Looters have come from afar to Okla. after tornado

[Gabby Hayes]

24. Good point about the gruesome details

Too many television weathermen and storm chasers treat disasters like a sport. They rarely if ever see or hear the human loss.

With all eyes on Oklahoma right now, it might be a good time to remind readers that large scale killer tornadoes have struck far-reaching parts of the U.S. Just over a week before the Edmonton tornado, an unlikely F-5 suddenly destroyed the small West Texas desert community of Saragosa, killing 30. Most of the remaining residents were injured. I was there a few days later and only one service station left standing.

On June 8, 1953, an F-5 killed 121 in Flint, Michigan. The next day, 90 persons perished and nearly 1,300 persons were injured in an F-5 at Worcester, Mass. A survey of witnesses conducted by The U.S. Weather Bureau found that only a tiny percentage of Worcester respondents had ever seen a tornado.

The Xenia, Ohio,Tornado of April 1974 was long considered by scientists to be the most powerful tornado in American history. Thirty-six people were killed. Scientists still treat the tornado with great reverence.

On August 12, 1999, Salt Lake City was hit by a noteworthy tornado for the first time in well over a century. The F-2 killed one and injured at least 100.

All of you get my point: Regardless of where you live, you really should glance over you shoulder now and then during tornado season.