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Old 02-20-2014, 08:07 PM
 
18 posts, read 39,624 times
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I'm full of questions, but Im hoping this will be my last!

I was reading about the May 20th Tornado, and journalists were saying how there was a 3 day warning of the storm.

Now, when you know something may happen, when do you know when to take shelter? I mean obviously you cannot hang out in a storm shelter all day. So how close do you wait until you go underground? Do the newscasters read off streets the tornado is near, and when it comes closer you just go to your shelter?

Sorry if this sounds stupid, Im just trying to get as much info as possible on the subject.
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Old 02-20-2014, 08:29 PM
 
Location: Area 51.5
13,887 posts, read 13,604,670 times
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They tell you where it is and which direction it's heading. Sometimes they're wrong, such as with the one that killed the storm chasers. The things can switch direction on a whim. And there were a lot of them that day. But for the most part, they can pinpoint them accurately. If you have a shelter, you have time to get to safety. You go when the thing is spotted, not when it's forecast. A 3-day forecast, for example, is telling you conditions are prime but that just means you need to be aware, not run for cover.

There will never be a 3-day warning. The warning comes when one is forming and/or already there. The weather people screech and the sirens wail. You will know.

And sometimes you die anyway.
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Old 02-21-2014, 12:25 AM
 
Location: Muncie, IN
588 posts, read 1,312,541 times
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In Tornado Alley (actually most states east of the Rockies) have loud sirens throughout the cities. Even small towns and villages have sirens. YouTube tornado siren to get a feel of what it sounds like. These go off when there is a tornado warning and can be headed throughout the area. They are very loud if you are close by. They also test these sirens weekly to make sure they work. This is how most are alerted to a tornado in the area. Usually lead time is about 15 minutes. Of course, you are aware of possible tornadoes from listening to weather reports on the news days in advanced. Other methods of recieving information are push alert apps that warn you of severe weather on your phone or a NOAA weather radio. Local radio stations also cover tornados in the area. The best thing you can do is listen to the news and the weather. They will tell you if severe weather is possible. There is no way to exactly predict where a tornado will occur to the point but we issue tornado watches which mean that there is the chance of tornadoes in a certain area (usually encompassing a large part of the state). We issue tornado warnings when there is indication from a storm that a tornado is on the ground or it has been called in by spotters. Google the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning. If you take the precautions and have a plan in place (like underground) you will not die. If a tornado is on the ground threatening the OKC area, all the local news stations are covering the tornados. They will name streets and tell you where they think it's headed. As I said earlier, most that have lived here for a long time have never seen a tornado before. You will see hail, lightning, heavy rain, wind and snow far more often than being threatened by a tornado. Your chances of actually seeing a tornado even in the distance are very very slim.

These questions are okay. I know how scary tornadoes are but if you take the right precautions and are aware, you will be fine. If worst comes to worst and a tornado hits your house if you are underground, you will be fine. If you are in an interior hallway or a bathroom in the center of the house, you will most likely be okay. If it is an EF4+ you are SOL If you have no underground shelter but the chances of that are tiny. You still have a high chance of survival even in that scenario.
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Old 02-21-2014, 06:18 AM
 
Location: Oklahoma
17,618 posts, read 13,433,465 times
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Generally, the "three day warning" you are talking about is where the meteorologists indicate that the conditions are right for tornadoes to spawn. What was unique about the May 20th storm was that it formed real rapidly and formed just about 7 miles from Moore which gave people little warning to take cover.

Generally most storms form out in the country somewhere and start moving NE. The trackers tell you exactly where the storm is and as it moves toward a populated area people have time to take cover as it comes near. That wasn't the case on May 20th but is usually the case. However, this happens because there is more country than there is city. They form where they form and if they form in or near a populated area, if you live north or east of that area you need to start paying attention quickly.
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Old 02-21-2014, 08:11 AM
 
Location: Area 51.5
13,887 posts, read 13,604,670 times
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Believe it or not, the bathtub is one of the safest places if you don't have access to a shelter. Put a helmet on your head and climb into the tub, pulling as many blankets as you can, or even a mattress, over your body.

