We had considered moving there 2 or 3 years ago, but realized we knew no one there and family would probably never visit. I also have a fear of tornadoes although everyone I have ever spoken to that lived in tornado alley never saw one.
We usually get tornado warnings and watches fairly frequently during the spring, but, I can only remember one (in the 40+ years we've been back here) in our area back in '97 that caused a fatality (actually a friend of a guy I used to work with), southwest of Austin.
I've actually seen a tornado up close...!!!!!
Several years ago, I was at the office and we were under a warning. I was at my computer, and all of a sudden heard small debris (leaves, twigs, etc.) hitting my office window (our building overlooks a valley at the back where my office is), I looked up and out the window, and there it was, about 50 yards (which is about halfway between our building and a neighborhood that starts on the one side of the valley behind us) away...probably an EF-0
, but it was definitely a tornado, and ended up strengthening a bit down the road to cause some minor damage. I saw some in the form of 2 cedar trees down in the northbound lanes of the road that goes through the neighborhood, that I used to use as a shortcut before it became gated.
I have a theory that the hills tend to break up most of those systems before they can get too crazy, tornado-wise.
I can definitely understand the family aspect, though. That could be difficult.
On the other hand, they might visit and then want to move down this way, as well.
Definitely wouldn't be the first time I've heard that 'round here, either...!
For whomping groundhogs
