My aunt survived the Bridge Creek, OK, tornado in 1999. She was in a closet in the middle of the house, and a water heater fell on her and probably saved her life. Last year my cousin survived the Moore, OK, tornado — she was one of the teachers at Plaza Towers Elementary (her class was evacuated before the tornado hit the school); the tornado also destroyed her house.

I, like everyone else in the world, never understood why people rebuild on the exact same plot of land instead of taking their insurance money and heading for safer climes. When my aunt lost her house, she found out that her homeowners’ policy would pay 100% for building again on the same piece of land, or 60% if she chose to rebuild elsewhere.