Getting Up Close And Personal With A Tornado
@purplealabaster (22091)
United States
October 20, 2009 1:15pm CST
A week ago last Friday, I was having fun with my friends here on myLot. It was obvious that a storm was coming, so I took the little one and went outside to get our outdoor chores done before the storm hit. When I got back on the computer, I noticed an alert about a tornado watch in our area. About a minute later, I heard a loud siren. I asked my parents what it was, and they said it was the tornado siren and that it was a warning for everybody to get inside and take cover. The siren stopped after a minute or two, and my parents just went on about their business like nothing had happened. My dad went out on the back porch to watch the storm, and my mom was picking up some stuff and getting ready to go out onto the front porch to watch the storm. I guess they split up like that just to make sure that if a tornado really was going to hit, they would see it no matter which direction it came from.
Since my parents didn't seem at all bothered by the siren or the threat of a tornado, I didn't worry about it, either. I was about to get back on the computer, when I heard a loud crash, which I thought was thunder. Almost immediately, the siren started blaring again, and it didn't stop. I went to the front door and saw a huge grayish-black cloud that stretched from the sky all the way down to the ground. I started to yell to my parents that we were about to get a really bad storm, when I realized that the "cloud" was spinning. I just stood there and stared at it for a minute, because I wasn't sure that I was really seeing a tornado. Then I noticed the funnel, and I yelled that we needed to take cover immediately. Mom had already gone outside to get Dad when I said that we were getting a really bad storm, so they hurried inside and went to get in the closet. I told them to take my little one with them, but I was going to go outside, because I saw one of our neighbors in a car right in front of the house. We were directly in the path of the storm, and I was going to try to get them inside before the storm hit.
As I was opening the door to go outside, I saw trees and furniture flying across the front yard. I knew at that point that I wouldn't make it to the car let alone back again. Besides, the wind was so strong that I couldn't even open the screen door to get outside. I raced to get into the closet and prayed that the people in the car would be safe. I didn't make it into the closet before the tornado hit with a deafening crash and earth-shaking rumble. It only lasted a minute or two, but it was terrifying none the less. Afterwards, there was wind and rain for a while, and then there was just an eerie calm and silence.
I was surprised how quickly there were emergency vehicles checking on each house to make sure that everyone was alright. Fortunately, there were no life-threatening injuries from the storm, but there was tremendous property damage. As soon as they had cleared a way out, we had an emergency evacuation that day but were allowed back in the next day to start the clean-up. It was really heartening to see everyone working together to help clean up and re-build each others properities. The worst of nature brought out the best in humanity.
Has anybody else ever been up close and personal with a tornado or other natural disaster? Did it bring out the good in people or did everyone only take care of themselves? Have you ever ignored a warning only for it to almost end in disaster or do you always heed the warnings and take cover?
6 people like this
12 responses
@UK_Shree (3603)
•
20 Oct 09
Wow, well that sure does sound like a very scary experience and it is good to hear that nobody's lives were threatened, and also I think it is great that the emergency services were so capable of handling the situation.
I have never actually been so close to anything like this before, therefore I am afraid I cannot answer completely how I have seen people react etc, but I would like to think it would bring out the best and most helpful side in people.
3 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
20 Oct 09
The army was there to keep people that didn't live in the area out. Some people said that it was to prevent looting, but I think it was more to prevent injuries, because the area was a mess and very dangerous. The less people wandering around the better, because there were actually more injuries from the clean-up than the actual tornado.
I was really surprised and impressed that the emergency services were there so quickly, especially since it is a very rural farm area. I think they actually were quicker and better prepared than most cities. Also, they were very helpful and offered assistance wherever possible.
I have seen news footage of looting and rioting in large cities after disasters, so I guess I wasn't sure how people would react. I was very pleasantly surprised to see how everyone was so concerned about everyone else, though, and how people just pitched in and helped out without even being asked. It was one of the things that kept me going after seeing how badly the area was destroyed. It was also pretty amazing seeing how quickly things were cleaned-up when everyone worked together. There is still a lot to do, but at least it doesn't look like such a disaster area anymore.
@babyangie27 (5176)
• United States
20 Oct 09
My mom told me a story once of when my she lived in a apartment high rise and her one son was almost ripped from her hands when a tornado hit. Ever since then I always check the skies and if I even see green or anything like that I run to the closet of tub with lots of blankets.
