History of Tornado in Timeline

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air in contact with the Earth's surface and a cumulonimbus cloud. Often called twisters or whirlwinds, tornadoes vary in size and intensity. They're typically visible as condensation funnels extending from cumulonimbus clouds, accompanied by rotating debris. Most have winds under 180 km/h, a width of 80 meters, and travel a few kilometers. However, extreme tornadoes can exceed 480 km/h, span over 3 kilometers, and travel over 100 km.

November 1915: Great Bend, Kansas Tornado Debris

In November 1915, a tornado affected Great Bend, Kansas, and debris was found as far as 305 miles (491 km) away in Palmyra, Nebraska.

March 18, 1925: The Tri-State Tornado

On March 18, 1925, The Tri-State Tornado, which affected parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, was on the ground continuously for 219 miles (352 km).

1936: Gainesville Tornado

In 1936, the Gainesville Tornado, one of the deadliest tornadoes in history, occurred at 8:30 am local time.

1950: First public tornado warnings issued

In 1950, the first public tornado warnings were issued in the United States.

1952: First tornado watches and convective outlooks

In 1952, the first tornado watches and convective outlooks came about in the United States.

1953: Confirmation of hook echoes associated with tornadoes

In 1953, it was confirmed that hook echoes were associated with tornadoes.

1974: 1974 Super Outbreak

In 1974, the Super Outbreak affected a large area of the central United States and extreme southern Ontario on April 3 and 4. The outbreak featured 148 tornadoes in 18 hours.

1974: TORRO spotter network in the United Kingdom

Since 1974, the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) has maintained a network of spotters in the United Kingdom.

April 26, 1989: Daultipur-Salturia Tornado in Bangladesh

On April 26, 1989, the Daultipur-Salturia Tornado in Bangladesh killed approximately 1,300 people, becoming the deadliest tornado in world history.

1991: News Crew took shelter under an overpass on the Kansas Turnpike

During the 1991 tornado outbreak near Andover, Kansas, a news crew and several other people took shelter under an overpass on the Kansas Turnpike and safely rode out a tornado as it passed nearby.

May 3, 1999: Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak Overpass Strikes

On May 3, 1999, during the Oklahoma tornado outbreak, three highway overpasses were directly struck by tornadoes, resulting in fatalities and life-threatening injuries.