Tornadoes Tornadoes are the most violent of all atmospheric events. A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air attached to a thunderstorm and in contact with the ground. In the most intense tornadoes, winds approach 290 miles an hour. Those winds exact a terrible toll on texas each year, including an average of 15 deaths, nearly 200 injuries and many more people left homeless. From 1916-1993, over 1100 texans have lost their lives due to tornadoes. From 1950-1993, …showed first 75 words of 394 total…

…showed last 75 words of 394 total…the deaths. These tornadoes have winds over 200 miles an hour and can be over one mile wide. They can cover up to 100 miles along the ground and can be in contact with the ground for over an hour. Some of the violent tornadoes which have struck t in the past include waco in 1953, lubbock in 1970, wichita falls in 1979, saragosa in 1987, fritch in 1992, the dallas suburb of lancaster in 1994, and the may 3 1999 tornadoes in oklahoma city.