FRIDAY TORNADO OF U.S. MID-WEST

* A total of 90 tornadoes and 700 severe weather events were reported on Friday.

* Tornadoes occur all year round in the US.

* The strength of this week's storms was unusual for this time of year.

* The peak period for tornadoes  is March to May in the southern US and later further north. 

* At least 18 people died in Kentucky and another 14 in neighboring Indiana.

* The small town of Marysville, Indiana, was almost completely destroyed, with the town's water tower one of the few buildings to remain undamaged.. 

FALLING MARRIAGE RATE OF U.S.

* In 1960, 72% of all American adults were married.
* In 2010 just 51% were, according to the Pew Centre. The number dropped sharply by 5% in the most recent year, 2009-10.
* Americans are certainly waiting longer before they tie the knot - the average age for a first marriage is at an all-time high of 26.5 years for women and 28.7 for men - or else opting to cohabit, live alone or not re-marry when they get divorced.
* In the UK, women are, on average, waiting until the age of 30 before getting married, while the average age of a UK bridegroom is 32. In both countries the number of weddings is at an all-time low.
* Nearly two-thirds of American adults with college degrees (64%) are married, compared with just 47% among those with a high school education. That is in sharp contrast to 1960, when the most educated and the least educated were about equally likely to be married.
*With the cost of the average wedding running at about $20,000 (£12,946) many couples are opting for a longer engagement to give them more time to save up, according to Kyle Brown, of the American Bridal Association, which represents America's multi-billion dollar wedding industry.