Tornadoes

[Amb]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4118164a10.html

We do not get these very often in NZ. Its incredible, there have been swarms of them. I live about 4-5 hour drive or so from the area so hopefully am far enough away...

[CzarJ]

I've lived in Oklahoma (smack dab in the middle of Tornado Alley) my whole life, and as such, I've had plenty of opportunities to see firsthand (or secondhand, at least) how destructive tornadoes can be. That said, the chances that you (or even anyone you know) are in any real danger is quite small. If there does happen to be a tornado that touches down near you (near as in a mile or two), you want to take shelter immediately. Ideally you should be underground, but barring that, you should be safe in an interior closet or bathroom. You don't want to be near the outside of a building, and you don't want to be near any windows. If you're not underground, bring a few blankets/pillows/whatever to put over yourself to protect from any debris that might be flying about. If you have a battery-powered radio, hopefully you can find some coverage of the weather on a local station, and that should tell you when the threat has passed. If you want to be extra prepared and impress your friends with your foresight, bring a pair of shoes just in case (God forbid) you have to walk through debris or rubble when you exit your basement/bathroom/closet.

That was a fun little pep-talk, eh? Anyway, point is, the chance of a tornado touching down within a mile or two of you is small, and even if it does, the chances of it hitting your home (or wherever you are) in particular is still small, and even if it does, you'll still be safe if you take the proper precautions.