TYPE OF VIOLENT WEATHER: A tornado
ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE MOVIE: For the two dozen or so who have somehow managed to get through life without seeing the movie: Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) tries to flee a fast approaching tornado, but is trapped inside her home when the twister strikes. Her entire house is carried aloft by the vortex and after a terrifying airborne journey, Dorothy finds herself in the fantastical land of Oz.
RANDOM (BUT SLIGHTLY RELEVANT) FACTOIDS: The great majority of tornadoes occur in the United States—anywhere from 800 to 1,000 every year. Texas sees the most twisters (about 125 per year), followed by Oklahoma (about 60), and Kansas and Florida (roughly 55 in each state).
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhQySxqSANU]