Whatisatornado? 　　Atornadoisarotatingcolumnofairfromathunderstormtotheground.Themostviolenthavewindsofmorethan400kilometresperhour.AlmostallofthemoccurintheUS,intheareafromTexasinthesoutheasttoSouthDakotainthenorth. 　　Tornadoescanpickupcars,trainsandevenhousesandputthemdowninthenextsteet--oreneninthenexttown.Theycantakethefuroffthebackofacatandthefeathersoffachicken.Theycandestoryhouses,butleavethefurnitureinsideexactlywhereitwas.Onaverage,thereare800tornadoesintheUSeachyear,causingabout80deathsand1,500injuries.Theworsttornadoofalltimeoccurredin1925,affectingthreeUSstates:Missouri,IllinoisandINdiana.Bythetimeitended,morethan700peoplehadbeenkilledand2,700hadbenninjured. 　　Whatisahurricane? 　　Hurricanesarestrongtropicalstorms,andtheyusuallyoccurinthesoutherAtlanticOcean,theCaribbeanSeaandtheGulfofMexico.Thereareviolentwindsof120kilometresperhourormore,whichcausehugewaves,heavyrainandfloods.ThereareonaveragesixAtlantichurricaneseachyearandtheyusuallyaffecttheeastcoastoftheUSfromTexastoMaine. 　　Theworsthurricanedisasterofalltimeoccurredonthe8thSeptember1900inGalveston,Texas.Windsof200kilometresperhourandfive-metrehighwaveshitthecity,Thedisasterkilled6,000peopleinapopulationof37,000anddestoryed3,600buildings. 　　Anextraordinaryevent 　　Thisisastoryaboutthe1900Galvestonhurricane. 　　CharlesCoghlanwasanineteenth-centuryIrishactorwhowenttoliveinCanada.HethenmovedtoNewYork,wherehebecamefamous.Bythelate1890s,hehadmovedtoGalveston,wherehediedin1898,ayearbeforethehurricanestruck.ThecemeterywhereCoghlanwasburiedwasdestoryedbythehurricaneandCoghlan`scoffinendedupinthesea. 　　Eightyearslater,thecoffinwasfoundbyfishermenintheseanearhishomeonPRinceEdwardislandintheeastofCanada.TheGulfStreamhadcarriedit3,000kilometresuptheeasternUScoasttoPrinceEdwardIsland.CoghlantravelledbacktoCanada--afterhehadbeenburiedinTexas!