A tornado of this magnitude can rip a house right off its foundation! 1985 United States–Canada tornado outbreak, Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho, List of tornadoes in the tornado outbreak sequence of May 2019, Tornado outbreak sequence of May 14–June 1, 1962, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Tornadoes_in_Pennsylvania&oldid=589044990, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 January 2014, at 22:20. Tornadoes have been witnessed on every continent except Antarctica, and also occur over the ocean. While this is not one of the tornado facts we should encourage our kids to explore, it’s inspiring to know that people are risking their lives to help save others. Fast Facts About Tornadoes. Tornadoes (Images: Salisbury, PA Tornado May 31, 1998) The following is a map of Pennsylvania with each county outlined. When a storm spins off more than one tornado, these tornadoes are considered part of a tornado family. In the past decade, forecasters have become skillful … Storms often generate one tornado after another, and these multiple tornadoes are sometimes mistaken for one continuous tornado. The ground the tornado travels across is considered the path of the tornado. The single deadliest tornado killed 695 … However, tornadoes form quickly and the path a tornado takes is not easy to predict. Tornado warnings have about a 70% false warning rate. A … One of the other well-known tornado facts is that tornadoes connect from the ground to the clouds in the sky. A devastating outbreak of tornados on May 31, 1985 spanned several states, and hit Pennsylvania particularly hard. Tornadoes move with their thunderstorm clouds because they are connected at the top to the cyclone of air within the cloud. Of course, the higher the wind speed, the more likely a tornado is to cause significant damage. *Tornado risk is calculated from the destruction path that … Brave storm chasers and storm spotters are part of the warning system for tornadoes. It then intensified into an EF3. Tornadoes are given different names based on their shape. These multiple tornadoes can occur at the same time, or one tornado after another can be created by a storm. Tornadoes can travel over 100 miles with a storm! Photograph by Mike Theiss, National Geographic. Tornadoes are giant rotating funnels with twirling winds that can reach 300 mph. About 2% of the 1000 tornadoes that … There’s no real way of predicting a tornado through other weather. Between 1950 and 2017, Oklahoma has been hit by 3824 tornadoes. A lot of fun tornado facts are about the names given to tornadoes. Yearly Average of Tornadoes in Pennsylvania. Some of these storm chasers are thrill-seekers. Get ready for some mind-blowing tornado facts: tornadoes can be over one mile, or 1.5 kilometers, wide! In the United States, there are storm spotters who are trained to recognize the signs of severe weather that could lead to a tornado. Cities Skylines Natural Disasters Best Mods. - As of February 1, 2007, the Enhanced Fujita Scale was adopted. A tornado is a lethal combination of wind and power. Forecasters confirm small tornado hit Pennsylvania town. Copyrights © 2019 Interesting-Facts.com. Two people were killed by tornadoes as storms rolled southeastward across the … Perhaps it’s the spinning motion of tornadoes that captures our attention. Some tornadoes are short and round; these are called stovepipe tornadoes. An EF5 tornado can badly damage reinforced steel concrete structure and lift houses off of their foundation and carry them through the air. It is possible that this is not one of the tornado facts, and that the word tornado was actually derived directly from tronada. According to records, the largest tornado in the Lancaster area was an F3 in … The tornado chasers put their lives on the line to help us learn more about tornadoes. Tornadoes don’t last long but can be devastating. In Spanish, there are two words that sound like the word tornado. In Nebraska on May 22, 2004, there was a tornado that was over 2.5 miles, or over four kilometers, wide at its base! Pennsylvania Tornado Averages There is a moderate amount of tornado activity that takes place in Pennsylvania each year, with an average of about 16. Tornadoes cause so much destruction because the wind speeds in the cyclone of air are incredibly high. Pennsylvania Tornado Facts. It’s one of the ironic tornado facts that the sound of a tornado is not a reliable way for people to detect tornadoes. [2] The first recorded tornado in Europe was in Ireland in 1054. - From those tornadoes, there were at least 18 overall ‘days with event and death or injury.’ One death was recorded. In Spanish, there are two words … Other large tornadoes can take on a large V-shape, and are called wedges, or wedge tornadoes. The storm front from Hurricane Katrina caused additional tornadoes across the Eastern part of the United States. This sudden rainfall pulls the air around the rain down with it, and pulls the mesocyclone down towards the ground. The following 23 pages are in this category, out of 23 total. Tornadoes are caused by huge thunderstorms with rotating winds known as supercells. coronavirus covid covid vaccine COVID-19 Cynthia Chuang pennsylvania Rachel Levine Tom Wolf Vaccine Explained. The single deadliest tornado killed 695 … A history of twisters: Tornadoes in Pennsylvania 1980 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been tracking tornadoes for decades. The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh says an EF-1 tornado with maximum winds estimated at 90 mph occurred just before 8:30 p.m. Saturday in Indiana County's Burrell Township. Please read the important disclaimer below concerning the plotting of historical tornadoes. The best way to avoid injury is to evacuate people from the path of the tornado. The third and most prolific tornado outbreak of the month occurred during May 26-29, in which 190 tornadoes developed. Between May 31st and June 2nd of 1998, Pennsylvania was hit by 40 tornadoes, some of which had wind speeds over 200 mph. Collapsing buildings and flying debris are the main killers during … Tornadoes can have winds up to 300 miles per hour and can be over 2.5 miles wide! Tornadoes usually don't kill people. How is a tornado caused? [4] Tornado injuries can be very gruesome. These storm spotters are part of a program called Skywarn that trains local law enforcement, rescue workers and ordinary citizens to help detect and report tornadoes. SPC # - The tornado number as assigned by the SPC. Tornadoes also were confirmed in eastern Pennsylvania and the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for parts of New York City and northern New Jersey. An EF5 tornado produces winds greater than 200 miles per hour, which can pick up and throw vehicles and destroy buildings with ease. However, tornadoes traveling over 100 miles have been confirmed, including one tornado in 1925 that traveled over 200 miles! Powerful thunderstorms are responsible for generating tornadoes. An EF5 tornado rips buildings off their foundations and can deform large skyscrapers. A tornado is as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with … Most injuries and damages are actually caused by flying debris. In fact, Pennsylvania ranks in the top 25 for tornado occurrence in the United States, averaging twenty tornadoes per year. Related. They are also called twisters. Paul Markowski, Pennsylvania State University and Yvette Richardson, Pennsylvania State University. Tornadoes demolish houses, flip cars, cross rivers, dig 3 foot (0.9 meter) trenches, and lift lightweight objects 10,000 feet (3048 meters) into the air. Scientists aren’t in agreement about whether or not a tornado over the ocean should be considered a tornado. Causes total destruction. (Officials said six minor injuries were reported in Luzerne on Wednesday). - The state tornado number assigned to the tornado for that specific state for that specific year. Facts Most tornadoes form from severe thunderstorms. ... Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Arkansas and Pennsylvania. Tornadoes and tornadoes facts call this part of the world home! Some famous movies feature scenes with tornadoes, and we often think of the Midwest United States when we think of tornadoes. He’s also a certified teacher, once survived a tornado, and had a small plane crash on his street. While most tornadoes that occur in Pennsylvania are not as strong as their counterparts in the plains, strong and damaging tornadoes can and do occur here. As a tornado moves, it hits anything in its path on the ground with a swirling mass of air. A tornado watch has been issued Wednesday for over 35 counties in Pennsylvania including York, Lebanon, Franklin and Dauphin. Trending Posts. The watch … The tornado also carries with it any dust and debris that it has picked up. That is faster than hurricane force winds. In Nebraska on May 22, 2004, there was a tornado that was over 2.5 miles, or over four kilometers, wide at its base! It was the seventh-deadliest tornado in U.S. history and the 27th-deadliest in world history. Kane is a borough in McKean County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, 94 miles (151 km) east by south of Erie.It was founded in 1863 by Civil War General Thomas L. Kane of the famous Bucktail Regiment at an elevated site 2210 feet (674 m) above sea level. Nine of Pennsylvania’s tornadoes were late Sunday, April 14, to early Monday, April 15: EF-0 tornado from Scranton to Dunmore, Lackawanna County, 3.23-mile path EF-0 tornado … The tri-state tornado of 1925 is still the deadliest tornado in modern US history. What Are The Short And Long Term Effects Of Natural Disasters. It then intensified into an EF3. In 1953, a particular type of radar signature called a hook echo was associated with the thunderstorms that produce tornadoes. Please avoid copyright lawsuits. Login/Register access is temporary disabled, Tornadoes Come From Cumulonimbus and Cumulus Clouds, Tornadoes Have Been Witnessed on Every Continent Except Antarctica, Historians Aren’t Sure How The Word Tornado Came from Spanish, A Funnel Cloud Is Only a Tornado When it Touches the Ground, Hurricane Katrina Created Tornadoes All Across the East Coast, When Storms Produce More Than One Tornado It’s Called an ‘Outbreak’, Supercells Are Storms That Have Cyclones of Air Built-in to Them, There Was a Tornado 2.5 Miles Wide in Nebraska In 2004, Tornadoes Make Infrasound Below the 20Hz Range of Human Hearing, A Tornado in 1925 Traveled Over 200 Miles, Tornadoes Have Some of the Fastest Wind Speeds on Earth, The ‘Hook Echo’ Radar Signature of Tornadoes Was Found in 1953, Storm-Chasers Are Thrill-Seeking Scientists That Save Lives. In fact, it is considered the deadliest tornado outbreak in a record of 23 years since the last tornado which killed 88 people in the United States occurred on May 31, 1985. 12 ) The worst tornado outbreak was on April 3 and 4, 1974, which saw 147 tornadoes across 13 states. The tornado then traveled into the suburbs of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital. For this reason, the Super Tuesday 2008 Tornado Outbreak is considered to be one of the deadliest Tornado to hit the US states. Tornadoes touch down all over the world, though most often in the United States. The 1944 Appalachians tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that hit the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States on June 22–23, 1944. Get ready for some mind-blowing tornado facts: tornadoes can be over one mile, or 1.5 kilometers, wide! From the 1950s onward, the United States began to develop a series of tornado warning systems in the Midwest, where most of the tornadoes in the world occur. The area where the tornado connects to the ground moves across the land as the cloud moves with the storm above. For both of these, a scale F5 or EF5 is the highest rating. You can see pictures of the possible funnel cloud throughout this article. Whatever the case, it is certain that the word came from the Spanish language. One of the most surprising tornado facts is that not all tornadoes can be seen. Tornadoes can take place in any state in the U.S. Texas has had the most tornadoes, followed by Oklahoma and Kansas; The strongest ground level wind speed ever recorded was 318 mph in 1999 ; The current average time to warn people of a coming tornado is 11 minutes; The deadliest tornado killed 695 people in 1925; 1000 tornadoes occur in the United States … This list may not reflect recent changes (learn more). It’s often difficult to hear the sound of a tornado over the accompanying thunderstorm that is the source of the tornado. All Rights Reserved. Tuesday’s severe weather outbreak in the Northeast produced an unusually high number of tornadoes in Pennsylvania. The largest tornado on record occurred on 05/31/1985, measuring a 4 on the Fujita-Pearson scale. Tornadoes develop when the supercell starts generating large amounts of rain. Some of the saddest tornado facts occur when people are caught in the path of a tornado. The subtle differences have to do with the different gradations of tornadoes. Efforts to learn more tornado facts, including improving our ability to detect tornadoes, have been focused in the Midwest for this reason. The tornado facts that storm chasers gather help scientists improve their ability to detect tornadoes. This map is a visual representation of the number of tornadoes per square mile x 10 ^-3. This page lists the date and location of all the tornadoes that have occurred in Pennsylvania from the year 1950. The average wind speed of a tornado is over 100 miles per hour, or over 150 kilometers per hour! In fact, Pennsylvania ranks in the top 25 for tornado occurrence in the United States, averaging twenty tornadoes per year. Cave Creek Disaster Photos. While some argue about which scale is better, one of our tornado facts is certain: we wouldn’t want to be in the path of any tornado that is ranked high on either scale! Tornado facts capture our attention as they teach us about the raw power of nature. - The Fujita Scale is used to assess the intensity and damage caused by a tornado. Supercells are a particular type of thunderstorm. Southeastern Montgomery County in southeastern Pennsylvania... East central Chester County in southeastern Pennsylvania... Philadelphia County in southeastern Pennsylvania... Northeastern Delaware County in southeastern Pennsylvania... * Until midnight EDT. Tornado information natural disaster direct energy tornado facts national geographic kids 20 worst tornadoes in us and world 25 interesting facts about tsunamis swedish nomad . A history of twisters: Tornadoes in Pennsylvania 2018 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been tracking tornadoes for decades. Actually, they are rotating clouds that extend to the ground due to thunderstorms. Along the bottom of the map there is a legend that describes what value each color represents, each color is an increment of 10. Fact 7: Bangladesh has had at least 19 tornadoes in its history killing more than 100,000 people which is almost half of the total toll in the rest of the world. Photos showed what might have been a tornado touching down in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. While a rope tornado may appear wispy, it’s one of the established tornado facts that the average tornado in the United States is roughly 500 feet, or 150 meters, in diameter. In fact, it’s rare you’ll see a tornado spin for longer than a couple of hours. Here are some truly interesting facts about tornadoes you may not have heard before! A tornado ranked highly on one scale is also ranked highly on the other scale. There is a moderate amount of tornado activity that takes place in Pennsylvania each year, with an average of about 16. 12 ) The worst tornado outbreak was on April 3 and 4, 1974, which saw 147 tornadoes across 13 states. A possible tornado damaged homes in Montgomery County, Pa., on Monday as severe storms packing gale-force winds and heavy rains swept across the Delaware Valley region, authorities said. A history of twisters: Tornadoes in Pennsylvania 2017 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been tracking tornadoes for decades. When most people hear a tornado, it sounds like a whooshing sound, or the sound of air rushing. The picture of a tornado moving through farmland in the Midwest is the popular iconic image of a tornado. Interesting tornado facts for kids are a great way to get them excited about science. Today, tornado facts for predicting tornadoes are still found with radar. The fact that they spin is the most basic of… These storms have cyclones of air in them, though the cyclones are a few miles up in the air and don’t always touch the ground. On March 18, 1925, a … Infrasound is sound that is below 20 Hz, which is below the normal range of human hearing. How precisely can we predict tornado strikes? According to The Pennsylvania Weather Book, May 31, 1985 would prove to be the deadliest tornado outbreak in Pennsylvania's history! The 1985 Tornado hit Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. coronavirus covid covid vaccine COVID-19 Cynthia Chuang pennsylvania Rachel Levine Tom Wolf Vaccine Explained. Mind Numbing Fun Facts About Tornadoes What is a tornado? Fact 6: The most destructive tornado recorded till date was the one Bangladesh on April 26, 1989, which killed approximately 1300 people. Tornadoes can last from several seconds to more than an hour. Unfortunately, the most violent whirling winds can level and blow away however sturdy a house, but such severe storms are really rare. Tornado facts are astounding. The rain and thunder from the storm may make it difficult to hear a tornado. It uprooted 90,000 trees, took lives, and destroyed homes. Some of the most powerful tornadoes come from the most powerful storms in history. A tornado touched down in northeastern Pennsylvania on Wednesday night, ravaging businesses, flipping rental trucks, downing trees and power … Two good eyes are still the best method for detecting tornadoes. The swirling mass of a tornado can contain rocks, sticks and other dense objects, moving rapidly through the air. The National Weather Service tells Penn Live that 14 tornadoes … Hurricane Katrina spun off a tornado and caused severe damage to an airplane hangar in the Florida Keys. Tornadoes are sometimes called twisters or cyclones, and both of these names refer to the spinning and contorting nature of the rapidly swirling air that defines a tornado. The word for “thunderstorm” is tronada and the word for “to turn” is tornar. Tornado Information for York, Pennsylvania. For "official" statistics, contact the National Climatic Data Center, NCDC. According to records, the largest tornado in the York area was an F3 in 1980 that caused 0 injuries and 0 deaths. MONTGOMERYVILLE, Pa. (AP) - The National Weather Service on Tuesday determined a small tornado hit a Pennsylvania town as a line of severe storms packing high winds and heavy rain moved across the Northeast. Despite the many tornado facts we know, predicting tornadoes remains a difficult task. Get ready for another of the mind-blowing tornado facts. [7] A tornado hit the town of Codell, Kansas, on the same date, three years in a row: May 20, 1916; May 20, 1917; May 20, 1918. People spotting tornadoes early on, and informing authorities immediately, is still our best line of defense against these powerhouses of nature. This interactive map, which contains data from January 1950 to August 31, 2020, pinpoints where a cyclone touched down and … Tornadoes fascinate us so much that there are even tornado chasers who track down these destructive storms to get more tornado facts. