A tornado is a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 mph! Most tornadoes occur in Tornado Alley. Tornado Alley is an area in the central United States where tornadoes are the most common. From Texas all the way up to South Dakota, and from Missouri over to the Rocky Mountains, tornadoes are most likely to occur, but tornadoes can actually happen anywhere in the world. Tornadoes have been seen on every continent except Antarctica. Tornadoes do not have a very long life. Most funnel clouds usually last less than 10 minutes before dissipating, and many only last several seconds. However, the 1925 Tri-State tornado was on the ground for over 7 hours and traveled a record-breaking 219 miles! The widest tornado in the US happened in Nebraska in 2004, clocking in at almost 2.5 miles wide! Historically, May is the most active month for tornado occurrences. The United States sees about 1,200 tornadoes per year. Have a safe and exciting Friday mes amis! xox