Tornados (Knoxville: houses, crawl space, tornado)

[jimj]

I notice quite a few people ask about Tornados in the area. I just had to post this one.... I guess they can happen just about anywhere, there is no avoiding them period. As you can tell from my profile I currently live in Montana and am looking to move to TN. The interesting thing is we had Tornados last night. Never seen them here before and NEVER thought I would have to run to our crawl space to hide!
I get that there's snow but Tornandos???? Anyhow, after living in the south prior to this we knew what to do but when I called my neighbors to tell them of the Tornado warning some chuckled, some thought we were crazy telling them to take cover and some (believe it or not) sat out on their covered porch to watch the storm!
I guess they never saw wizard of Oz....... Anyway, the point is now that this has happened I don't know if I am going to concern myself with Tornados and where to live anymore!

[TedTAce]

My understanding is that Knoxville has only ever had two recorded tornadoes. Sure we had some severe WX last night, and some wind dammage, but if they were twisters they were F-0's. You certainly can't get the F-5 mega twisters like you can in Kansas, so I wouldn't give it a second thought.

[hiknapster]

I'd give it a second thought.

Ted, we aren't in Kansas.

Still...

We've had ten recorded tornadoes from 1965 to 2003.

And LOTS of warnings, which, psychologically, are terrifying, at least to me.

[jimj]

Well, I can tell you we were psychologically exhausted today. It was not a giant tornado but we still have a couple of cities without power.

[hiknapster]

I know what that is like. Sending hugs to you and your whole family.

[jimj]

Thanks Hik,
What floored us was the emergency alert system that we were taught to rely on when we lived in the south didn't work very well. All but one of the EAS radio stations went off the air and the one that stayed on had a signal so weak we had to fight to get it. Just love knowing a tornado is coming and being virtually blind as to where it is. I almost had to laugh when I was talking with someone about this and they said "well we still had TV with a generator so we sat and watched that". I don't think I would be watching TV in my living room when a Tornado warning is telling you it is headed your way and take cover...just a suggestion.......

[hilly7]

We get a lot of "straight line winds" and "micro bursts" more than actual tornados that touch down. They may not be as bad or sound as bad but if you happen to live or own property where they come (anywhere they want) it is bad. Lost pretty much of a hugh barn this spring on out farm to them this year as did several neighbors.
Bad storm last night, several trees down and some damage around the area. While we don't get F5s our structires, like anywhere else are constructed for their normal elements, ours are not built to withstand winds or earthquakes like somewhere that experiences that kind of weather. Short of it, it don't take a large tornado to do the same or similar damage of houses built in a reagion that it's common.

[hiknapster]

You are absolutely right, Hilly7. I've been here less than two years, see tornadoes that touch down around here on the news, but it never makes it to the National Weather Service's archives. I suspect they rule it out as a tornado, but it is those micro bursts, which are horrifying.

This year has been very quiet, probably because there isn't much rain to begin with, but last year was pretty scary.

[tntornadox]

Truthfully, Knoxville and the central valley are in a "weather cradle" of sorts. With the Cumberland Plateau to the west, and the Great Smoky Mountains on the East, most severe weather breaks up before it reaches Knoxville..

Most severe weather here is flooding (no huge rivers running through downtown, mind you), occassional wind, and random snow in the Winter. Most tornadoes occur up in the mountains or on the plateau..

[TedTAce]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

but it is those micro bursts, which are horrifying.

Just like the ones from the afternoon thunderstorms in FL?

Microbursts are no big deal to me. Sure I have seen them take trees and small property apart, but once you live through something like Andrew, an afternoon microburst is insignificant.