The air within the tornado vortex always moves upward, with a rapid, counterclockwise rotation. Since the winds are so forceful (sometimes whirling at 200 miles per hour or more) and are upward moving, you can begin to understand why objects struck by a tornado are often moved from one location to another. Rather than slamming down on a house or car, the tornado actually lifts the object up into the air, depositing it later on, after the object has fallen out of the tight, tornado vortex.
---D.M.
