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Somehow I only expect major tornadoes in the US. So these pictures from Italy are interesting to me.
Maybe it's because tornadoes are so uncommon in EU that there are not tornado chasers. So we never got live pictures.
But now with the proliferation of video cameras in phones that is changing.
It will be interesting to see whether the custom of dashboard camera's will come to other places than Russia and Ukraine. If that will be the case we can expect many more images of freak occurrences.
Also I find it intriguing to see 'provincial' people from other countries. Like this north-italian farmer. Or non-metropolitan types from the midwest or the south us for that matter.
Like you, I thought tornados were a US phenomena.
But it doesn't seem to matter much where it is as everyone pretty much says some veraion of "Oh ****".
Tornadoes are not a California phenomenon; there have been only about 40 touching down in Los Angeles COUNTY since 1950, the vast majority in the northern end away from the city. In fact, I remember the "OMG!" news coverage when one hit an L.A. suburb over 10 years ago... of course, it found one of the few trailer parks in L.A.
Still, when I moved to San Luis Obispo, I was unafraid to rent an apartment next door to an enclave of 10 trailer homes - the historical record shows only 5 tornadoes in this county 20 years, none as close to the City of SLO as I am. Knock on wood.