SENECA, Mo. (AP) -- The latest wave of tornadoes to rip through parts of the nation's midsection has rekindled a warning first issued a quarter century ago: stay out of your car in a twister.

Eight of the 23 victims in Missouri and Oklahoma died in cars, troubling experts who say the inside of a vehicle is one of the worst places to be when a tornado hits.

Among those killed were three people rushing to reach a relative's house and four family members who were in a van on the way to a friend's wedding.

Cars have the same problem as mobile homes in a storm: they aren't anchored to the ground, so winds can get underneath them. A meterologist says winds of less than 100 miles per hour can flip a car.

Weekend storms killed 26 people in Missouri, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama.