Tornadoes in Major Metropolitan Areas

One "sunny" day, I was watching weather reports in eastern Oklahoma.   This was probably on CNN.  Or some national news source.  They reported that, yes, there was a major tornado and it was heading my way.  Don't worry.  It's an uninhabited area.  ??  Well, except for 30,000 people.  

I once saw another national news report that, fortunately, "no tornado has ever struck a major metropolitan area."  ??  That would be a city of 50,000 plus people.  Wow.  I puzzled over what whoever wrote that was thinking.  May 3, 1999, F5 tornado struck Oklahoma City.  Death toll 46.  I remember thinking that was low.  Why so low?  There was advance warning and everyone left.  What is the population of Oklahoma City?   700,000.   Tuscaloosa, Alabama, April 27, 2011 F4 (F5 by some reports) tornado.  Number of deaths 64.  Population of Tuscaloosa, 110,000.   On the same day, the same tornado continued on to Birmingham, Alabama, 86 miles away.  population 197,000.   The tornado was still rated at F4-F5.  Death toll 20.   That day was called the "Super Outbreak," with 360 tornadoes on one day, which is the most on record for one day.  May 22, 2011 was the date of the Joplin, Missouri F5 tornado.  Population 52,000.  Death toll, 158.  Once I saw a report on national news about an F1 (F1 has winds of 80 mph) tornado in New York State.  My, the terror that evoked.  Garbage cans were rolled down streets.  Shingles were torn from roofs.   

I think there is some confusion in New York City about the fact that they aren't the only people in the United States.  "Oh, well, there's Chicago,,,,' they will say.  "Los Angelos maybe."  Otherwise the rest of the country is uninhabited and thus irrelevant.