Canie,
Two relatives reached by phone and email (one in Lawrence, KS, the other near Tulsa, OK) said early warnings during the weekend saved lives and injuries in their locations. One said satellite graphics on TV showed the path of a nearby tornado so clearly that they watched the funnel's progress near streets and intersections they recognized and see when it changed course so it would miss their neighborhood.

I lived in Kansas 23 years and saw damage after some tornadoes. A direct hit uproots trees and can flatten buildings and even foundations, so I don't know if building codes are as useful for tornado strikes as for earthquakes. It's a different kind of violence from an earthquake's shaking. Storm warnings that allow time to reach shelter, and tornado drills in schools, workplaces and homes probably save more lives in Tornado Alley, and those seem to be improving. I hope that can be true for earthquake protection here in California eventually.

Mary C.