In one of the busiest U.S. tornado seasons in years, National Weather Service meteorologists have confirmed 875 tornadoes as of May 28.
In one of the busiest U.S. tornado seasons in years, National Weather Service meteorologists have confirmed 875 tornadoes as of May 28. One of the strongest and most destructive was a powerful twister that formed in southwestern Iowa on May 21, 2024. The tornado drew a line of destruction for nearly 44 miles and cut through the town of Greenfield, Iowa.
The tornado was one of a rash of twisters that formed when a cold front produced a line of strong thunderstorms that tracked through the Midwest. An especially large and tall storm with rotating updrafts (a supercell) produced an EF-4 tornado, which hit Greenfield with peak winds of 185 miles (300 kilometers) per hour.
The path of damage across Greenfield is visible in this image, acquired on May 25, 2024, with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8. According to storm reports posted by NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center, the deadly twister destroyed homes, downed wind turbines and power lines, snapped trees, and shredded roofs.
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Photo Credit: rikkerst via Pixabay
