Final answer:
In May 1999, a major tornado event struck Tornado Alley, a region known for intense tornado activities in central US. Tornadoes are powerful, rotational weather phenomena with devastating capabilities, attracting attention from both amateur and professional storm chasers.
Step-by-step explanation:
In May 1999, Tornado Alley in the central United States experienced a major event. Tornado Alley is known as the most active part of the world for tornadoes and lies between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains. On that particular year, a tornado occurred that captured the attention of both amateur and professional storm chasers alike.
A tornado is a powerful force of nature originating from severe thunderstorms known as supercells. They exhibit rotational motion, with a column of air rotating about a horizontal axis. This column could shift to a vertical orientation, creating a tornado with wind speeds as high as 500 km/h, violently ripping houses apart and even impaling tree trunks with debris such as straws. Storm chasers who dared to follow these destructive phenomena often faced the risk of rapidly changing tornado courses and highway debris, leading to frequent tire changes.
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