Oklahoma City, OK

The Wizard of Oz may have taken place in Kansas, but every Oklahoman is as familiar with tornadoes as Dorothy was. And I’m no wimp; I’m a pretty adventurous girl, really. But tornado chasers amaze me.

My first tornado was not in Oklahoma, actually: in 2000, driving from New York to Chicago, we were caught directly in one right at the border of Ohio and Indiana. It remains one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever lived through–there was no place to go for safety and no way to avoid getting hit. Only some kind of miracle kept us from being killed (especially since we were hunkered under an overpass… which I now know is the worst place to seek shelter). So it amazes me that people set out into the midst of these storms by their own accord, that they choose to put their lives at risk.

But you have to give them credit–all that death-defying has given them a treasure trove of information to share with all of us non-crazy types. If you’re a big science nerd like I am, How does a tornado form? makes some really cool reading. Their tornado safety tips page is packed with information, like what to include in your disaster kit and how to explain it to your kids. And, of course, they have all kinds of cool photos and true stories.

Keep yourself, your family, and your home safe this tornado season: brush up on your safety tips and restock your disaster kit. Then check out some of the photos, videos, or stories. Or go rent Twister. ‘Cause the thing is, they really do look pretty cool.

tornadoes, tornado safety, twister, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OKC, wizard of oz, weather