Well, since it's been a bit slow on Conch-L and we're well under the
75-message limit...
 
Yes, indeed, Art, tornadoes do occasionally hit the centers of large
cities. Dallas, Texas, had a bad one a few years ago. Last year, a killer
tornado hit the western suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama, aimed directly at
the downtown, but it lifted just before it hit the downtown skyscrapers. In
the aftermath, worried newscasters asked meteorologists if there was
anything special about downtown areas that would protect them from
tornadoes. The answer was a repeated NO, sorry, no one is safe! And then,
only a few days later, the downtown skyscrapers and state capitol in
Nashville, Tennessee, were hit by a very powerful tornado. It then crossed
the Cumberland River and made a mess of the stadium being built there,
knocking down half a dozen cranes. Art, you must have had your nose in a
shell drawer not to hear about all this.* Commendable, of course.
 
Thanks for the interesting info, Sarah. Have a pleasant weekend, everyone.
 
Andrew
 
Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama
 
*Obligatory shell reference.