When tornadoes strike, they usually carry away more than roofs and siding from homes.

Family photographs, papers and other personal items can get sucked into the swirling winds and carried for miles before being dumped in a field or someone’s back yard.

Yet there have been few reports of personal belongings being recovered elsewhere after last week’s tornado in southwest Lawrence.

“We haven’t had any calls about that,” said Jane Blocher, director of the Douglas County Chapter of the American Red Cross, 2518 Ridge Court.

Officials at the Lawrence Salvation Army headquarters, 946 N.H., said they had not received recovered personal belongings nor have they had inquiries about such items.

Shortly after the tornado struck Aberdeen South apartment complex, the Red Cross set up a tent to provide food and other assistance at the site. A “lost and found” box was placed at the tent but only two items — a cell phone and some keys — were placed in the box, Blocher said. The cell phone eventually was recovered by its owner, she said.

In the Kansas City metropolitan area, which on May 4 was hit by tornadoes, an employee with Atronic Alarms discovered a few photos in his back yard. His company this week set up a Web site, www.atronicalarms .com/tornadoassist.htm, for posting those photos and any others that might have been recovered in the wake of the tornadoes.

As of Tuesday, however, less than half a dozen photos were posted on the Web site and one had been taken off because its owner had claimed it.

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“We really haven’t had very many people turn in pictures yet or ask about them,” said Megan Ragan, marketing coordinator for Atronic.

Ragan said some people who have recovered photographs may not know what to do with them. Those who have lost photos may not know where to ask about them.

Anyone with photos they have recovered as result of the tornado is welcome to take them to Atronic or mail them to Atronic Alarms, Tornado Assist Project, 9135 Barton, Overland Park 66214. It takes about seven hours after they are received for photos to be posted on the Web site, Ragan said.

In Lawrence, both the Salvation Army and the Red Cross still will take photos and other items that have been recovered after being carried away by the tornado.

“We’ll take them as long they aren’t too big,” Blocher said. “We don’t have a lot of space.”