Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a boomtown. We have thousands of people from all over the world moving here every year to work in healthcare, financial services, and more. And one thing that seems to be on many of their minds when they move here is tornadoes.
I suppose that it would be the same if I moved to Southern California. I’d be worried about earthquakes in the same way. Or if I lost a bet and had to move to Florida, I’d worry about hurricanes. Tornadoes are a dangerous and exciting weather phenomenon that gets lots of attention. Who wouldn’t be concerned about the possibility of a twister ripping through town like a drunk Paul Bunyan?
RELATED: Looking Back at the Sioux Falls Tornadoes of September 2019
What is a Tornado?
First, let’s talk about what a tornado is. It is a column of air spinning very fast that extends from a storm cloud to the ground. It’s kinda like a super-compact and long hurricane. Winds inside a tornado can spin hundreds of miles an hour. With modern tech, we can often see a tornado forming in the clouds before it touches down, but otherwise, they are very unpredictable and can cause lots of damage…