuring 76.
• 1990 – A significant tornado outbreak hit the Midwestern and Southeastern United States, resulting in nine deaths. An F4 tornado destroyed numerous homes and businesses, including a nursing home in Petersburg, Indiana, killing four people there and two others in Union. A long-track F4 tornado traveled 106 miles (171 km), striking Barnhill, Albion, Browns, and Mt. Carmel, Illinois and passed near Petersburg and Huron, Indiana, killing one person at Browns.

June 3

• 1860 - A long-track tornado traveled across eastern Iowa and western Illinois, killing 92 people. The greatest loss was in Camanche, Iowa, where at least 41 people died and every building was severely damaged or destroyed.
• 1980 – one of the costliest tornado events in U.S. history, a series of six tornadoes, forming a complex tornado family, moved across Grand Island, Nebraska, killing five people and causing $300 million in damage, equivalent to $1,109 million in 2023. Most of the deaths and damage wee from a single F4 tornado that followed a curving path along the south side of the city. This event was the inspiration for the 1996 movie Night of the Twisters.
• 2009 – An F3 tornado touched down in Russia in the town of Krasnozavodsk, killing one person and injuring 185.

June 4

• 1877 – An F4 tornado devastated Mount Carmel, Illinois, killing at least 16 people and injuring 100. A total of 20 businesses and 100 homes were destroyed; some were swept away.
• 1958 – A major tornado outbreak hit the Upper Midwest. Three violent tornadoes from a single supercell killed 28 people in northwestern Wisconsin. The first of these, a fast-moving F5 tornado, struck the north side of Menomonie and devastated parts of Colfax, killing 21 people and injuring 110. After Colfax tornado dissipated, an F4 tornado struck Chippewa Falls, killing three people and injuring 56. Yet another F4 tornado, the last member of the tornado family, killed four more people south of Boyd and passed south of Stanley and Owen.

Did you know…

• ...that the 2013 Moore tornado that struck Moore and Newcastle, Oklahoma, is the most recent EF5 tornado?
• ...that the 2021 South Moravia tornado, an IF4 tornado with winds between 207–260 mph (333–418 km/h), was the strongest tornado to hit the Czech Republic in modern history?

General images -

The following are images from various tornado-related articles on Wikipedia.

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  A liquor store that was destroyed in the western part of Bowling Green, Kentucky. (from Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021)
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  Trees that were completely debarked and denuded near Buckeye, Arkansas. (from Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021)
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  A multi-ton freight car that was thrown from the tracks in Barnsley (from 2021 Western Kentucky tornado)
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  Aerial view of EF4 damage in Mayfield the day after the tornado (from 2021 Western Kentucky tornado)
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  Derecho moving across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa (from December 2021 Midwest derecho and tornado outbreak)
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  Radar collage of a supercell that spawned a tornado family during the outbreak (from Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021)
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  High-end EF3 damage to homes in the Creekwood subdivision in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Numerous fatalities occurred in this area. (from Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021)
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  Low-end EF4 damage to a business in downtown Cayce (from 2021 Western Kentucky tornado)
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  Radar 3D volume scan of the supercell showing debris lofted over 30,000 feet (9.1 km) in the air as the tornado struck Mayfield (from 2021 Western Kentucky tornado)
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  A satellite view of the extratropical cyclone that was responsible for the tornado outbreak on December 11. (from Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021)
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  Major structural damage to a house near Hartford (from 2021 Western Kentucky tornado)
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  Debris and destroyed homes along Alexander Street in Dawson Springs (from 2021 Western Kentucky tornado)
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  Widespread devastation in a residential area of Dawson Springs (from 2021 Western Kentucky tornado)
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  High-end EF4 damage to a house in Bremen (from 2021 Western Kentucky tornado)
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  EF3 damage to businesses in downtown Dresden, Tennessee. (from Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021)

Featured Article or List -

This is either a featured article or featured list, which represents some of the best articles on English Wikipedia.

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The California Closets Warehouse that was severely damaged by the tornado

The 2006 Westchester County tornado was the strongest and largest tornado in Westchester County, New York since the 1904 Chappaqua tornado. It touched down there on Wednesday, July 12, 2006, and traveled 13 miles (21 km) into southwestern Connecticut during a 33-minute span through two states. The tornado touched down at 3:30 p.m. EDT (19:30 UTC) on the shore of the Hudson River before becoming a waterspout and traveling 3 mi (5 km) across the river. Coming ashore, the tornado entered Westchester County and struck the town of Sleepy Hollow at F1 intensity. After passing through the town, it intensified into an F2 tornado and grew to almost a one-quarter mile (400 m) in diameter. The tornado continued through the county, damaging numerous structures, until it crossed into Connecticut at 4:01 p.m. EDT (20:01 UTC). Not long after entering the state, it dissipated in the town of Greenwich at 4:03 p.m. EDT (20:03 UTC). When the tornado entered Westchester County, it was the eighth known tornado to either touch down or enter the county since 1950.

Two barns and a warehouse were destroyed, and a large stained-glass window was shattered. Numerous homes and businesses were damaged and thousands of trees were uprooted. There were no fatalities and only six minor injuries were associated with the storm. The cost of damages was estimated at $12.1 million. (Full article...)

List of Featured articles and lists
Hurricane Katrina tornado outbreak List of Connecticut tornadoes List of tornadoes in the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak 1999 Sydney hailstorm

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Tornadoes

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Related WikiProjects

The scope of WikiProject Severe weather is to write articles about severe weather, namely thunderstorms and tornadoes. Their talk page is located here.

WikiProject Weather is the main hub for all articles that are weather-related. WikiProject Weather strives to improve articles in a variety of weather topics, including Tropical Cyclones, Severe Weather, General meteorology, Non-tropical Storms, Climate, Floods, Droughts and wildfires, Meteorological instruments and data, Meteorological Biographies, and Space Weather. If you would like to help, please visit the project talk page.

WikiProject Meteorology is a collaborative effort by dozens of Wikipedians to improve the quality of meteorology- and weather-related articles. If you would like to help, visit the project talk page, and see what needs doing. The project is currently being merged into WikiProject Weather.

WikiProject Tropical cyclones is a daughter project of WikiProject meteorology. The dozens of semi-active members and several full-time members focus on improving Wikipedia's coverage of tropical cyclones.

Wikipedia is a fully collaborative effort by volunteers. So if you see something you think you can improve, be bold and get to editing! We appreciate any help you can provide!

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Here are some tasks awaiting attention: Article requests : WikiProject Weather article requests Expand : Severe weather Stubs : Expand Thunderstorm and tornado stub articles

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