Like Zach says, for F4 or higher, you really need to be underground. Unfortunately, in Oklahoma City there are few underground places to hide.

If you're like most people, when there is a tornado warning you'll stand outside in your yard, looking for the thing. I'm not saying I recommend you do that. It's kinda like a train wreck: You just have to look!

The unfortunate thing about tornado sirens is they go off all over town; they aren't specific to the area where a tornado is forming. You'll see the sirens all over town. They are roughly the same height as a cell tower.

When the forecasters start talking about wall clouds, it's time to really pay attention.

Really, don't spend much time worrying about them. Just be aware of the differences between forecasts and actual warnings. Driving through town on I-40 is far more dangerous than a tornado.
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Old 02-21-2014, 12:21 PM
 
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If a tornado is on the ground, and its in your city/town, do you immediately go underground? Or do you wait till its like 6 blocks from your house? Ive seen plenty of rentals with in ground storm shelters located in the garage, and how the heck do you get air in there? I guess Im just paranoid. In Southern California where i live it barely even rains, so going where there is severe weather has me stressing.
Do they offer tornado classes or something, that do point by point procedures, for newbies to the area?
Its such a different situation, and we have a 7 month old baby, so I want to be educated on these things! My grandmother, who is from the Norman area, moved to CA back in the mid 40s, and lets just say shes not too chipper on the idea of her grand daughter going there! But things are so different now then when she and my grandfather were there.
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Old 02-21-2014, 01:00 PM
 
Location: Area 51.5
13,887 posts, read 13,604,670 times
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If one is on the ground and in your area, you immediately go to shelter. Don't wait.

OKC is very spread out. If one is on the ground at Western and Britton and you live at SW 59th and May, for example, it's not gonna get you. It would be a good idea to have a map of OKC and surrounding towns. If you live in Midwest City and there's one in Piedmont heading northeast, you're going to be OK.

I moved here from Kansas some 20 years ago. One of the first things I noticed is here, the weather people might tell you where something is but they don't give you an idea of the vicinity. In Kansas, they would give clues, such as, "20 miles west of Wichita." Here, they just say, "Yukon", and if you're new to the area, you might not have a clue where Yukon is. Or here, they might say, "Wilshire and Council", without telling you what area of town that is. They really need to up their game and be more descriptive of locations.

Keep in mind, too, that in tornado activity, a car is one of the worst places to be. Do not get into your car and attempt to outrun it.

Keep asking questions. The more knowledge you have, the better you can prepare.
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Old 02-21-2014, 01:14 PM
 
Location: Area 51.5
13,887 posts, read 13,604,670 times
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Oh, and I meant to say, I've never been inside the new-fangled shelters, but I would assume they all have ventilation systems and battery-operated fans.
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Old 02-21-2014, 02:56 PM
 
Location: Pawnee Nation
7,525 posts, read 16,909,297 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AFraser View Post
...... when you know something may happen, when do you know when to take shelter? ..........
I generally wait till I'm out of scotch or vodka before I seek shelter. When I wake up, and the house is standing, it missed me. So far, after 65 years, its always missed......
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Old 02-25-2014, 02:12 PM
 
Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma
30,976 posts, read 21,477,869 times
Reputation: 9675
Quote:
Originally Posted by AFraser View Post
I'm full of questions, but Im hoping this will be my last!

I was reading about the May 20th Tornado, and journalists were saying how there was a 3 day warning of the storm.

Now, when you know something may happen, when do you know when to take shelter? I mean obviously you cannot hang out in a storm shelter all day. So how close do you wait until you go underground? Do the newscasters read off streets the tornado is near, and when it comes closer you just go to your shelter?

Sorry if this sounds stupid, Im just trying to get as much info as possible on the subject.
Take the shelter immediately when the electricity goes out. That means the tornado is tearing out power lines up the street. Also immediately take shelter if you hear a roaring noise. If the tornado isn't taking out power lines that serve your house as it approaches, then you may hear the roaring noise first. This only assumes your shelter is available in your house or yard. Don't dare dare driving to a shelter when the two above situations named have happened.
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