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!