How Do Tornadoes Work?
Key Observations of Tornadic Storms
Observations Tell Us What Is Actually Happening In A Storm. They Are The Key To Understanding How Tornadoes Form.
Big whirls have little whirls, that feed on their velocity; and little whirls have lesser whirls and so on to viscosity….Lewis Fry Richardson 1922
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Presentations and Case Studies
For Specific Tornado Types
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Violent Tornadoes
At the high-end of the damage scale (EF4 to EF5), violent tornadoes form in extremely well-organized supercells. These powerful tornadoes are often long-track, can be wide and account for most of the lives lost.
Strong Tornadoes
Mid-range tornadoes (EF2 to EF3) most often form in supercells, but can also develop in bow echoes, quasi-linear convective systems, or in hurricanes. Their parent storms are less organized than their violent counterparts.
Weak Tornadoes
Weak tornadoes (EF0 to EF1) account for most of the tornadoes in the record. They form in a variety of ways, often favoring convergence boundaries. While they are generally small in nature, they can be quite spectacular.
Coleridge, NE EF3_Jun 17, 2014_Jennifer Brindley
Enderlin, ND EF5_Jun 20, 2025_Max Mueller
Various Tornadoes (2024-25)_Matthew Cappucci
Various Tornadoes (2023 to 2026) Gabriel Taylor
Not to have seen something does not mean that such a thing does not exist
— Ted Fujita
Research Reveals, Challenges and Enlightens
