Tornadoes

[mom of 4]

Between 1950 and 2006, there were over 3,000 tornadoes in OK.
I've been very lucky in that we've lost property, not people. My cousin was on the National news with the Moore tornado.

Strange_wings, I was in Yukon for the first one I'd ever felt. Canadian County is on a fault and has very small ones daily. I've often wondered if it was related to the oil and gas being pulled out of the ground...

 

[EnzoLeya]

Originally Posted by AbbysMom

How do those of you that live in Tornado Alley deal with it?

We rarely get tornadoes in New England, but Wednesday afternoon we had some extremely severe storms and a funnel cloud was spotted in the town next to me. I heard on the news this morning that they confirmed it was a tornado. When the Tornado warning emergency alert came over the TV, I was terrified. I got Abby into her carrier and headed for the cellar until the threat passed.

I really don't know how some of you deal with it on a regular basis.

I don't know how we do it either!

I couldn't count all the times THIS year that we've gathered all the critters and gone to the basement. In fact, just last week we were down there! I wish our basement was nice and finished!

 

[yam102284]

Where we live there was a possible tornado about 30 minutes away from us. They don't know if it was a tornado or just lots and lots of high winds, thunder, and lightning. One person was killed, and 2 other people, including an infant, were injured.

One of the drivers from work was actually in the town it touched down in when it occurred. He felt his box truck start shaking so he pulled over. When it was done, he couldn't go anywhere because one way down the road was covered with down trees, and the other side was covered with down power lines.

You just never think something like that can happen in New England.

 

[abbycats]

I live in Nebraska another State in tornado alley. Just last night I heard a knock on my door and it was my neighbor asking us if they could come use our Tornado cellar. I didn't know there was a big nasty storm coming. We went out and looked and sure enough it looked bad! I started to watch the radar map and there were tornado warnings to the west of us. I did the tornado drill with the cats and got them in their carriers. The storm lost it's punch before it got to us, thank god. Last year we did have a tornado hit about a mile west from us. It was 3/4 mile wide and stayed on the ground for something like 18 miles. We took 8,000 dollars worth of damage on the house because of the hail the storm produced. This storm was fast and I only got 2 cats in the carriers before we had to go to cellar(it's really hard to try and stay calm to catch them). When the red came flashing on TV that this tornado was going to hit near mile marker 209 That was us!!!! The tornado went across interstate 80 and picked up a semi truck and tossed it. There was lots of damage to farm houses and pivots, it didn't hit directly in our town. I don't take tornado warnings lightly here. The tornados in tornado alley can literally wipe a small town out! That was a really scary night! The tornados at night are the worst cause you can't see them coming!

 

[natalie_ca]

We get tornadoes up here. They don't often hit the city, but there have been a few instances where they have. They are usually just outside the city and south.

http://www.tornadovideos.net/

There are a few videos at that site from Manitoba tornadoes. One from just a couple of days ago.

 

[forensic]

My parent's hometown ( in Minnesota) got hit with an F3 this year... they can happen anywhere...

My dad said he heard a funny noise (his 'den' is in the bottom level, essentially a basement) and went upstairs and heard it was the tornado sirens. He hadn't thought the weather was bad so he went outside to look and got to the street and looked south and saw the funnel headed towards the ground... went and got my mom and they went BACK outside

(remember I said we tend to WATCH these storms?) and watched the funnel grow, but when it was about 3/4 the way to the ground they couldn't tell which way it was moving and figured it was headed right towards them and went back inside, called the dog, and headed to the basement.

The tornado was headed on a line to go right down the middle of town, but at the last second turned and cut across the south end. Destroyed five houses, a few turkey barns, a car/equipment dealership, injured two but took no lives

. My little brother ended up weathering the storm in the back of the grocery store. He left three minutes before the sirens went off... My dad told him to "Go now, before the rain starts... doesn't look like it will be bad, though."

Thank goodness it turned or it'd have gone right through the grocery store.

 

[clixpix]

I spent a lot of time as a child in the SE corner of the basement!

I'm glad you and Abby are safe!

 

[jean-ji]

Originally Posted by clixpix

I spent a lot of time as a child in the SE corner of the basement!

I'm glad you and Abby are safe!

Me too, only no basement, just the SE corner.
We had tornado drills in school, basically out in the hallway, duck and cover. I lived in Indiana until I was 30. We moved to New York, and like Abbysmom it's rare here for torndadoes, I think there have been 2 since we moved here.
It took me the longest time after moving here to not be terrified when it rained. Storms in Indiana meant either a tornado warning or a tornado watch. I finally realized I could relax and enjoy a good old fashioned rain storm with thunder and lightening and go to sleep.
With the mountains here, it's hard to see weather coming, and they probably limit the formation. In Indiana, I could see everywhere and watch the formation of funnels. I don't miss that part at all.

 

[duchess15]

We normally get small tornadoes that pass through so you get used to them. I always keep an eye out if there is a watch.

There was one tornado about 10 years ago that was an F5. It was suppose to hit my city, but it diverted and went towards Jarrell. It was one of the worst tornadoes in Texas history. A friend of mine lived there and told me that not only was it that big one, but also several small ones that were touching down everywhere. Her dad was driving and trying to get them out of there.

It was so bad it ripped the hides off of cows. I don't know what I would have done had we gotten it.