<DIV>Tornadoes are among nature's most destructive and terrifying phenomena. Twisters have left their wake of destruction throughout the United States and the world, and The Tornado describes some of the most bizarre--houseboats sailing through the air; cars flown to a landing half a cornfield away; an entire house lifted and demolished, leaving only a divan and the uninjured family seated on it.<br><br>Intermingled with descriptions of tornado encounters the world over and the ominous weather patterns that preceded them is the author's eyewitness account of a funnel that hit Waco, Texas, on May 11, 1953. With gripping narrative, he recounts the events of that day: a man clinging to a guard rail while a mailbox, plate glass, bricks, and other debris whizzed past his head; automobiles rolling end over end down the street; buildings falling like blocks knocked down by an angry child; a movie theater crumbling on the terrified patrons. When the storm had passed, 114 people were dead and hundreds injured; property damage ran in the tens of millions of dollars.<br><br></DIV>