TORNADO

The threat of tornadoes can occur in any season.

TORNADO. A powerful storm characterized by a twisting funnel of wind. On September 28, 1972, a tornado struck near Dubuque in a manner that made it unique. The tornado touched ground near Central City and moved east-northeast. The tornado was sixty-six miles long, four times the average length. Its winds, estimated at 113-157 miles per hour, rated the storm among the twenty-five percent with the highest winds. Only one-tenth of the tornadoes have winds higher. The width of the tornado, 1.6 miles wide, was much larger than the average width of one-quarter mile.