Tornadoes are extremely violent storms featuring rapidly rotating columns of air that connect clouds to the earth’s surface. The strongest tornadoes can have wind speeds over 250 mph, occasionally reaching 300 mph, and cause damage paths over a mile wide and 50 miles long.

The most powerful tornadoes are produced by supercell thunderstorms. These storms develop when horizontal wind shears rotate the storm, and updrafts tilt this rotation vertically, forming a rapidly swirling column of air that can touch the ground and create a tornado.