1. Thunderstorms Rain Strong winds Lightening: forms due to the attraction of opposite electrical charges Thunder

2. Thunderstorms Thunderstorms arise when air near the ground is strongly warmed and rises high into the troposphere. As the air rises, it cools and condenses, forming a towering cumulonimbus cloud. Eventually some of the cloud droplets become large enough to fall as rain.

3. Lightning Formation Lightning forms due to the attraction of opposite electrical charges

4. Thunderstorms + Lightening

8. Tornadoes

9. Tornado Facts A tornado is a rotating column of air attached to a thunderstorm that comes in contact with the ground. Winds can reach 300 mph. Can be more than a mile wide. Smallest. Shortest, and most violent storms. Forms when a thunderstorm meets high altitude horizontal winds. Tornadoes are most common in N. America. Can travel at speeds from 5mph - 70mph.

10. Tornadoes and Hurricanes

11. Tornado Strength F-0: 40-72 mph – chimney damage, tree branches broken F-2: 113-157 mph – considerable damage, mobile homes demolished, trees uprooted F-4: 207-260 mph – well-constructed walls leveled, cars thrown, buildings destroyed F-5: 261-318 mph – homes lifted off foundation and carried considerable distances, autos thrown as far as 100 meters

12. States where most Tornadoes occur 1.Texas 6. Iowa 2. Oklahoma 7. Missouri 3. Kansas 8. Illinois 4. Nebraska 9. Indiana 5. Colorado10. South Dakota *Tornadoes have occurred in all 50 states

13. F-0 Tornado Damage

14. F-5 Tornado Damage Greensburg, KS May 4, 2007

17. Tuscaloosa, Alabama 2011

21. 2009 Tornado in Wyoming

25. Tornado Alley Area where tornados are seen the most in the United States