The result is some of the most volatile atmospheric conditions on Earth. Imagine a storm powerful enough to lift a several hundred pound motel sign and carry it 30 miles. That happened in Broken Bow, Okla., where a tornado whisked the sign away, eventually dropping it in Arkansas. It seems the American public's fascination with severe weather has reached an all-time high. Television stations such as the Weather Channel provide an immediacy during severe weather outbreaks anywhere throughout the country, and newspaper headlines frequently abound with weather-related tragedies.
Severe weather makes for big box office, too.
Ever since a twister transported Dorothy to the land of Oz, the tornado has occupied a distinct place in American popular culture. But real tornadoes leave spectators little to cheer about. Most injuries and deaths result from debris hurled by high winds. A tornado is loosely defined as a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of 250 miles per hour and greater.