Do tornadoes ever hit big cities and how often?

I am sure geographically speaking there is less chance of a tornado hitting a city as cities are quite small in comparison to the whole space tornadoes seem to occupy in tornado valley.

Public Comments

1. its kinda complicated. i'll write what i remember. hopefully somebody can elaborate on this. 1. tropical storms start in the equator. that is where water is the warmest. heat rises gets real cold at higher altitudes water condenses and forms drops. the drops fall. starting the cycle over and over again. 2. the ocean currents lead these systems to the gulf of mexico and the hurricane or tornado begin to hit land. they usually follow a course named "Tornado Alley" like east texas louisiana mississippi alabama georgia florida and some states above these. 3. after it weakens it becomes a storm or something.
2. It's happened, -but like you suggested, it's rare. Off the top of my head, I know that Oklahoma City has taken a direct hit, -as has Salt Lake City, & I believe Memphis (or Nashville) Tenn. has been hit by one- too... But NO PLACE is Immune... -It's just a question of being in the Wrong place at the wrong time...
3. Yes they Have Oklahoma city May 9, 2003 — Ferocious weather struck the heartland again Thursday evening when at least one tornado swept through Oklahoma City, ripping roofs off homes, toppling trees and power lines, and flipping tractor trailers through the air. More than 100 people were injured and one man died of a heart attack. March 28, 2000: Fort Worth, 4 killed, 89 injured, est. $300 million in damage. April 10, 1979: Wichita Falls, 42 killed, 1,740 injured, $400 million in damage. May 11, 1970: Lubbock, 26 killed, 500 injured, $135 million in damage. April 3, 1964: Wichita Falls, seven killed, 111 injured, $15 million in damage. April 2, 1957: Dallas, 10 killed, 200 injured, $4 million in damage. May 11, 1953: Waco, 114 killed, 597 injured, $41,150,000 in damage. May 11, 1953: Near San Angelo, 11 killed, 159 injured, $3,239,000 in damage. May 15, 1949: Amarillo, six killed, 83 injured, $5,310,000 in damage. July 30, 1933: Dallas (Oak Cliff), 5 killed, 30 injured, $500,000 in damage. May 9, 1927: Garland, 11 killed, $100,000 in damage. May 4, 1922: Austin, 12 killed, 50 injured, $500,000 in damage. Let me go further From the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center Frequently Asked Question Page Why does it seem like tornadoes avoid downtowns of major cities? Simply, downtowns cover such tiny land areas relative to the entire nation. The chance of any particular tornado hitting a major downtown is quite low -- not for any meteorological reason, but simply because downtowns are small targets. Even when tornadoes hit metro areas; their odds of hitting downtown are small out of space considerations alone. For example, downtown Dallas (inside the freeway loop) covers roughly three square miles, Dallas County, about 900 square miles. For a brief tornado in Dallas County, its odds of hitting downtown are only about 1 in 300. Still, downtown tornadoes have happened, including at least four hits on St. Louis alone. The idea of large buildings destroying or preventing a tornado is pure myth. Even the largest skyscrapers pale in size and volume when compared to the total circulation of a big tornado from ground through thunderhead. Jacksonville FL 12 August 2004 F2 Fort Worth TX 28 March 2000 F2 Salt Lake City UT 11 August 1999 F2 Little Rock AR 21 January 1999 F3 Nashville TN 16 Apr 1998 F3 Miami FL 12 May 1997 F1 Houston TX 16 November 1993 F1 Huntsville AL 15 November 1989 F4 Shreveport/Bossier City LA 3 December 1978 F4 Shreveport LA 17 April 1978 F2 Lubbock TX 11 May 1970 F5 St. Louis MO 10 February 1959 F4 Waco TX 11 May 1953 F5 Charleston SC 29 September 1938 F2 Nashville TN 14 Mar 1933 F3 Indianapolis IN 18 May 1927 F3 St. Louis MO 29 September 1927 F3 St. Louis MO 27 May 1896 F4 Dallas TX 20 January 1894 F2 Louisville KY 27 March 1890 F4 Washington DC 16 Sep 1888 F2 Kansas City MO 13 May 1883 F2 St. Louis MO 8 March 1871 Tornados can hit any where at any time and without warrning. TORNADO WARNING MESSAGE IF YOU ARE IN A WARRNING AREA SEEK SHELTER IMEDIATLY FOLLOW THE FOLOWING INSTRUCTION