I spent virtually all of my waking life in the Northeast, where we rarely have tornados.
A few years ago, I was in the Midwest on business. A colleague warmed me, as it was the 1st of the month, that at noon every siren would go off as part of a monthly test of their tornado alert system.
I was still jolted.
As a kid we had the sirens and lots of sonic booms, we had fallout shelter signs and actual nuclear shelters behind them with food and water for Americans.
When you watch some 1950s horror movies like Giant Flying Insect Attacks Strategic Air Command, or Giant Ants Attack the United States Army in Los Angeles you get the military/ready-for-war/we-can-handle-anything feel of 1950s America.