Keota storm damage. (KCRG TV photo)
The police chief in Keota says he is concerned people are staying way too close to tornadoes to get videos and pictures.
Two tornadoes struck the Keota area on March 31st, including an EF-4 tornado packing winds of more than 170 miles an hour. Keota Police Chief Doug Conrad tells KCRG TV that too many people are ignoring warnings to shoot videos.
“You can go on Facebook or Tiktok — people where the storms were, were 300-400 yards from the tornado, and it was a big tornado,” Conrad says. Chief Conrad says it was a trend that was becoming all too common and all too dangerous. He says you may think you are a safe distance away from the storm, but you’re not, and flying debris could be fatal.
“It wouldn’t be hard to believe that a 2 x 4 or glass could kill somebody,” Conrad says. He says you should think of safety first. “When we get these warnings, don’t ignore them,” Conrad says.
The National Weather Service says the Keota tornado traveled 50 miles. It destroyed 19 homes and one person was injured.