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Went through a Tornado - less than a quarter-mile off the main path -about 10 years ago. Sustained some minor damage to the home, and the neighborhood was covered in downed trees. Moved 70~ miles north from Metro-Atlanta a couple of years later, though the move was unrelated.
Tornado warning sirens went off in our community the other night about 11 PM. We sit on a ridge too. Frankly, beyond the moment, I haven't given fear of Tornados much thought.
Expect it is like SoCalians not being overly fearful of the big one.
And, it is the collision of cold and warm air, not necessarily humidity that spawns Tornados.
You have been through alot. I went through Hurricane Andrew in Homestead....I dread hurricane season every year. I am curious, NEG, what states are still on your list of possible places to live?
For me (taking into consideration many things besides just natural and manmade disasters), I believe I've shifted my choices to where I am (Mass.) or Maine (staying with LiveContent's formula of the five F's).
Last edited by RiverBird; 03-04-2012 at 06:51 AM..
I gave the subject a lot of thought in pre-retirement planning and ultimately decided to stay put in an area that doesn't suffer from a reputation or history of extreme weather, fires and earthquake risk. I just don't want to be bothered by it.
A dash of prudence goes a long way toward avoiding hassles. No place is perfectly safe from Mom nature, but one can up the odds of avoiding the worst of it. That view (and a backup generator) will hopefully prove out. So far, so good (as he knocks on wood).
Well it's one thing to have to live in a place (due to job/livelihood/family) and another to purposely choose to move to a place. And seniors/retirees have much different considerations than those who are younger and can rebuild after disasters. The question is, unless you have a definite livelihood or family factor to choose to live in tornado/earthquake (etc) regions, is it best for you personally to do it? Some folks want warm beaches year round and are willing to dismiss the possibility of a ferocious coastal hurricane. Others would like living near beaches but remember being in hurricanes and they say no way. But as I said, above, with the new climate changes these disasters are freak in nature, more and more so all the time. You really for the most part can't avoid at least one of them, but you can prepare, and you can (if you want) hedge your bets by not deliberately moving into a prone area.
Mother Nature will get you if she's so inclined no matter where you are. I've weathered typhoons both on the land in a coastal village in Japan and at sea in then Pacific Ocean. A tornado in Virginia cut a swath that missed our house by a matter of feet and was powerful enough to twist a giant oak tree in our back yard out of the ground. While in Kentucky I lost count of the tornado warnings that sent us into a safe place. In California I've experienced a number of earthquakes, some major, as well as a huge forest fire that swept down a mountainside to within two blocks of my home, followed by mudslides a few months later that took out my street, front lawn and buried 36 houses one street over. Add monsoons and floods and now the Branson tornado and life has not been dull. In fact, shortly after moving here while watching a beautiful thunderstorm from the "safety" of my garage with the door open, a huge lightening bolt struck in my driveway about 30 feet from where I stood and literally blew me to the back of the garage. The day of the Joplin tornado I stood in about the same place looking out my garage and counted four funnel clouds to the north of us over the lake and two more to the west of us moving in, all at one time.
Yeah, Mother Nature can be capricious and she's never dull but I am not dissuaded from living where I wish despite the risks and we certainly won't be moving anytime soon. Life can certainly be an 'E' Ticket ride! It's half the fun.b
On Friday, I got the take shelter immediately warning. It's about the 5th time in 5 years. You are watching TV, the screen goes black and the Emergency Alert System come on and tells you to take shelter immediately. It doesn't matter if you are watching regular TV, cable, or On Demand. There is no time to drive to someplace, like for a hurricane. Immediately means right now. I live in an apartment complex in suburbia. There is no basement nor has there been one in any place I've ever lived as an adult. They tell you to go to a small inside room (I have a walk-in closet) and cover your head and/or get in the bathtub and cover yourself. If you are on the road they tell you to get in a ditch. I'm thinking if I don't die from the tornado, what happens if I can't get up out of the ditch or the bathtub after the tornado has passed? (I swear, they reported a mud slide somewhere on Friday and I was thinking it probably killed all of those people laying in a ditch trying to avoid a tornado when they were on the road, but I digress...)
The local weather guy, and they broadcast all night on Friday, said if you have a helmet, put it (not kidding) on so I'm thinking today's wussy kids that I make fun of for riding a tricycle/bike with a helmet on are going to have the last laugh when they all walk out of the wreckage in their pink Barbie tricycle helmets and I die because I can't get out of the bathtub after laying down in it.
Okay, but seriously, it's no joke. I'm thinking of getting a weather alert for my cell phone. What happens when these things come at 1:00A and you are asleep? I donate generously to folks like the Salvation Army after tornados hit. Last year, I drove through a town in the southwestern part of Virginia the day after a tornado crossed the Interstate and hit their rural town. I started to cry because the damage I could see from the road was really bad.
I would worry more about earthquakes. I can't imagine not trusting the ground you are standing on.
On Friday, I got the take shelter immediately warning. It's about the 5th time in 5 years. You are watching TV, the screen goes black and the Emergency Alert System come on and tells you to take shelter immediately. It doesn't matter if you are watching regular TV, cable, or On Demand. There is no time to drive to someplace, like for a hurricane. Immediately means right now. I live in an apartment complex in suburbia. There is no basement nor has there been one in any place I've ever lived as an adult. They tell you to go to a small inside room (I have a walk-in closet) and cover your head and/or get in the bathtub and cover yourself. If you are on the road they tell you to get in a ditch. I'm thinking if I don't die from the tornado, what happens if I can't get up out of the ditch or the bathtub after the tornado has passed? (I swear, they reported a mud slide somewhere on Friday and I was thinking it probably killed all of those people laying in a ditch trying to avoid a tornado when they were on the road, but I digress...)
