By far the most potent storm known on Earth, the tornado has an average life span of no more than half an hour. Yet, during that time, it expends about as much energy as is used to light the streets of New York City for one night. From 2000 through 2002, there was a yearly average of twenty-two killer tornadoes in the U.S. For middle school and high school students, teachers, and general readers, this volume in Facts On File's updated and expanded...

Presents information on these most damaging of all natural disasters from the perspective of basic meterology and environmental science, including floodplains, aquifers, tsunamis, the cost of floods, and prevention.