Fusion and anyone else wondering why so many people died - Its really simple.
The southern states do not build houses with basements. Most of the south is either too low (aka high water table), too rocky or the red clay is too gnarly. Up north here and out west we are much higher than sea level and our ground is more dirt than it is clay and rock. Its just much costlier to build a basement than not.
So when you have mile and half wide tornado's packing 200mph winds...taking shelter in your tub is your only bet and its not even a good one.
Warnings were up early as they could be. Reed Timmer even said, we think weve reached the maximum warning with the kind of data we have. Between the advanced doppler systems and the storm spotters, people are getting 15-30 minute warnings.
Now, they are working with a company on some new cutting edge ideas but its all beta testing right now. The south needs to get with it and pony up the dough for storm shelters in the very least. Just dig a hole in the ground, put concrete around it and throw a flat door on top. Maybe stairs to another door to keep debris from getting inside if you dont want a full basement. But I dont see this severe weather being a one year thing down there. I bet its something slightly more normal.
Tetsu - heres the one I used that day. Tracked 4 storm chasers at once.
http://chase.tornadovideos.net/pages/full_screen