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Most Extreme Tornadoes

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Tornadoes are created in many shapes and sizes, but they are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel whose narrow end touches the earth and is often encircled by a cloud of debris and dust. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour (177 km/h); have length about 250 feet (76 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 300 miles per hour (483 km/h), stretch more than two miles (3.2 km) across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km) (Bluestein, 2013). A visible cloud is not needed for disbursing tornado. Some tornadoes may not appear to extend to the ground but are causing considerable damage (NOAA, 2014). Tornadoes can be occurred with various shapes and sizes, and most produce winds less than 120mph. …show more content…

Some tornadoes are very small and last for only a minute or so, while others can be a mile wider or larger staying on the ground for over an hour (NOAA, 2014). Tornadoes occur in many parts of the world, mainly USA, Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Even New Zealand experiences around 20 tornadoes each year. Two of the highest concentrations of tornadoes outside the U.S. are Argentina and Bangladesh (NOAA, 2014). The single F2 tornado that cut a narrow path across Atlanta in March 2008, for example, causing an estimated $340m of damage in less than 20 minutes (Maynard et al., 2013). After that tornadoes in United States resulted in the greatest loss of life since the 1920s. In many ways, the tornadoes of 2011 most resemble what happened in 1953. Unlike 1965 and 1974, there was not one day or even one outbreak that caused such a large percentage of the damage. Two outbreaks stand out, late April in the southeast most notably Alabama on April 27 where one tornado remained on the ground from Tuscaloosa to the suburbs

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