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Tornadoes Form During Storms

Debris in Keithville, Louisiana.
Debris in Keithville, Louisiana. Photo: Jake Bleiberg (AP)

Tornadoes like the ones that hit the South are caused during thunderstorms when moisture, wind and temperature conditions are all at the right levels. When winds pick up and change direction sharply in a storm, the warm, humid air rising from cooler air in a thunderstorm can pick up speed and form vertical spinning currents—a tornado.