Tornadoes In the United States a much different kind of wind causes even greater destruction. Each year, mainly in the Central U.S., tornadoes destroy homes, kill people and throw cars hundreds of meters. The roofs of homes are ripped off andbroken up. Tornadoes are long, funnel-shaped winds that travel at over 500 kph. They are created by low-pressure regions of warm air. The air pressure outside a tornado often percent higher tornado.