A Tornado on Planet Earth . ... Credit Copyright: NOAA Photo Library , NOAA Central Library , OAR / ERL / NSSL Explanation: Large storms on Earth can spawn unusual, small, violent clouds known as tornadoes. Tornado clouds swirl as fast as hundreds of kilometers per second and, when they touch down, can destroy nearly everything in their long, narrow path . ... Tornadoes occur all over Earth but are most commonly found over parts of central North America during spring. ...