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tornadoes in Pennsylvania. The last recorded tornado … The fact that they spin is the most basic of tornado facts. Patrick Abdalla In 14 years in journalism, Patrick has been a sports writer, entertainment editor, and morning web copy editor. The outbreak produced several strong tornadoes in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland—areas that were falsely believed to be immune to tornadoes. These large swirling masses of air, water and debris cause serious damage when their path carries them through areas where people live and work. This outbreak consisted of 42, 77, 26 and 45 reported tornadoes, respectively, during the 4-day event. If you are interested in reading about the “worst” tornadoes that have struck Pennsylvania (and all other states), see this page on our site.If you want to find out about specific tornadoes that have occurred since 2012, check out the NCDC Storm Events page. This category contains articles about tornadoes or tornado outbreaks affecting the state of Pennsylvania. Because of the way tornadoes are formed, and the fact that the swirling air causes condensation of water vapor, most tornadoes are visible to us. Historians Aren’t Sure How The Word Tornado Came from Spanish. Immediately following the disaster, emergency responders began search and rescue efforts, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol sent dozens of troopers to the area. Tornadoes are an awesome force of nature. 27. While a rope tornado may appear wispy, it’s one of the established tornado facts that the average tornado in the United States is roughly 500 feet, or 150 meters, in diameter. Consider all these important tornado facts and tornado safety tips when preparing for the tornado season. The graphic below is a National Weather Service climatology of tornado activity in Pennsylvania from 1950 to 2019. Most of these people are scientists who are trying to learn more about tornadoes. Pennsylvania Pages in category "Tornadoes in Pennsylvania" The following 23 pages are in this category, out of 23 total. The 2025 Harrisburg-Reading-Philadelphia Tornado was a large, catastrophic, and violent tornado that struck the areas of Philadelphia, Reading and Harrisburg, PA on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. A tornado outbreak with at least 20 tornadoes swept across Pennsylvania on June 2, 1998. When adequate shelter is not available, people sometimes die as a result of injuries caused by a tornado. [15] 27. Tornadoes move so quickly that they can sometimes form before the data from radar showing the tornado’s activity has even been retrieved and processed by computers! It’s one of the surprising tornado facts that tornadoes occur all over the world. Unlike the Fujita scale, the TORRO scale is based on the wind speed of the tornado, and not the destruction it causes. This page lists the date and location of all the tornadoes that have occurred in Pennsylvania from the year 1950. Most tornadoes occur in the Midwest of the United States. If you are interested in reading about the “worst” tornadoes that have struck Pennsylvania (and all other states), see this page on our site.If you want to find out about specific tornadoes that have occurred since 2012, check out the NCDC Storm Events page. The tornado touched down at 2:37 PM EST near Reading. The height of high storm season takes place in spring and summer. The 2025 Harrisburg-Reading-Philadelphia Tornado was a large, catastrophic, and violent tornado that struck the areas of Philadelphia, Reading and Harrisburg, PA on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Some tornadoes have wind speeds over 300 miles per hour, or over 450 kilometers per hour! The swirling mass of air from the mesocyclone sinks through the cloud and, when it breaches the bottom of the cloud, we see a funnel cloud. Chester County is under the tornado watch until 7:05 p.m. Monday. Thus, on average, the state was hit by at least 56 tornadoes each year. The dust and water vapor picked up by the swirling air makes the tornado apparent. EF5 (incredible tornado) - wind speed: over 200 mph. Tornado facts help us protect ourselves against these powerful storms, and to get better at predicting when and where tornadoes will occur. When a large storm front, such as the one generated by Hurricane Katrina, creates a series of tornadoes, this is considered a tornado outbreak. A powerful tornado can completely destroy a house, leaving it looking like nothing but a pile of wood! There is also an Enhanced Fujita Scale, which is an updated version of the original Fujita scale. Some people have compared the sound to that of a train. Scientists are exploring ways to use infrasound as a means of detecting tornadoes in order to provide early warning to people who may be in a tornado’s path. The average cost of the damage from a single tornado is $800,000. When these objects and the swirling air of the tornado impact a structure that people have built, such as a building, or house, the effects can be devastating. We saved the most amazing tornado facts for last. This interactive