19 Photos

A furniture warehouse lays in shambles in St. Louis after a major tornado ripped through town, killing more than 300 people, damaging nearly 9,000 buildings, sinking steamboats, etc. It was the deadliest storm to ever hit the city. (Photo: Photographic Views of the Great Cyclone at St. Louis, May 27, 1896./NOAA's National Weather Service Collection)

To celebrate TBD Photo Day (death to words!), here is a gallery of some of the best photographs and images from the collection of the National Weather Service. Inside: the first known photo of a twister, a massive waterspout crosses paths with a WWII convoy, a terrible lightning storm in Boston, objects driven through other objects by the deadliest tornado in U.S. history, and more. Enjoy!