Tornado in Lawrence, Kansas on May 8, 2003

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Pictures of a tornado that tore through south-western Lawrence, damaging cars and tearing the roofs off several buildings. There were minor injuries, but no fatalities.

The weather report said it'd be rough today, and they weren't kidding. A long line of storms pushed east all day, and by 7:00pm, the tornado sirens were blaring. A tornado was reported on the ground 15 miles southwest of Lawrence, heading northeast - directly towards our part of town.

I was going nuts not being able to get a clear view of what was going on outside. My roommate and I decided to go for a drive and see what we could see with camera in hand. The storm clearly looked capable of producing a tornado, but I thought any danger would have to lie within darker clouds and stronger winds. I was shocked that a tornado was only a few blocks away and heading directly for our apartment! Mike spotted it, and we pulled in for a few photos before it mostly dissapated over the Holcom Park Recreation Center. The weather report said it was moving at 45 mph - fast for a tornado. Still, I felt more comfortable where I could see what was coming at me and react to it.