Tornado, also called Upper Falls, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States.

[3][4][5] The United States Postal Service established the Upper Falls of Coal Post Office in 1851, then replaced it with the Tornado Post Office in 1881 and today delivers mail within ZIP Code 25202 addressed to either Tornado or Upper Falls.

[8] After approving the replacement of the Tornado CDP with the much larger Upper Falls CDP in 2010, the Kanawha County Commission decided in 2013 that residents of the community supported the name Tornado over Upper Falls and requested that the name be changed back.

[15][16][17][18][19] The United States National Geodetic Survey maintains a bench mark in the community named Upper Falls, which has never changed.

[26] The adjacent Coal River gives the community its historical name from the cascading waters of its Upper Falls.

[1] The United States Geological Survey locates the community's namesake Upper Falls of Coal River at 38°20′33″N 081°50′29″W / 38.34250°N 81.84139°W / 38.34250; -81.84139 (38.342594, −81.841518).

Salling and four companions each received a governor's commission from the state of Virginia to explore the territory east of the Mississippi River, in return for 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) land grants.

Damage caused by ongoing flooding and the outbreak of the Civil War suspended steam tug navigation of Coal River.

Finally, under the direction of General Cornelius Clarkson Watts, a Confederate veteran, construction of the Coal River and Western Railway began in 1902 and was completed in 1904.

The lasting economic boom brought by the railroad to the region saw the bustling Upper Falls Station[40] offer daily service for both passengers and freight.

They found employment in the defense and chemical manufacturing industries in the Kanawha Valley and benefited from economic prosperity as a result.

[47][48][49][50][51] Since the earliest European settlers moved into the region in the 1700s, the community was also known as Upper Falls of Coal River.

Falls Creek Road (CH 3) also intersects the southern boundary at the Lincoln County line.

In a clockwise direction on the map, Coal River Road (Kanawha County Highway 3) intersected the northern boundary of Upper Falls at Tear Drop Lane (private).

Coal River Road (CH 9/1) crossed the southern border at the Lincoln County line.

Falls Creek Road (CH 3) intersected the southern boundary at the Lincoln County line, as well.

The Coal River subdivision, a CSX Transportation main line, runs essentially parallel to the river on its east side and is used primarily to transport coal from the Southern West Virginia coalfields to global markets.

"[42] The Coal River is still designated by the federal government as a navigable waterway,[35] though the 19th century system of locks[36] and dams[37] that made commercial transportation possible no longer exists.