Do tornadoes lift a foot or more of soil off the ground?

I can't understand why a small, sturdy shelter can't be built either on top of the ground or half underground, and covered with 12-24" of soil, and planted with some kind of plant that has a dense root system.

If there is nothing for the wind to grab, what's going to happen? A tornado will slide right over it? Is this a bad thing?

I recently posted a description of the shelters designed by Cal-Earth founder Nader Khalili. They are cheap and can be built by a couple of guys in a few days. They can be built aboveground or partly below ground. They're extremely stable, even in earthquake country. But they're not expensive enough for many people, I guess. Not showy enough, like the new $40,000 red pickup, or the $150,000 new travel trailer or motorhome.

And I have the feeling that 'I won't happen to us' fits into the equation somewhere, too.

Sue