WHAT TO DO... In a house with a basement: Avoid windows. Get in the basement and under some kind of sturdy protection (heavy table or work bench), or cover yourself with a mattress or sleeping bag. Know where very heavy objects rest on the floor above (pianos, refrigerators, waterbeds, etc.) and do not go under them. They may fall down through a weakened floor and crush you. In a house with no basement, a dorm, or an apartment: Avoid windows. Go to the lowest floor, small center room (like a bathroom or closet), under a stairwell, or in an interior hallway with no windows. Crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down; and cover your head with your hands. A bath tub may offer a shell of partial protection. Even in an interior room, you should cover yourself with some sort of thick padding (mattress, blankets, etc.), to protect against falling debris in case the roof and ceiling fail. In an office building, hospital, nursing home or skyscraper:Go directly to an enclosed, windowless area in the center of the building -- away from glass. Then, crouch down and cover your head. Interior stairwells are usually good places to take shelter, and if not crowded, allow you to get to a lower level quickly. Stay off the elevators; you could be trapped in them if the power is lost. In a mobile home:Get out! Even if your home is tied down, you are probably safer outside, even if the only alternative is to seek shelter out in the open. Most tornadoes can destroy even tied-down mobile homes; and it is best not to play the low odds that yours will make it. If your community has a tornado shelter, go there fast. If there is a sturdy permanent building within easy running distance, seek shelter there. Otherwise, lie flat on low ground away from your home, protecting your head. If possible, use open ground away from trees and cars, which can be blown onto you. At school:Follow the drill! Go to the interior hall or room in an orderly way as you are told. Crouch low, head down, and protect the back of your head with your arms. Stay away from windows and large open rooms like gyms and auditoriums. In a car or truck: Vehicles are extremely dangerous in a tornado. If the tornado is visible, far away, and the traffic is light, you may be able to drive out of its path by moving at right angles to the tornado. Otherwise, park the car as quickly and safely as possible -- out of the traffic lanes. [It is safer to get the car out of mud later if necessary than to cause a crash.] Get out and seek shelter in a sturdy building. If in the open country, run to low ground away from any cars (which may roll over on you). Lie flat and face-down, protecting the back of your head with your arms. Avoid seeking shelter under bridges, which can create deadly traffic hazards while offering little protection against flying debris. In the open outdoors: If possible, seek shelter in a sturdy building. If not, lie flat and face-down on low ground, protecting the back of your head with your arms. Get as far away from trees and cars as you can; they may be blown onto you in a tornado. In a shopping mall or large store: Do not panic. Watch for others. Move as quickly as possible to an interior bathroom, storage room or other small enclosed area, away from windows. In a church or theater: Do not panic. If possible, move quickly but orderly to an interior bathroom or hallway, away from windows. Crouch face-down and protect your head with your arms. If there is no time to do that, get under the seats or pews, protecting your head with your arms or hands.
4. "The tornado struck the Los Angeles suburbs of Inglewood and Ladera Heights around 1:30 a.m., ripping the roof off a house, snapping trees and damaging cars, but causing no injuries. Dan Keaton, a National Weather Service meteorologist, confirmed that it was a twister after examining the damage." -- 12/29/2004 "The majority of tornadoes occur in agricultural areas. Tornadoes need moisture to feed their parent thunderstorms and the instability associated with spring and summer warming. Crops need moisture to grow and the temperature variation associated with changing seasons. Both conditions for tornadoes and agricultural growth are found in the same areas..."