May 6, 2015

Parts of the midwestern United States are called Tornado Alley, though the dangerous storms may be happening more often also elsewhere lately.  But our post today is about the ferocious activity  which may characterize such events. The AP in Cement Oklahoma reported

Thursday 7 May 2015 00.40 EDT

A series of tornadoes, including a major twister, touched down southwest of Oklahoma City on Wednesday, [May 6] flipping cars and causing the escape of tigers and other animals from an exotic wildlife park, officials said.
.....
There were no immediate reports of injuries but some structures were damaged as a storm system brought severe weather to several Great Plains states, officials said.

Tigers and other animals were able to briefly escape from the Tiger Safari park after a tornado struck the city of Tuttle, about 30 miles (48km) south-west of Oklahoma City, though they were recaptured without further incident, the Grady County Sheriff’s Office said.

Residents of Tuttle had been warned to stay indoors by authorities after the escape.

Meanwhile passengers, visitors and employees at the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City were evacuated to a pedestrian tunnel for about 30 minutes as the storms moved through the area, the airport said on its Twitter feed.

The tornadoes flipped cars, downed power lines and snapped trees. Several roads were closed because of debris, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said....
There had been about two dozen tornadoes reported in the area, it said....

The tigers may have been happy to get back to their cages, having such a taste of freedom. No wonder Dorothy's lion was cowardly.