The local weather guy, and they broadcast all night on Friday, said if you have a helmet, put it (not kidding) on so I'm thinking today's wussy kids that I make fun of for riding a tricycle/bike with a helmet on are going to have the last laugh when they all walk out of the wreckage in their pink Barbie tricycle helmets and I die because I can't get out of the bathtub after laying down in it.
Okay, but seriously, it's no joke. I'm thinking of getting a weather alert for my cell phone. What happens when these things come at 1:00A and you are asleep? I donate generously to folks like the Salvation Army after tornados hit. Last year, I drove through a town in the southwestern part of Virginia the day after a tornado crossed the Interstate and hit their rural town. I started to cry because the damage I could see from the road was really bad.
I would worry more about earthquakes. I can't imagine not trusting the ground you are standing on.
Buy a weather radio. It will sound an alarm if there is danger in your area. It is very loud and will definately wake you up.
On Friday, I got the take shelter immediately warning. It's about the 5th time in 5 years. You are watching TV, the screen goes black and the Emergency Alert System come on and tells you to take shelter immediately. It doesn't matter if you are watching regular TV, cable, or On Demand. There is no time to drive to someplace, like for a hurricane. Immediately means right now. I live in an apartment complex in suburbia. There is no basement nor has there been one in any place I've ever lived as an adult. They tell you to go to a small inside room (I have a walk-in closet) and cover your head and/or get in the bathtub and cover yourself. If you are on the road they tell you to get in a ditch. I'm thinking if I don't die from the tornado, what happens if I can't get up out of the ditch or the bathtub after the tornado has passed? (I swear, they reported a mud slide somewhere on Friday and I was thinking it probably killed all of those people laying in a ditch trying to avoid a tornado when they were on the road, but I digress...)
The local weather guy, and they broadcast all night on Friday, said if you have a helmet, put it (not kidding) on so I'm thinking today's wussy kids that I make fun of for riding a tricycle/bike with a helmet on are going to have the last laugh when they all walk out of the wreckage in their pink Barbie tricycle helmets and I die because I can't get out of the bathtub after laying down in it.
Okay, but seriously, it's no joke. I'm thinking of getting a weather alert for my cell phone. What happens when these things come at 1:00A and you are asleep? I donate generously to folks like the Salvation Army after tornados hit. Last year, I drove through a town in the southwestern part of Virginia the day after a tornado crossed the Interstate and hit their rural town. I started to cry because the damage I could see from the road was really bad.
I would worry more about earthquakes. I can't imagine not trusting the ground you are standing on.
Laura and TnGirl and other fellow Tennesseans, I've been wondering how you are doing! Are you anywhere near Knoxville? Did it hit all of northeast TN?
Glad to know you are alright, Laura. What a nightmare. Are you going to stay living where you are after this?
I would never live in tornado country without a basement. A bathtub is better than nothing, but many who rent have only a shower stall, slim protection both. Helmet, yes. Cell phone clipped to you at all times. Stay safe.
Virginia has experienced some devastating hurricanes. We were on vacation in southern coastal Virginia about two weeks after hurricane Isabel. There was tremendous devastation and many towns were still without electricity. I have never seen as many downed trees as I did on that trip.
It's southwest VA where I was considering and the counties I've looked into have had but a few minimal or no tornadoes in over 60 years. I would never live on the coast in that area because of the hurricanes. It isn't worth it.
Just checking in with all of you. Friday we were under a tornado watch most of the day. The mayor closed all the county offices early so everyone could get home. According to our local news station, out of Nashville, it was to hit here about 4 p.m., and sure enough, it started raining and blowing and thunder and lightning. The watch turned to a "warning" about 6 p.m. Lucky for us, it went north of us (as well as south) and while the wind and pelting rain was unreal, probably the worst I've heard in the 6 years living here, we survived and had no damage....none. Thank God! And it's not even tornado season, which typically occurs in April, May, and June!!
On Wednesday the bad weather produced a tornado that hit in the Cookeville area, east/NE of us. Those poor people, here it came again on Friday. NEG, I don't remember hearing about anything in eastern TN. I know you are/were thinking about that area.
When we moved here, we knew of the tornado risks. But we were still convinced that this was where we wanted to be.
I have lived in so. cal. and survived 2 earthquakes. The "experts" say that the BIG ONE is going to hit and all of the west coast will drop off into the Pacific Ocean. I have lived in WA, just west of Mount Rainier, and the "experts" say that the dormant volcano is due for the BIG ONE and it will blanket the entire west coast of WA. When we married and bought out first house, it was 2 months after Mt. St. Helens blew (1980).
I have lived in Prescott, AZ where forest fires are a constant threat. I have lived in Tunica, MS on a fish camp (on the MS. River) that was totally flooded out last year by the Mississippi floods. I don't know if they have rebuilt that area or not. But it was eerie to see photos of the river engulfing where we lived. Since I can't swim, the thought of that water really freaked me out.
The only other place that I think I would consider moving, at this point in my life, is western Idaho where my niece lives, Kamiah. I have a second niece that is considering building a summer home there, and their mom (my sister) would like to live there too. It sure would be nice to live near my family again.
I figure that when it's my time to go, the good Lord will take me, whether it's a car wreck, weather event, heart attack, or something else.
Hey Curmudgeon, when you said life was an "e" ticket, I immediately thought of the ticket books at Disneyland. The "e" tickets were always the least favorite rides. Don't know if that's what you were referring to, but it brought back a lot of memories. I think I still have some unused "e" tickets!!
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Frankly, beyond the moment, I haven't given fear of Tornados much thought.
(I swear, they reported a mud slide somewhere on Friday and I was thinking it probably killed all of those people laying in a ditch trying to avoid a tornado when they were on the road, but I digress...) 
Friday's tornados
