What Was the Biggest Tornado?

Rees (age 12) asked,

“What was the biggest tornado ever recorded?”

Thanks for your question!

There are many ways scientists measure tornadoes. Let’s take a look at some of the record-breaking twisters that have been documented.

Widest Tornado: The widest tornado ever recorded happened in May 2013 in El Reno, Oklahoma. The tornado reached 2.6 miles wide and had wind speeds of almost 300 miles per hour!

Longest Path: The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 traveled across 219 miles of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana over 3.5 hours.

Strongest Winds: The tornado with the highest-recorded wind speeds happened in Oklahoma City in 1999. During this tornado, winds reached 318 miles per hour!

Before Adam and Eve sinned, the world was a perfect place without natural disasters. Now, we sometimes experience scary storms like tornadoes. But if you are a follower of Jesus, you can trust that he will never leave you (Deuteronomy 31:6) and will give you peace when you feel afraid (Isaiah 26:3).

Do you have a question about God’s Word or his world that you want us to answer? Is there a topic you want to learn more about? Ask your parents to help you submit your question today. Watch for our answer here on the blog or in Kids Answers magazine. We’d love to hear from you!