Storm chasers are professional people who try to get as close to a tornado as possible so they can film and take pictures of it. Tornadoes form under the thunderstorm where there is little rain or lightning, in the southwest part of the storm cloud. The most dangerous tornadoes are thick, black clouds that are 2,000 feet across. They move about 50 mph across the land. They can travel for 100 miles and have a damage path of over 1 mile wide.
Tornadoes can change shape as they move.
They can also go back up into the cloud and to the ground again. A tornado watch indicates conditions are right for a tornado to form. A tornado warning indicates a tornado has been spotted or seen on Doppler radar. We are able to see tornadoes because of condensed water vapor, dust, and debris. The largest number of waterspouts occurs in the Florida Keys.