Joplin, Missouri

What is it about these recent twisters that is killing so many?  I have no knowledge about housing in Missouri, Alabama, etc...  Do the majority of homes not have basements in these areas?

I only ask this because it blows my mind that there are so many fatalities (especially in Joplin which had 20+ minutes warning) from these tornadoes.

I know from personal experience that basements can save lives when tornadoes strike.

June 3rd, 1980.  Grand Island, Nebraska.  The city I was living in was hit by SEVEN tornadoes in a three hour period.  One F4, three F3s, one F2, and two F1s.  Millions of dollars in damage, but only 5 fatalities and 200 injuries.

Our house was directly hit.  The houses in front of us, behind us, and on both sides of us lost their roofs.  Our house somehow kept its, though I'd like to think it was my father's quick thinking of opening up all the windows and doors, which allowed ours to keep its roof.  Somehow the tornado "passed" through our house instead of rolling over it and tearing the roof off.  The inside of our house was covered in insulation from our neighbor's homes.

One of our neighbor's roofs was in our backyard.  We had numerous pieces of homes driven through the roof of our home.  We found our dog kennel 3-4 blocks away.

We hid downstairs underneath the stairs the entire time...  sounded like freight train rolling through our house. 

Houses were leveled in our neighborhood.  But the only fatality from the tornado that hit our neighborhood was a woman driving to a friends house.  I'd say 99% of the people that heard the warning sirens were in their basement.

Also, the neighborhoods in Grand Island aren't as densely packed as many modern towns and cities are.  Most homes in Grand Island sit on a 1/2 acre of land, whereas newer homes are packed into smaller plots of 1/4 of an acre or less now a days.

Also, Joplin's tornado was an F5.  The worst in Grand Island was an F4.

Anyways, I don't know why the fatalities are so much more severe in these past few months.  I do know that I miss having a basement (Texas does not have basements for the majority)... and I do know that I appreciate that we had one 31 years ago.  Oh, and in the words of one of my neighbors...  "Don't send Jimmy, send Beer" (in reference to President Carter coming to visit the damage).  Of course, President Obama can stick to playing ping-pong and toasting the Queen while the band plays on.

Joplin, Missouri - After & Before photo: