Why is the US the world’s punching bag for extreme weather?

Damage caused by tornadoes in Sullivan, Indiana (Doug McSchooler/AP)

The United States is Earth’s punching bag for nasty weather – and its geography is to blame, according to experts.

The nation is getting hit by stronger, costlier, more varied and frequent extreme weather than anywhere on the planet, with two oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, the Rocky Mountains, jutting peninsulas like Florida, clashing storm fronts and the jet stream combining to naturally brew the nastiest of weather.