Tornado Questions (Mustang, Canadian, May: tornadoes, work, house)

[colleeng47]

OK, my OK friends, a little info here. I heard on the news that there are thunderstorms expected for Monday. I am pumping out my (flooded) storm cellar Saturday, so we will be ready. So, tell me this, when the alarm goes off, do you just dash down into the storm cellar, or do you wait until you actually see something? And what happens when you go down there? Do you hang out until another alarm sounds, or keep checking outside to see what's going on?

Some help, please.

[Nameless]

Originally Posted by colleeng47

OK, my OK friends, a little info here. I heard on the news that there are thunderstorms expected for Monday. I am pumping out my (flooded) storm cellar Saturday, so we will be ready. So, tell me this, when the alarm goes off, do you just dash down into the storm cellar, or do you wait until you actually see something? And what happens when you go down there? Do you hang out until another alarm sounds, or keep checking outside to see what's going on?

Some help, please.

First off, the chance for severe weather Monday is only minimal and it's more of a heavy rain threat (not to say there couldn't be a tornado, but they will not be widespread, at all).

One thing to note, if it's anything like Oklahoma county is over there in Canadian county, do NOT go into your shelter just because you here sirens. They sound for the entire county, so they may be going off in your neighborhood and you're totally out of the woods.

If you hear the sirens go off turn on the tv a.s.a.p and locate the storm. All the stations put storm tracks on so you can get an idea if it's heading for your immediate area or not. Most of you okies are so used to tornadoes that we only go into shelters if they look to be coming within a couple miles of the house. We've stayed right out in the open for many storms 3 or 4 miles away.

I wouldn't know storm shelter etiquette as I've never even been in one. My shelter is simply an interior closest. If you can carry a radio down with you I'd do that. Most radio stations simulcast the audio from the tv stations.

I really ignore tornado sirens for the most part. They just serve as a good warning to check the tv to see what is going on. But they don't sound sirens for one neighborhood specifically at a time. Like I said, it's county wide. We had our sirens go off about a week ago for a storm near downtown, 15 miles away.

[redbird4848]

Originally Posted by colleeng47

OK, my OK friends, a little info here. . So, tell me this, when the alarm goes off, do you just dash down into the storm cellar, or do you wait until you actually see something? Some help, please.

Nah, its more fun to watch Gary England get all hyped up and giddy. One time the tornado went directly over the Channel 9 TV station and all you heard was feet running and the camera kept rolling to an empty room! It was hilarious!

Colleeng47, please, for gosh sake, watch Gary England. He will tell you when its safe.

LISTEN TO GARY ENGLAND OR YOUR CHILDREN WILL DIE!!

YouTube - KWTV and Gary England Respond to Stewart Spoof

[Ted_Foster]

As people already know, there are dedicated portable radios that receive NOAA severe weather broadcasts. Some of them even have dynamos to provide electric power. You activate the dynamo by turning a hand crank on the radio. No power cord or batteries needed. If your house loses power, you can still listen to this radio. You can get them at Radio Shack or other places. Maybe a good idea to get one of these?

[Goodpasture]

I mentioned my safety technique before. I turn the TV and radio to one of the channels that does weather. I don't rely much on the TV cause I am on DirecTV and as soon as we get heavy storms, we lose TV. I have a NOAA radio, but it covers the entire county.....in fact, I am half a mile from another county so I have it set to cover TWO counties. So I grab a nice big glass of ice tea, sit out where I can watch the sky and not get soaked, and if I see one coming, I take shelter. If it is coming after 5, I change the tea to scotch. If it is late at night, I just sleep through it and hope for the best.

[peggydavis]

Have your battery powered or hand crank radio ready, and a flashlight. Know exactly where your house is on the TV radar, so you will know whether to go down in your shelter or not. Your radio will work in the cellar probably, so in the unlikely event that you really have to go to the cellar, you will hear on the radio when the storm is past your house. There is no all clear signal, the sirens just stop sounding.

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by redbird4848

Nah, its more fun to watch Gary England get all hyped up and giddy. One time the tornado went directly over the Channel 9 TV station and all you heard was feet running and the camera kept rolling to an empty room! It was hilarious!

Colleeng47, please, for gosh sake, watch Gary England. He will tell you when its safe.

LISTEN TO GARY ENGLAND OR YOUR CHILDREN WILL DIE!!

YouTube - KWTV and Gary England Respond to Stewart Spoof

Rebird, you are soooooo funny! I tried to rep you, but wasn't able to. In fact, I can't seem to rep anyone here. I'll have to visit the New Jersey Whiners Forum and rep a few before I can do anymore here.

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

I mentioned my safety technique before. I turn the TV and radio to one of the channels that does weather. I don't rely much on the TV cause I am on DirecTV and as soon as we get heavy storms, we lose TV. I have a NOAA radio, but it covers the entire county.....in fact, I am half a mile from another county so I have it set to cover TWO counties. So I grab a nice big glass of ice tea, sit out where I can watch the sky and not get soaked, and if I see one coming, I take shelter. If it is coming after 5, I change the tea to scotch. If it is late at night, I just sleep through it and hope for the best.

GP, you are another one who always keeps me laughing. DH will love the switch from tea to scotch. He'll be hoping that all tornadoes come after 5. He did sleep through the ones in Mustang a couple of weeks ago. We were still in NJ, so we missed the excitement (of course he did too)

[Jackie Morrow]

Colleen, as I've stated here before, I live in far western Ok., about a mile from I-40, in a very small town. When the siren goes off, it IS for our community.......if it's a long, extended wail. I've lived here since 1996, and haven't gone to a cellar yet. I don't have one, and unless someone tells me that a category 4 or 5 tornado is coming, I don't want to be going to my neighbors cellar. I've gone to an interior closet a couple of times and left the TV on.
Another thing I might mention, is that in this part of Oklahoma, as far as coverage from channel 9 and the others, it's very sparse for us. I get more information from an Amarillo channel (on the weather headed our way). I have now subscribed to an alert, which will come to my cell phone and computer from the National Weather Channel.

[Cali_Okie_Girl]

OMG ITS COLLEENG FIRST ALMOST TORNADO!!! IM SO PROUD!! SHES ALL GROWN UP!!!!!!!

HEYA COLLEENG!! i havent talked to ya in awhile

anyways back to the topic...watch the tv.. Gary England is quite and amusing! haha when you hear the siren dont go rush into your basement cause 50% its not coming towards you but to be sure turn on the tv and listen to your raido!! some helpful tips during a tornado by Britney!