The difference is that on these violent tornado days, the balloon does not just rise in a leisurely way.

CNN: The making of a nightmare tornado

"Yet it was a relatively ordinary violent tornado, " according to Brooks, an acknowledged expert on the climatology and probability of twisters.

CNN: Moore in bull's-eye twice, science may know why

And in the most extreme cases, a violent tornado is born beneath that spinning white cloud of updraft that meteorologists call the supercell thunderstorm.

CNN: The making of a nightmare tornado

But with the powerful devastation from the May 20 twister that killed 24 and pummeled the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore still etched in their minds, many Oklahomans instead opted to flee Friday night when a violent tornado developed and headed toward the state's capital city.

NPR: Frightened Okla. Residents Opt To Flee Tornadoes

But the deaths of three respected researchers near Oklahoma City have renewed questions over whether the risk of dashing off into violent storms in Tornado Alley is too great regardless of the adrenaline rush.

NPR: Storm Chasing Critical, Profitable And Dangerous

PORTLAND, Maine Damaging winds flattened trees and utility wires and knocked out power in parts of northern New England on Sunday, flights were delayed in New York City and there were reports of a tornado in South Carolina as the East Coast weathered the remnants of violent storms that claimed 13 lives in Oklahoma.

WSJ: Damaging storms moving through east, south

PORTLAND, Maine The remnants of a violent storm that claimed 13 lives in Oklahoma sent punishing winds and torrential downpours to northern New England and a tornado to South Carolina.

WSJ: Worst storms over in East, South but more coming