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Map Layer Info

     
 
United States Tornado Touchdown Points 1950-2004

What this map layer shows:

Places where tornadoes have touched down in the United States.
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Background Information
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A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the ground and with the base of a powerful thunderstorm. Often a funnel-shaped cloud of condensation indicates the presence of a tornado, but a tornado can also exist without a visible funnel. In an average year, tornadoes cause 80 deaths and millions of dollars of damage in the United States.

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC), one of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, studies severe and dangerous weather, including heavy rain and snow, fire weather events, thunderstorms, and tornadoes. The SPC uses advanced technology to provide tornado forecasts, watches, and warnings for the conterminous United States, as well as other tornado information used by many groups, such as weather forecasters, emergency managers, and the aviation industry. As part of their research, the SPC compiles tornado statistics from data in the Tornado/Severe Thunderstorm Database and from National Weather Service storm data. This map layer was produced by the National Atlas of the United States® from the SPC Tornado Statistics file.

The United States Tornado Touchdown Points 1950-2004 map layer includes tornado touchdown points for tornadoes that occurred in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Descriptive information includes the latitude and longitude of the touchdown and lift-off points, the number of fatalities or injuries, an estimate of damage costs, and the classification of the storm on the Fujita Tornado Damage Scale. For additional information on tornadoes, see the SPC Tornado FAQ page and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Tornado Safety Tips brochure.

 

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Tornadoes 1950-2004: 2000-2004
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Tornadoes

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Tornadoes 1950-2004