My close friend just survived the tornado that heavily damaged Kansas State, and this prompted me to make sure everyone knows the dos and donts -- many people (including some of my native Kansas friends) tend to believe the many tornado myths.

This has been a very deadly season thus far; more people have died in the first 6 months of 2008 than the whole of last year.

Here's wikipedia's article on tornado myths:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_myths

We had a tornado watch here last Tuesday, and upstate NY is certainly not in tornado alley! I've never been in a tornado, but I have a terrible fear of them nonetheless. I always have my pet's carriers out, stocked with food and water so I can grab the animals in a hurry and get to the basement if I need to. I'm glad your friend is okay!

Harpo~thanks for posting this...having lived in Tornado alley my entire life I an used to having multiple warnings. This is a reminder that every warning should be taken seriously. Every august my kids have to show me the tornado position, and unfortunately due to bad weather this past year, they have actually had to use it during school hours.

With the storm systems that have been rolling thru the States, everyone should be aware of what to do during a tornado.