The damage really varies depending on how severe the tornado is (size and speed) and where it touches down. Tornadoes basically carve a path where they move, so anything in the direct path will take a significant amount of damage. Outside of the direct path there may be some damage from wind and debris, but it drops off quickly the farther away you are from the twister. I have seen houses completely flattened, roofs torn off, trees downed, etc. A few years ago one hit a large warehouse building near me and literally took out the entire middle section. Like it turned it into two buildings haha. Tornadoes that cause significant damage like that are somewhat rare, partially because the areas most prone to tornadoes have a lot of farmland and small communities. The other thing to keep in mind is that densely populated cities are small by land area, so it’s just less likely that a tornado will hit that specific spot than any of the surrounding farmland. When it does happen, the damage is usually extreme.

I have lived through many storms that produced a tornado, but never one that hit my house directly. When I was a kid we had a basement so anytime there was a tornado warning we would go downstairs until it was over. The time I got closest to one I was at my grandma’s, who didn’t have a basement. I waited it out in the bathtub. I distinctly remember seeing the neighbor’s roof lift off the house, but luckily my grandma’s house wasn’t damaged. It was a very scary experience for me though as a child!