Have you ever seen a tornado?

[thegreenyogi]

[OneViewpoint]

Yes, several times up close and personal. Never a direct hit but close enough to watch the the super cell form and rotate and travel before anything touches down. Then see the funnels hit the ground. Lightning. Hail. Rain.

• Texas
• Oklahoma
• South Dakota
• Nebraska

A super cell is an awesomely beautiful thing to see. Just raw random energy unchained and unpredictable from second to second. The probability of a direct hit from a funnel is low but devastating if you do get hit. But there's also rain, hail that can kill, and lightning. Imagine 4,000 lb trees shattered and tossed like toys. Buildings exploding from the pressure differential. A 40,000 lb tractor trailer lifted by air.

[thegreenyogi]

These are really amazing pictures. Did you take them?

[OneViewpoint]

Nah, those aren't my photos. I have no idea where any photos I've taken are. I just grabbed a few images off the web that represent what I've seen. The pictures don't do a super cell justice. They are majestic and beautiful. In part because they are changing constantly and don't last all that long. Think of a gorgeous ice statue melting in front of your eyes. What you saw a minute ago will never be seen by anyone again.

One pic I wish I could share is the surreal scene from a South Dakota day I'll never forget. I left a town with friends to drive into the Black Hills. We had a great day. Then we approached the town we started from at around 5 PM on the return home. The utter devastation was like a dreamscape. We had no clue what was going on. We were far enough away that we never saw the super cell pass through. It totally missed us. But it was truly bizarre.

Picture driving down smallish highway that was lined with green trees, mostly pines that morning. 8 hours later the road was clear but both sides of the road were a wasteland. Not a single tree was standing. They were piled up like toothpicks for a 1/4 mile on both sides of the road. It looked alien. It looked too neat and tidy to be a natural event. Our brains had a hard time processing it. We thought we were lost at first. The cause didn't register immediately because we had no idea a storm came through. As we rolled into the town we had our OH SHIT moment. TORNADO! There was debris everywhere.

Like this but a lot worse...

[OneViewpoint]

Arrrgggh! Website won't take a video in a reply.

[thegreenyogi]

@OneViewpoint Oh that's a shame. Although your description of what you witnessed is so vivid in your words that I can really picture what you must have seen. Natural events like these are truly an intense experience.

[andreasderjuengere]

Weather-wise: Only a local mini-version of it.

Sailing-wise: I owned one for a while

[thegreenyogi]

Interesting. I wasn't aware a sail version existed...

[andreasderjuengere]

Haha :) - it was an Olympic class once. It's a totally exciting toy when we ignore the contemporary ''flying water machines''.

[thegreenyogi]

Fascinating...

[Shiprex]

I did once kind of when I was on an expedition over the hills in Wales of all places. It was a slowly twisting cloud formation above the ground that started to reach downward but never quite touched down. I've been in a typhoon too and that's pretty nerve wracking so wouldn't want to do that without warning.

[Simslover92]

Nope. I live in a part of South Carolina where I would never see one. It's also rare for one to be in South Carolina.

[Paige90]

South Carolina averages between 14 and 25 tornadoes annually, depending on the data source, and experiences some of the most active tornado seasons in the U. S., particularly during the spring. The state is part of "Carolina Alley," the fourth most active tornado corridor in the nation.

[Simslover92]

Well I should say the part of South Carolina I live in is rare then.

[CherryLove007]

no but I met a guy in college that wanted to be a storm chaser and he always had to get my opinion on this topic and I had a hard time doing my work because of this lol

[Tarifa]

Only something remotely similar far out in the sea. I don't think you can actually call it a tornado.

[katiesmuff]

Have seen the aftermath, but never the actual thing. I have seen water spouts which are suppose to be tornadoes on the water.

[lorenzomichael]

No but I have tried to fave my cake and eat it to by being with one girl and being with her two friends without them knowing but my day had come when they found out and it was like I was in the middle of a tornado. Shit I’ll never do that again.

[AviatorTom]

Not in person. I was in Missouri once and the tornado warnings went off, but it was only a small tornado and miles away.

[BCRanger10]

Not on the ground, but I've seen the clouds swirling around before though.

[HawkPerception]

I think I've seen a mini one a couple times. I live in Ontario. We don't see em that much here

[exitseven]

No, they are still pretty rare. My ex- girlfriend that lived in Oklahoma has never seen one either.

[elTAHAwy]

Being in Egypt so basically no I see some sandy winds in the desert but no tornadoes basically

[Dongie]

No. While it would be a wyld feeling I as soon avoid it.

[Jerre]

Yes I have - twice. One in Florida and years ago visiting a friend in Arkansas

[Jerre]

@thegreenyogi Thank you for the Like

[msc545]

Not in person, but even in video they are terrrifying.

[Delulugirly]

No, I haven't. I have seen several videos of tornados and have had a couple dreams with tornados, but I have never actually seen a tornado in person.

[joehypo1]

Yes and been in a few I live in iowa

[dustybiker2]

Yes. Over my high school.

[MemeSupreme]

yeah they look scarier far away lol

[DryGermanGuy]

Only the airplane… 🫡

[Xawyx-2]

No, there aren't any in my country.

[Surely]

Thankfully I have not!

[FreyaRed]

Yes, in different sizes

[RedInnocent69]

Funnel clouds, yes. Touchdown, no.

[Ironco]

Many times, I live in the Midwest.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I've ridden one in fact.

[Anonymous]

Nope, thankfully

[jazzy34]

Yes I have.

[Ermmhey]

Nope, have you?

[thegreenyogi]

No I have not.

[jahaims]

Yeah

[TonyMetal___86]

Nope

[pragatimonga]

Never seen one

[Jmmmfi4]

On TV

[eagle1951]

afew times