Step one when spotting a tornado: Get out your camera

It's no surprise that the one serious injury reported as the result of five tornados that touched down in Colorado yesterday involved a man trying to take pictures of the storm. Capturing video images of natural disasters now challenges seeking cover as a first reaction for folks witnessing severe weather...

By Michael Roberts

June 8, 2009

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It's no surprise that the one serious injury reported as the result of five tornados that touched down in Colorado yesterday involved a man trying to take pictures of the storm. Capturing video images of natural disasters now challenges seeking cover as a first reaction for folks witnessing severe weather. As evidence, note that there are well over a dozen clips on YouTube this morning related to the spring-weather turmoil in the area. The one above features some of the best narration I found, with a siren in the background adding a nice touch of drama.

Click "Continue" to see another video -- this one featuring vivid post-havoc footage at Southlands Mall. Fortunately, the damaged objects in the foreground are all things, not people.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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