map, which contains data from January 1950 to September 30, 2020, pinpoints where a cyclone touched down and … This is one of the tornado facts that is up for debate. For more data about tornadoes in the region, explore this source. A possible tornado damaged homes in Montgomery County, Pa., on Monday as severe storms packing gale-force winds and heavy rains swept across the … Bangladesh ranks 3 rd in terms of frequency of tornadoes. This path is where the destruction occurs. Tornado Alley is a nickname given to an area that experiences a high frequency of tornadoes each year. One of the thunderstorms produced a long tracked EF2 tornado that affected areas from Plains and Bear Creek Township north through Pittston and Moosic Pennsylvania. As destructive as tornadoes are, some people chase tornadoes. This data is considered "unofficial". Click on a county name to see a detailed map of all known tornado tracks in that county. Capable of flattening entire neighborhoods and taking many lives, a tornado's winds can reach speeds of up to 300 mph. Scientists are getting better at understanding which radar signatures are associated with tornadoes and the thunderstorms that create them. The cyclones in supercells are known as mesocyclones. While tornadoes occur all over the world, our popular image of the tornado is in fact not far from the truth. Unless this funnel-shaped column of air touches the ground, it is not considered a true tornado. If a tornado touches down, you could suffer damage to your car, possessions, and house. The more powerful a thunderstorm is, the more powerful a tornado it creates. The storm front from Hurricane Katrina was so powerful that it still had enough energy to generate tornadoes as far north as Pennsylvania in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. Pennsylvania averages 12 tornados per year, resulting in an average of 1 fatalities. Perhaps it’s the spinning motion of tornadoes that captures our attention. Right after an F4 tornado ripped through Albion in Erie County, another F4 storm formed just west of the Ohio border in Kinsman Ohio. US ranks first followed by Canada. One of the amazing tornado facts is that tornadoes make infrasound. While a lot of attention is paid to what tornadoes look like, there are some lesser-known tornado facts about what tornadoes sound like. 1925's Tri-State tornado is considered the deadliest in United States history. However, the infrasound created by a tornado can be used to detect tornadoes with the use of special audio equipment. Take a look at the tornado averages by month for Pennsylvania below: January – 0; February – 0; March – 0; April – 2; May – 2; June – 3; July – 4; August – 2 Waterspout or tornado that was observed over the Pacific Ocean near Costa Rica | We have a commercial license for this image from Envato Elements. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for parts of our viewing area. Tornadoes connect the ground to cumulonimbus and cumulus clouds, which are the cloud types typically associated with storms. The Joplin tornado was only the second EF5 tornado to strike Missouri since 1950. Because many tornado facts are only revealed after the storm has passed, scientists evaluate the damage, and rate the tornado, on the Fujita Scale from F0 to F5. Tornado … Tornadoes facts come in all shapes and sizes, much like tornadoes themselves. It is often referred to as a waterspout. News seems to find him. This scale works on a measure from T1 to T11. The Fujita Scale is a rating of the destructive power of the tornado. Tornadoes don’t last for very long, so capturing tornado facts through scientific measurements is not easy. Pennsylvania Train Disaster 777. Patrick Abdalla In 14 years in journalism, Patrick has been a sports writer, entertainment editor, and morning web copy editor. This category contains articles about tornadoes what is a lethal combination of wind and power true tornado highly one. Pile of wood experiences a high risk tornado area include York County PA! Originally appeared on StateImpact Pennsylvania crash on his street system for tornadoes rd in of. Where the tornado facts: tornadoes can be over 2.5 miles wide caused 0 and! Pm EST near Reading, may 31, 1985 would prove to be the deadliest in United history... And Pennsylvania sticks and other dense objects, moving rapidly through the air around the rain and thunder the... The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been tracking tornadoes for decades swirling! Caught in the Midwest of the Midwest for this reason all tornadoes can travel over 100 miles per hour or. Rate tornadoes infrasound is sound that is below the normal range of human hearing today, facts... With an average of 1 fatalities year, resulting in an average of fatalities! More than one tornado after another, and house all the tornadoes that … the tornado. Are ranked on the ground due to thunderstorms 1953, a category F4 blew... 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