Tornado... out of nowhere!

[Mman]

Well, it probably wouldnt kill you. If you happened to be sucked up you would be tossed a couple feet. Maybe break a few limbs, but chances are you would survive. And since the usually form in the desert you dont have a ton of hard things to worry about getting hit with. These things can form over water also.

[cka]

I saw this ages ago. Pretty neat.

[Opaque]

I was under the impression that tornados only happened in north america.

[teenwolf]

That was NOT a tornado but a Dust Devil, there is a difference. This one in Japan happened in April of this year, the video file can be found here. Enjoy.

http://www.saevert.de/bilder/dustdevil/japan.wmv

[Fe 26]

Japan has real tornadoes? Japan reminds me so much of Mississippi.

I've never been there, but the sounds, and the colors, and the climate remind me a lot of my home state. We even have those stupid bugs that make that sound you hear in all the movies.

EDIT: nature wise, not the people.

[Gohron]

Bigger? Well, damn. At least with a normal tornado you get some signs when its going to drop (dark skys, lightning,etc.)and can run for some kind of cover--or just run. Something that comes out of nowhere like this, I dont know what I'd do. Bend over and kiss it goodbye I guess.

Dust devils are mostly harmless, I've seen videos of kid playing in them when they form in the desert.

[Jetman]

Dust devils are mostly harmless, I've seen videos of kid playing in them when they form in the desert.

I dont know man. That thing didnt look harmless and if I saw one like in Chux video I would not run into the center of it gleefully laughing like a schoolgirl - quite the exact opposite actually [running the other way, screaming in terror like a schoolgirl]

[Gohron]

I dont know man. That thing didnt look harmless and if I saw one like in Chux video I would not run into the center of it gleefully laughing like a schoolgirl - quite the exact opposite actually [running the other way, screaming in terror like a schoolgirl]

That one was a little bigger and probably was dangerous to run in the middle of :P

However I don't think someone would get killed, it was blowing things around that caught wind mostly.

[Blacklight85]

Japan is not having good luck with weather lately monsoons, volcanoes, earthquakes now a tornado and how is laying on the ground going to save your ass if the cloud goes over you?

[Mman]

Yeah, that dust devil was a decent size, but it was pretty powerful. Usually you do not see them get quite as concentrated as that.

Also, by lying on the ground you are less likely to get picked up. But I would get in a ditch if you are reall worried.