Twisters, cyclones and dust devils are all terms used to describe the highly destructive rotating columns of air that wreak havoc across the Great Plains. More than 500 people have been killed by tornadoes in 2011, making it the country’s deadliest year since 1953. That hasn’t stopped storm-chasing tours from popping up, like the Oklahoma-based Storm Chasing Adventure Tours, which has been chasing twisters since 1997. (Courtesy Dave Chapman / Alamy)
Twisters, cyclones and dust devils are all terms used to describe the highly destructive rotating columns of air that wreak havoc across the Great Plains. More than 500 people have been killed by tornadoes in 2011, making it the country’s deadliest year since 1953. That hasn’t stopped storm-chasing tours from popping up, like the Oklahoma-based Storm Chasing Adventure Tours, which has been chasing twisters since 1997. (Courtesy Dave Chapman / Alamy)