April 2011 Tornadoes: Satellite Shows 625 Twisters (VIDEO)

In this incredible satellite footage, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration utilizes GOES satellite technology to capture time-lapse video of every twister that struck the U.S. during the month of April.

875 tornado reports were submitted to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center during that month, with 625 confirmed as tornadoes thus far. Each of those twisters is represented by a small red dot imposed on the satellite image.

Because the tornadoes cannot actually be tracked by GOES, "the actual tornado locations are acquired from the Storm Prediction Center, which uses both NEXRAD radar and ground reports to generate a detailed database of tornadoes in the U.S," according to the NOAA.

The largest single outbreak occurred between April 27 and 28, when 180 storms plowed through the southwest from Texas to Virginia.

Because the video only covers the month of April, the infamous storms that struck Joplin, Mo. during late May are not included.