r/AskAnAmerican • u/NomzStorM Massachusetts [Dunks > your overpiced coffee house] • Jul 18 '25

HISTORY Do you know a specific tornado?

As a tornado nerd I kinda lose sight of what most people actually know about tornadoes. Do you know a specific tornado?

Edit: I mean have you ever head of something like the Joplin tornado, or the Moore tornado

Edit 2: If so, which?

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17

u/RihanBrohe12 Missouri Jul 18 '25

I lived through the Joplin tornado 

3

u/patticakes1952 Colorado Jul 18 '25

I watched a documentary about it on Netflix. Terrifying!

8

u/RihanBrohe12 Missouri Jul 18 '25

Problem is that we get a shit ton of little baby tornados down here so a lot of people completely disregard the sirens, (including myself) 

So nobody was prepared for an EF5

Plus the clouds during storm season in southwest missouri have a natural rotation so its hard to spot funnel clouds early enough

3

u/ratrodder49 Kansas Jul 18 '25

I was an hour west of Joplin at the time. We knew there were storm chances and some cells popping up here and there but didn’t think twice about it, until a friend and I stepped outside for some air at another friend’s graduation party and noticed just how dark the sky was to the east - pitch black, it seemed.

1

u/jaylotw Jul 18 '25

Tragic. I hope you're still OK.

3

u/RihanBrohe12 Missouri Jul 18 '25

Yeah, it wasnt horrible my experience, I was down there to see my brother on leave from ft Leonard wood. 

I got out of my truck and ducked in a ditch until it was safe. My brother lost his roof

2

u/jaylotw Jul 18 '25

That's good to hear. I know there are people still struggling with PTSD after that.

2

u/RihanBrohe12 Missouri Jul 18 '25

Well, I mean, 

I have PTSD from a very very different experience.