Each year more than 1,200 tornadoes hit the United States and despite that high number, few things in nature continue to inspire as much wonder and awe as a twister. These events are some of the most violent storms that happen in nature bringing an intense mixture of wind, rain and lighning to those in their paths. Even though much has been learned about tornadoes over the past few decades, there is still quite a bit of unpredictability that comes with these storms as well.

We created this infographic to help you understand a bit more about them.