These are some of the most famous — and most powerful — tornadoes in history. Each one taught people something new about how to stay safe!
🇺🇸 The Tri-State Tornado, USA (1925)
The deadliest tornado in US history. On March 18, 1925, it tore across three states — Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana — travelling an unbelievable 352 kilometres and staying on the ground for three and a half hours. Whole towns were flattened. The disaster pushed scientists to create the tornado warning systems we use today.
🏙️ Joplin, USA (2011)
On May 22, 2011, a monstrous EF5 tornado nearly 1.6 kilometres wide ripped through the city of Joplin, Missouri. It destroyed a hospital and thousands of homes. People from all over the country came to help rebuild, and the city now has stronger storm shelters and better warning sirens.
🏫 Moore, USA (2013)
Moore, Oklahoma, has been hit by violent tornadoes again and again — including an F5 in 1999 that had the fastest wind speed ever measured on Earth, about 484 kilometres per hour! The 2013 EF5 tornado hit two schools, but brave teachers protected their students, and the city rebuilt its schools with safe rooms inside.
Seen from the air, this is the path the 2013 Moore tornado cut through neighbourhoods in Oklahoma, USA. The tornado was more than 2 kilometres wide! See source ↓
📚 Picture Sources
- Photo 1 — Aerial view of tornado damage in Moore, Oklahoma, 2013 (U.S. National Guard photo, public domain). From Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:An_aerial_view_of_tornado_damage_in_Moore,_Okla.,_May_21,_2013_130521-Z-BB392-492.jpg
