The biggest story of the three-day Memorial Day weekend wasn't the drop in the number of travelers on U.S. roads. It wasn't the winding down of the political primary season. It wasn't even Memorial Day itself.

Instead, it was a string of deadly storms that ripped through neighboring states Iowa and Minnesota, completely destroying neighborhoods and small towns along the way.

Here's a quick and rather random look at the powerful storms.

A historical perspective

A state-by-state look at each state's "worst tornado," tornadoproject.com records more than a century's worth of really bad storms.

These lists show he difference between an Alaska tornado (of which there is hardly any record) and a history of destruction in states such as Oklahoma and Kansas.

Two videos, two different views

It's easy to understand man's fascination with the odd shaped and wickedly powerful funnel clouds. Their power is seemingly absolute and what once seemed as a fully unpredictable weather event has long amazed Americans, especially those living in the Plains states and Midwest.

This video on YouTube is put together like a greatest hits package of some spectacular funnel clouds caught on video.

But if one wants to see the devastating power of such storms, you need look no further than this video shot in Iowa of the aftermath of a twister that completely obliterated this town. The footage can be described as nothing short of haunting.

How much do you know about twisters?

Take the Discovery Channel's "Tornado" quiz to see how much you know about twisters and how to prepare for one of nature's most devastating forces. The quiz is designed to test your knowledge on what you should do when a tornado is approaching.

For a more encompassing quiz, try the Red Cross quiz on tornadoes, which mixes knowledge about proper reactions to storms and general knowledge of the powerful storms.

Weather alerts NOW!

Weather Underground provides a highly detailed map of a variety of weather alerts nationwide and updated regularly. Whether you are at home or on the road, you'll always know what kind of potential bad weather is on the horizon by logging in here.

The best 'fake' tornado caught on film

A while back in a previous column, I took a shot one of the worst movies about tornadoes, "Twister." So this week, I'll include a link to one of the best movies to include a tornado, "The Wizard of Oz," and how the filmmakers made one of the most memorable scenes in movie history.

The approach of the tornado to Dorothy's house is a scene that resonated in the nightmares of my youth and into young adulthood. Here's how they did it.