Emergency personnel did a great job Thursday night in spite of their human obstacles.

Let’s have a big round of applause for all of the weather forecasters, storm spotters and emergency personnel who responded so efficiently to Thursday night’s storm.

And let’s have a big Bronx cheer for all of the gawkers who got in their way.

It was wonderful to see all of the professionals spring into action before and after a tornado popped out of the sky and seriously damaged homes in the southwest corner of Lawrence. The work of weather forecasters and storm spotters undoubtedly was responsible for the fact that, in spite of significant property damage, only minor injuries were reported from the storm.

Storm spotters and forecasters gave residents plenty of warning of the approaching storm. Emergency personnel sounded the storm sirens in a timely manner to allow people to take cover.

Of course, many people didn’t heed those warnings. Especially in the wake of the destructive tornados that struck the Kansas City area only last weekend, it’s amazing to see that a stream of traffic was heading down the highway TOWARD the dangerous storm Thursday night. That kind of cavalier attitude seems reserved for Kansans who have grown up with the threat of tornadoes but whose lives have never been touched by one. Anyone who has experienced the deadly fury of such a storm has more respect.

If people want to risk life and limb to get closer to a tornado, it is, perhaps, their choice, but when they get in the way of emergency personnel trying to reach the area that has been stricken, it’s another matter. Following Thursday’s storm, not only was there a need to reach the area to help anyone who was injured by the tornado, crews also needed to address ongoing risks such as downed power lines and broken natural gas lines.

Getting emergency crews to the area quickly was a matter of life and death, and yet they were hampered by traffic jams created by curious onlookers who had no business in the area except to gawk at the victims and the destruction. Officials pleaded with the public by way of radio and television broadcasts to stay away from the area, but they came anyway.

It is wonderful news that Lawrence escaped Thursday’s tornado with only a few injuries and no deaths. The property damage is unfortunate, but fixable.

The attitude of some local residents also could use some fixing. Put yourself in the shoes of someone whose home has just been hit by a tornado. What you would need is someone to make sure you are safe, not someone to drive by and ogle you or your home.

Thanks, again, to all of those who helped Lawrence residents survive Thursday’s onslaught. You did a great job under circumstances made more difficult by people who should have had enough sense to stay out of your way.