Scooping up children and pets, housewives rush indoors just before the heavens open and torrential rain, followed by gigantic hail, pours from thick, black clouds. It's a frighteningly familiar scene to those living in the midwestern United States. One of Nature's most furious storms, tornadoes are also one of the most terrifying disasters to experience. A violent tornado can appear suddenly, with no warning but the freight train roar of its ferocious winds. With speeds topping 260 mph, a powerful twister can shred a home in seconds, along with one's sense of security and control.
Tornadoes can occur all over the globe, but the United States is the tornado capital of the world.
Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, have prepared a list of some of the more notable tornado outbreaks that occurred in the United States during the 20th century. Many meteorologists are in the profession because of a certain outbreak or tornado that spurred their curiosity, driving them to the science. Technological advancements in the second half of the century have contributed to better, more accurate severe weather watches and warnings from the National Weather Service, ultimately saving countless lives. The biggest advancement for severe weather forecasting was the development of Doppler radar. NOAA scientists and other researchers took the airborne radar developed by the U.S. military during World War II and applied it to weather forecasting and severe storm identification.