Why the government? This is the sort of thing that market forces ought to handle rather well. If I were to live in tornado country (bloody unlikely) I would pay extra in order to get a basement, storm cellar, or safe room. If I couldn't do that, I would certainly have some kind of backup plan.

it is interesting to see some of the threads in disasters emerging once again...the immediate need for potable water, and any kind of makeshift shelter. Also the appearance of looting, although I would take these stories with a grain of salt until we hear a bit more.

We had a wave of construction of fallout shelters in the 50s and 60s - they are fabulous for tornado shelter, although most of them have fallen into disuse evidently.

The death toll is dramatic and shocking. But compare it to highway fatalities for a month for the same area... I don't know the answer, but the figures may be surprisingly close....

What will also be shocking is the number of fatalities resulting from cleanup from this event.