Tornadoes fascinate me!! (Tulsa, May: jobs, college, move)

[LeaveWI]

Maybe there IS something a little wrong with me. Im' just fascinated w/ tornadoes!!! Even back in WI, on the rare occasions we'd get a t-Warning, I'd be out there checking it out! I feel a rush and thrill when the sirens go off here, then I go out and see what I can see. I realize,and have seen the awful destruction and shattering of lives that they can do,and while I observe safely, I don;t have a lot of fear of them, just a ton of respect of what they can do.
Is this normal? , especially when I see posts about folks not wanting to move to OK because of them, maybe they are the wise ones, and I'm the foolish one. I actually feel more fear driving on the highways around Tulsa, than I do of a tornado.
I actually took classes on the subject of severe storms in college, which only piqued my interest. My dream job would be that of strom chaser, or something tornado related, although those jobs are pretty hard to get I think.
Anyways, thanks for reading, just throwing the question out there, and seeing if there are any others who feel the same. Keep in mind, I observe them as safely as possible, no Jackass style stunts that put me in needless danger.

[okpondlady]

Since I grew up here my Granny instilled in me an almost paranoid fear of them. She grew up here when there was no sirens, warnings, even tv and radio. If it started raining, her father stayed up watching the weather. If it started "blowing" they went to the cellar. When I was growing up with her, if we got a thunderstorm we went to the cellar. She had a bed, kerosine lamp, bucket of water (that she refilled ever 3 days no matter what), coats, and a shelf full of her canned food. She was stocked for the storm. Needless to say, I am NOT one of those stormwatchers that are out under an overpass watching the tornado. I could hardly watch "Twister" without freaking out. It was like watching wild animals and knowing they were gonna kill people. Just totally freaked me out.

I am glad you can do that..and I am really glad there are other people that can. But just be aware that even now, sometimes you will only get a 3-4 minute warning on that siren. Please don't take chances with your life.

Karen (self admitted tornado-phobe)

[Synopsis]

They're something to be amazed by, but they are also something to be wary of. I do enjoy watching coverage on TV, but that's about as close as I want to get..

[colleeng47]

Well, one of the reasons we wanted to move to OK was because of the tornadoes. My daughter is contemplating studying meterology so she can chase storms. Every time there is a severe weather warning, she and I go outside to see what we can see. So far all of our warnings have been at night, and you can't really see anything, unless there are a lot of lightning strikes.

During the very windy storms we had this past week, I had to ORDER her to stay inside because I was afraid of something flying through the air and striking her. I can honestly say I don't have a fear of tornadoes, I find them fascinating and interesting, and would love to see one (just not TOO up close and personal.)

BTW, I saw "Twister" on the big screen when it first came out, and loved it. We own it and have watched it over and over again.

[Chickrae]

Originally Posted by LeaveWI

Maybe there IS something a little wrong with me. Im' just fascinated w/ tornadoes!!! Even back in WI, on the rare occasions we'd get a t-Warning, I'd be out there checking it out! I feel a rush and thrill when the sirens go off here, then I go out and see what I can see. I realize,and have seen the awful destruction and shattering of lives that they can do,and while I observe safely, I don;t have a lot of fear of them, just a ton of respect of what they can do.
Is this normal? , especially when I see posts about folks not wanting to move to OK because of them, maybe they are the wise ones, and I'm the foolish one. I actually feel more fear driving on the highways around Tulsa, than I do of a tornado.
I actually took classes on the subject of severe storms in college, which only piqued my interest. My dream job would be that of strom chaser, or something tornado related, although those jobs are pretty hard to get I think.
Anyways, thanks for reading, just throwing the question out there, and seeing if there are any others who feel the same. Keep in mind, I observe them as safely as possible, no Jackass style stunts that put me in needless danger.

On tv they look facisnating....not sure I would want to have to run or get shelter from one. I do however love the lightening storms.

[TheComputerGuy]

Originally Posted by Chickrae

On tv they look facisnating....not sure I would want to have to run or get shelter from one. I do however love the lightening storms.

I never minded thunderstorms back East,
but the ones in OK tend to keep me awake
because you never know if one will be accompanied by a tornado...
(And all those dang sirens aren't conducive to sleeping either.)

Having never heard an actual tornado, the rolling thunder can sometimes get my attention...

I have learned to turn the d*mn weather radio off on stormy nights though...
After the tornado warning, there's really no reason to keep being alerted
and waken up constantly...

Since there's no scaredy hole here, and I'm not the kind of guy that would
flee to a public shelter in the middle of the night,
I've developed a fatalistic attitude about tornadoes....

I don't worry too much....
If we're good with God, we're OK either way...
(Pun intended.)

If I had any real fear of the storms, I couldn't live here.

[TU 'cane]

You know you're in Oklahoma when your neighbors are out on their porch looking to the skies when the sirens go off.

[TheComputerGuy]

Originally Posted by TU 'cane

You know you're in Oklahoma when your neighbors are out on their porch looking to the skies when the sirens go off.

I did that the first time I heard the sirens my first week here...
I even re-designated my Stetson as my "Tornado Hat" because it keeps the rain
off my glasses....

These days, I watch the progress of the storm on TV and hope for the best...
This place has been here for 50 years and there's a mature tree in the yard...

It's no guaranty, but our odds are pretty good.

[Ted_Foster]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

They're something to be amazed by, but they are also something to be wary of. I do enjoy watching coverage on TV, but that's about as close as I want to get..

Agreed.

[BigOkie]

For as much as people whine and complain about our meteorlogists in this part of the country, the technology they have in Tornado Alley, specifically in Oklahoma is second to none in the nation. We are the envy of all meteorlogists simply because we have to have the most up to date technology to save lives.

Keep that in mind when your favorite program is being pre-empted. You may be affected by being inconvenienced, but that family with two children that is in the path of the storm are quite happy when they are able to take shelter because of those meteorologists.

I know; I've had to take that shelter, even though the storm skipped over me.