In the event of a tornado...

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by tilli

We DO get tornados here, I saw on the news yesterday where we are actually third in the country for tornados. They are almost always of the relatively weak variety, but an F0 can wreck your house just as bad as an F5, it just won't take out half your neighborhood at the same time. They often spawn in the wake of hurricanes when the atmosphere is extremely unstable, but they also happen in association with spring fronts and even summer afternoon thundershowers. I have personally witnessed two tornados in Tampa plus several waterspouts. There isn't much you can do to hide from them as we don't have basements in Florida. Interior rooms with no windows are often recommended. Do yourself a favor and don't live in a trailer.

To the OP - if your phobia extends to strong storms and not just tornados, this is really just not the state for you. I always laugh at the "Sunshine State" thing. They should be more honest and dub us the "Lightning State".

I think you heard wrong or most likely, the TV people were wrong or exxagerating. I have lived here my whole life (40 years) and have never seen a tornado. Sure, they happen, like the one in polk county a couple weeks ago, but they are pretty rare and always weak. There is zero reason to fret a tornado here.

[Strel]

Originally Posted by lilacmama32

I live in MI and will be relocating to Florida within the year. I have a huge fear of tornadoes and wonder how people deal with evacuations or do they just ride the storms out in FL? In MI was have basements and I understand that is not an option in the sunshine state.

We are looking at the Land O Lakes area all the way down to Apollo Beach for our relocation. I will be working in Riverview and want somewhere nice, low crime and good schools (like everyone else on the board) I also want to avoid any tornado ally's. We have common area's for storm patterns here and I wonder what they might be on the Gulf side besides a hurricane.

Is it better to get a concrete house than a normal stick built? Does the concete holdup to the weather better? Is it more efficent for A/C?

Thanks!

Lilacmama32

Yes we have tornadoes in Florida. No you cannot have a basement in that part of Florida unless you like breathing radioactive radon gas.

But the chances of a tornado hitting YOUR house are so remote that it is hardly worth worrying about. It's not Oklahoma. Tornadoes will sometimes spin off hurricanes but it's still unlikely you would ever get hit let alone even see one.

Lightning is much more of a concern. That part of Florida experiences almost daily thunderstorms in the summer, and while small and short lived, they can be violent and have a lot of lightning.

[TerdFerguson]

Originally Posted by crazynip

I think you heard wrong or most likely, the TV people were wrong or exxagerating. I have lived here my whole life (40 years) and have never seen a tornado. Sure, they happen, like the one in polk county a couple weeks ago, but they are pretty rare and always weak. There is zero reason to fret a tornado here.

Totally agree. We get some here but they are almost always weak. No big deal.

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by Strel

Yes we have tornadoes in Florida. No you cannot have a basement in that part of Florida unless you like breathing radioactive radon gas..

Homes in Florida do not have basements due to the high water table, not radon gas... just wanted to clear this up

[craigm1841]

Originally Posted by crazynip

Homes in Florida do not have basements due to the high water table, not radon gas... just wanted to clear this up

you didnt know? If you dig three feet below the surface of Florida, you will release substantial amounts of death rays into the universe killing everyone, including god. This is why we dont have basements in Florida.

That said- there is radon gas in the soil in Florida which can be dangerous, but this is not why we dont have basements, you are right, it is in fact the water table. this is also why a lot of in ground swimming pools are those crappy artifically manufactured whole pools placed in the ground, and the ones that arent are typically gunnite/shotcrete as opposed to lined inground pools found up north.

Gunnite is a higher quality than lined pools, but substanitally more expensive. Therefore, the common folk get inground pre-manufactured pools.

[tilli]

Originally Posted by Maggi07

An F0 tornado can not do anywhere near the damage of an F5. Not even close. Wind speeds are 40-72 mph. It can break branches and cause relatively minor damage. It isn't even capable of tearing off the roof, unless it's in terrible shape. An F5 will pick up a large house and smash it back down, making it unrecognizable as a former house.

The Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity

I didn't mean it literally. I mean, if your house is ruined by a tornado it really won't really matter if it was a weak one or a strong one, either way, it sucks to be you. If you have a phobia of tornados somehow I think the idea that they are only little tornados will be small consolation.

The reason we are said to have so many tornadoes is because the waterspouts are included in the count. Almost no waterspouts make it on shore or do any damage and they are fairly common.

That would make sense.

Originally Posted by crazynip

I think you heard wrong or most likely, the TV people were wrong or exxagerating. I have lived here my whole life (40 years) and have never seen a tornado.

I didn't go digging too deep to defend Mr. Delgado's assertion, but this chart from NOAA would seem to support him. No one denies that Florida storms are typically on the relatively weak end of the scale but they are relatively numerous.

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/safety/guideimg/pic14.jpg