Natural+Disasters

= TORNADOES = == Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms, with swirling winds that can top 300 miles per hour. There are about 800 tornadoes a year in the United States alone, more than anywhere else in the world. Although tornadoes don't usually last long themselves, it can take years to recover from the damage and destruction they create. These storms kill about 90 people a year in the U.S., and cause millions of dollars worth of damage. Scientists don't completely understand how or when a tornado is formed, but they hope to learn more. Using special tools, storm chasers measure tornadoes after tracking them down. They hope to someday predict exactly when and where tornadoes strike, to save more lives and give survivors a chance to rebuild. ==

= WIND = = The winds that sweep through Earth's atmosphere are simply gigantic air currents. Watch how winds move and are deflected by the Coriolis force. There are two types of winds: prevailing winds and local winds. Prevailing winds form huge loops of atmospheric circulation that flow around the planet in a constant direction. Local winds are not constant and produce wind speeds that can vary considerably. =

==This page documents the [|tornadoes] and [|tornado] outbreak of **2010**. The majority of tornadoes form in the U.S., but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. A lesser number occur outside the U.S., most notably in parts of neighboring southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer season, but are also known in Europe, Asia, and Australia. == ==There were 1,531 tornadoes reported in the US in 2010 (of which at least 1,266 were confirmed), with 45 confirmed fatalities. Elsewhere in the world, 5 people were killed in tornadoes, three in the [|Bahamas], one in [|Bangladesh] , and one in Germany. The year was near average for tornadoes despite an extremely quiet early spring period, however such changed after a huge upswing starting in late April and a busy late spring and summer period. The autumn months were slightly above average.[|[1]] ==