@Purple:
Well, you know, tornadoes are huge masses of destruction. Storm chasers are people who get excited at the prospect of obtaining new data so we can learn more about how these things work. But they know very well to respect the power of mother nature and extend the most precautions allotted to them. I think there were like three famous storm chasers killed by a tornado this summer, even then. And just looking at news bulletins about the devastation wrought by tornadoes should give some feeling that it's a damn good thing tornadoes didn't come around.
I don't know, really. I feel like there's more to that than just rejoicing about the possibilities of learning new things that can prove useful in counteracting the dangers and damage of naturally occurring phenomena.
You make a a really good point in that most sensible people would be glad that a tornado didn't come their way because of all the devastation that one could have caused, and by extension that most people would be scared speechless and would fear for their lives if a tornado actually did come, but… can't you still wish to see one because you appreciate and admire the strength of nature that is on such another scale compared to what a sole human can do? I mean, yeah, the problem with that is that if you see a freaking tornado, you're pretty much in trouble, to put it lightly, but if you don't feel threatened or worry about your "earthly possessions" for whatever reason, can't you feel sad for missing the sight of something that you think is exhilarating to watch? It might be a little irresponsible, to be sure, but I'm not sure if it's completely unheard of.
To share a little from my own experience, about a ten years ago, when I was still fairly young, me and my folks got hit by probably one of the most, if not the most forceful downbursts in decades here in Finland. The winds were so incredibly strong that dozens of 50-100 years old pine trees came crashing down on their own and the air was filled with flying branches the size of a car. One of the oldest trees in the area literally cracked in two and almost fell on my mother who was racing with my sister (only six months old at the time) to get back to the safety of the house - they only survived by a few feet. And yet, even though for the first few moments we were all incredibly scared, once it got clear that the house could withstand all that we started getting more and more fascinated by the force of it all. It's something that I will never forget.
Personal safety is a huge factor when it comes to things like these, I feel. It's natural and definitely right to fear and to respect those things enough to take the necessary precautions, but that doesn't downplay or in any way offset the admiration that you can also feel towards this world and its powers.