Storms ravage USA by Darren Bett
Powerful thunderstorms roared through the US states of Alabama, Missouri and Georgia on Thursday night. At least 17 people have been killed in Alabama and Georgia and several more injured. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning and schools have been closed.
Many of the victims had taken shelter in a high school that collapsed in southern Alabama. Several people died in the town of Enterprise, where the school building was torn open by the twister. Bob Phares, with the Enterprise High School district asked for prayers and said ‘to my knowledge we have not had a storm this severe for many decades’
Helicopters could be seen on the football field, having landed near wreckage of the school with numerous ambulances on site. The shredded building was surrounded by broken trees and overturned cars.
Home video captured the funnel cloud of a tornado which hit the Midwestern state of Missouri as well.
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of 250 mph or more. Damage paths can be in excess of 1.5 km (approx. 1 mile) wide and 80 km (50 miles) long.
Tornadoes come in all shapes and sizes and can occur anywhere in the USA at any time of the year. However in the southern states, peak tornado season is from March to the end of May. Tornadoes are not limited to any specific geographic location. Most British tornadoes are relatively weak.
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