re: Anyone ever seen a tornado in person?

Yes, in the South Louisiana countryside when I was a kid. And a funnel cloud in Cypress, Texas when I lived in Houston. Told everyone on the van it was a funnel cloud. Nobody believed it until they got home and turned on the weather.

Oh and I've seen F5 tornado damage in Oklahoma for the 2011 El Reno F5. In a few areas only slabs remained. Only one or two deaths in that tornado. I've seen damage paths from a half dozen tornados including from the air as I approached the Ok City airport, the Moore 2013 F5.

Was in a tornado shelter in garage for the 2013 El Reno F5. Sirens were blaring in the distance. My wife could hardly wait to move out of Oklahoma. Funny thing about this one was I was working in west OK City. We all knew there was a tornado watch. One by one my direct reports came to me and said they were leaving to go home. I looked out the window and blue skies with a few puffy clouds. Got back to working on my computer. At about five I looked out the window and saw the biggest, blackest towering thunderstorm clouds I'd ever seen. I decided to split at that point and was somewhat concerned. After that tornado because so many had been caught out in cars our company decided to instruct employees to shelter in the basement of our building rather than to cut them loose before quitting time.