One video circulating in cyberspace, shot by a 12-year-old boy with his cellphone in the back seat of his vehicle, shows a tornado closing in on a family driving in North Carolina last month — right up until the tornado hits them.
Another shows a tornado closing in on a Walgreens in Wilson, N.C., shot by a man in the parking lot who seems oblivious to the danger he's in until the last second.
"Hang on — I love you," he tells his wife as the tornado bears down on him, as if finally realizing he may be moments from death.
The videos startled officials at the Wichita branch of the National Weather Service. In response, they're issuing a fresh round of tornado safety tips today, to counter bad information — or simple ignorance — when it comes to safety from tornadoes.
People seem to be "just clueless" about what to do if a tornado threatens, said Dick Elder, meteorologist-in-charge of the Wichita branch.
"We are saddened and humbled by the number of people who have been killed and injured" in the tornado outbreaks in the Deep South last month, Elder said.
More than 300 tornadoes touched down last week in six states, killing at least 344 people.
Read the complete story at kansas.com