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U.S. Tornadoes from 1950 through 2008 Download


These ArcGIS shapefiles work with the free ArcExplorer GIS viewer, ArcView GIS, ArcGIS, Maptitude, Mapinfo, Manifold, TatukGIS and many other commercial GIS and mapping programs and many free GIS programs as well. Use our free Learn2Map GIS Tutorial and Atlas to add streets, highways, census information and much more to your maps for free. We have included free national level base maps with each map archive listed below. Also, check our free GIS software and free GIS ArcGIS shapefiles pages for more information and free ArcGIS shapefiles. If you are new to GIS, check out our free Learn2Map GIS Tutorial and Atlas.

Shapefile Description

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. Note that 2011 is proving to exceed these figures.

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.

The United States Tornado Touchdown Points 1950-2008 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.

With these detailed shapefiles you can learn more about tornadoes anywhere in the United States. Each regional shapefile is $37.

Each shapefile includes access to complete metadata and free U.S. base map shapefiles. Base map shapefiles include:

  • Cities
  • Roads
  • Rivers
  • States
  • Water Bodies

Immediate Download

Each regional shapefile map layer is $37. Click next to the shapefile you wish and you will have immediate access to it using our secure merchant account provider, ClickBank/Keynetics or PayPal, whichever you prefer.

Region 1 - Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont - Download Now.

Region 2 - New Jersey and New York - Download Now.

Region 3 - Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia - Download Now.

Region 4 - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee - Download Now.

Region 5 - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin - Download Now.

Region 6 - Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas - Download Now.

Region 7 - Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska - Download Now.

Region 8 - Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming - Download Now.

Region 9 - Arizona, California and Nevada - Download Now.

Region 10 - Idaho, Oregon, and Washington - Download Now.

A Note About How Your GIS Maps Will Look

The image(s) on this page are examples of how these shapefiles may look when loaded into a GIS program. Your GIS maps may not look exactly like this. Each GIS program is different. Shapefiles themselves are a collection of points, lines or polygons. They have no attributes. It is up to you, the user, to define colors, line width, symbols and other attributes within the limits and capabilities of the GIS programs you are using.

Copyright and Use of Shapefiles

The shapefiles on this page are copyrighted as follows. Copyright © 2012 Michael R. Meuser, All Rights Reserved. You may use these shapefiles in any GIS project or to make maps. You may not create copies of the shapefiles for the use of others whether for personal or commercial use. You may not resell the shapefiles. If you require multiple copies of the same shapefile, please contact Mike at [email protected]. Thank You.

About Quality, Accuracy and Suitability

The geodata and shapefiles found at MapCruzin.com may come from a variety of government, non-governmental and self-reporting private sources. While we try to assure the accuracy of this material, we cannot promise that it is absolutely accurate. We do promise that using the map layer will be fun, entertaining or educational - possibly even frustrating. Beyond this, we make no guarantee as to its suitability for any purpose. We assume no liability or responsibility for errors or inaccuracies. Please understand that you download and use these map layers and data at your own risk.

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Michael R. Meuser
Data Research & GIS Specialist

MapCruzin.com is an independent firm specializing in GIS project development and data research. We created the first U.S. based interactive toxic chemical facility maps on the internet in 1996 and we have been online ever since. Learn more about us and our services.

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