Has anyone witnessed a tornado in real life?

[Yes We Can]

I've always been fascinated with tornadoes since I was a kid. I've seen plenty of them on television, and at one time even had an interest in becoming a storm chaser. A long time ago I saw several tornadoes travel through the sky. I didn't actually see any of them touch down, so technically they were funnel clouds, but I'm just curious. Have any of you experienced anything like this up close and personal?

 

[coyote]

yes - i grew up in Kansas

I have nightmares about them

 

[anxiousnut]

Never actually saw one, but when I was six, and we lived in Ohio, my mom and I were driving and this horrible storm came out of nowhere. It was storming and raining so hard my mom couldn't see, so she pulled over. As soon as we stopped on the side of the road, a huge tree came down and smashed our car. The car was totalled and we later learned that there were several tornados spotted all around during that storm. So I never actually saw a tornado, but I think was pretty close to one. i was traumatized by storms for years after that!

 

[Forgotten-Children]

Well, I haven't actually SEEN one, but I've been near one where it was extremely windy outside and I had to move to the basement.

I mean, this is a normal thing to happen where I live though so I'm used to it seeing as I live smack dab in the middle of Tornado Country.

 

[Yes We Can]

Thanks for all of your replies. This is really interesting stuff. I'm glad none of you were seriously hurt, well at least physically anyway. I can definitely see how someone could be traumatized by something as terrifying as wicked weather. Nowadays when someone asks me if I still would like to be a storm chaser, I tell them I would have to chase at least one storm to know if I still truly want to do this. Chasing storms looks pretty scary, but I think being chased by one is even scarier.

 

[Yes We Can]

I have. I was stuck in a traffic jam about a mile away. Even from that distance, this thing looked like the width of a city block. It was MASSIVE. Tore across the street perpendicular to the one I was on. I remember thinking how I'd just bought my car and the tornado better not come down this way... That's when I knew I was a pretty superficial fellow.

Wow, that's hilarious. This has always been interesting to me. Did this happen in the daytime, and if so, did it get really dark outside? I ask this because I know that sometimes it does, but not always.

 

[Yes We Can]

yes - i grew up in Kansas

I have nightmares about them

Do you currently have nightmares about them? The reason for me asking is because I would like to ask questions about what you actually saw, but if doing so is going to cause you to re-live them, then I'd rather not ask.

 

[Blaze]

I saw a tornado once with my own eyes. It was fairly distant from where my family's car was located, but there was still stuff flying around in the air. Was pretty scary to an 8yr old.

 

[MollyBeGood]

i was driving home in Colorado at 9000ft and there was one right next to me in the woods of all places and it tore down a ton of trees freaked me out!! It really rare to have them at that elevation.

 

[Yes We Can]

I saw a tornado once with my own eyes. It was fairly distant from where my family's car was located, but there was still stuff flying around in the air. Was pretty scary to an 8yr old.

Interesting, I was 8 years old when I saw the funnel clouds rolling through the sky, so I can only imagine how scary it must have been to be in a car and see this.

i was driving home in Colorado at 9000ft and there was one right next to me in the woods of all places and it tore down a ton of trees freaked me out!! It really rare to have them at that elevation.

That reminds me of a clip I saw on TV where a tornado was being filmed from a plane or helicopter, I had never saw a tornado viewed from up in the air before. It looked as if it was taking place in the mountains or a valley. Was this during the daytime and did it turn dark outside?