A1-18 · Tornado Alley

Tornado Alley

A tornado is a very strong storm. The wind goes round and round, very fast, sometimes more than 300 kilometers an hour. The USA has more tornadoes than any other country, about 1,200 every year. A lot of them happen in the middle of the country, in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. People call this area "Tornado Alley". Most tornadoes come in spring.

A typical story. One evening in May, twelve-year-old Lily was at home in Kansas with her dad. Suddenly, the sky became dark green. Then their phones made a loud noise. It was a tornado warning! They ran down to the basement and sat under a big table. They heard the wind. It sounded like a train. The house shook. After ten minutes, everything was quiet. They went upstairs. The garage didn't have a roof, and their car was in the neighbor's yard! But Lily and her dad were OK.

What do you do in a tornado? Go to the basement or to a small room in the middle of the house. Stay away from windows. Put your arms over your head. And always listen to the warnings!