People need to realize that the more land that we clear for subdivisions and stripping malls, the more fuel we are adding and giving way to potential for more tornado touchdowns. I'm not saying it causes tornados, but it does give it a chance to build up strength where it can land and get wind that is shifting around in different directions on the land surface and the hot or cold surface from the ground. Trees and hills help minimize the wind and gives less chance of a touchdown in the area. If you look at where the tornados hit, it is usually where a new subdivision has been cleared or an interstate has been cleared or widened or rural farm areas, which is generally where they hit more. The rural area is just by history just where they would land and less population. Yes it does get areas with trees, but it ususally starts up more in the area around cleared pastures, subdivisions and where the hills have been flattened to give more room for houses and land development. I would not buy a house like that now. They are all uniform in size and there is no protection or anything in place to slow the wind velocity down. Developers need to keep the greed down and the trees up and build around as much as possible. Today it hit large interstate area (flat), Hensley (pasture and flattened subdivisions) and Keo (the same). Bryant is a prime example from previous tornado landing Bryant. Bryant is growing and there is more land clearing with all the new subdivisions and strip malls it is actually seeing more tornado touchdowns. Really if you look at the history of people thinking tornados hit mobile homes, they are in mobile home parks, because there is nothing but hot asphalt, few trees and same size buildings. Now subdivisions are being built like that flat, asphalt and all the same size generally.
Just think about it. It is true, but most developers and cities don't want to talk about it, because they would lose new home sales and people wanting to live there. People just need to use their common sense and try to let nature stay, but they can still build just complement the landscape not wipe it out, because the tornado will help you out there if you do. 