I am a scared cat this is no lie. My dad would always sit by the window while me and Mom went to the basement for safety. My husband is the same way. He says he wants to be a storm chaser 
But so far no phones are ringing on that one 
It is good to see people come togther and I am glad you all are ok.
But so far no phones are ringing on that one
It is good to see people come togther and I am glad you all are ok.
@babyangie27 (5176)
• United States
20 Oct 09
wow that is crazy hun and Thank God for that thing changing directions!
3 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
20 Oct 09
Yeah, I knew that it was a close one, but it really hit me when he told me that it changed course at the last minute. It totally demolished a trailer park and some homes when it changed direction, but fortunately most people were at work or school, so that is probably why there weren't any serious injuries. The path that it originally was on would have taken it across more farms where people were working, so there would have been a lot more injuries and probably casualities.
2 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
20 Oct 09
Yeah, my niece found out that I saw the tornado forming, well it was probably already formed but I didn't realize it until it got closer. She is a wanna-be storm chaser, too, and she wanted to know why I didn't grab my camera and film it. I wanted to reach through the phone and smack her, but I knew that she was just giving me a hard time. My husband almost had a heart-attack when he found out that I wanted to go outside in it and try to rescue the people in the car. It's probably a good thing he was one the other end of the phone, too, or he probably would have smacked me upside the head.
Our neighbor's brother lives right across from us (where I saw the tornado coming from), and he said that it changed direction right before it reached us. If it had stayed on course, it would have demolished his house and ours, too. His wife and kids couldn't get into the storm cellar, because a tree came down on it as they were heading out of the house to go in it, and we don't have a basement, so I don't even want to think about what it would have done to us. His brother lost part of his house, two barns and two outbuildings from it. In fact, we had part of one of his outbuildings in our yard.
3 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
21 Oct 09
Gosh I wa sglued to my seat reading that!
What happened to the people in the car? They were ok I hope?
Over here we don't get tornados. We get earthquakes but not in the area that I live though I have felt the effect of those that have taken place a long distance away.
We had weeks of torrential rain a few years back which caused flooding and that did involve the house where I was living at the time. I left work that evening and drove home and as I got nearer the traffic drove to a standstill and then water, brown muddy water, started pouring along the road coming from the direction that I was heading. I just stuck it out in the car until it was obvious I wasn't going to be able to drive any further then just gathered things from the car and walked, with trousers rolled up to my knees, towards home in the water. At the bottom of my road, which was on a hill and that was where the water was coming from, were the police and fire crews. They accompanied me home once they knew that I lived on the second floor. The basement and the ground floor were completely flooded and many of my belongings were destroyed but up in my home all was ok. I was without eletricity and gas for three days and then it was mud, mud and more mud for weeks after until all was cleared up.
That was the nearest I have been to any type of natural disaster and that's fine by me 
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
21 Oct 09
What I didn't think about was the fact that once I got home there would be no hot water I was drenched as it was raining and even though I rolled the legs of my trousers uptome knees the water was deep and I got soaked just the same. I kep my shoes on so as not to injure my feet but they were thrown out as soon as I took them off. HAving no hot water to shower with for three days after wards was not easy to put up with as muddy water is darn mucky!
I was lucky that I didn't get dragged away but the place where the mountain river had burst its banks was unders control by the time I got to the bottomof my road and the flow of water was only very slight by then and not enough to drag me away anywhere thank goodness!
I was drenched as it was raining and even though I rolled the legs of my trousers uptome knees the water was deep and I got soaked just the same. I kep my shoes on so as not to injure my feet but they were thrown out as soon as I took them off. HAving no hot water to shower with for three days after wards was not easy to put up with as muddy water is darn mucky!
I was lucky that I didn't get dragged away but the place where the mountain river had burst its banks was unders control by the time I got to the bottomof my road and the flow of water was only very slight by then and not enough to drag me away anywhere thank goodness!1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
21 Oct 09
Fortunately, the people in the car were alright. They backed-up when they saw me at the door. I think they were going to try to come up the driveway and get inside, but they couldn't make it and just stopped on the road near the end of the driveway. That was actually the perfect spot, because a tree by where they originally were came down across the road, and one of the trees in the front yard was uprooted and came down across the driveway. They were right between the two, so they remained unharmed but just a few yards either way and they would have been crushed.
I was almost in a flood, and that was scary enough. I was trying to get home from work and the river had risen and flooded the road. I thought about trying to drive through it, but I decided to turn around and spend the night at my parents' house - that was back when they lived around me. Afterwards, I found out that one of the emergency vehicles was trying to rescue a car that didn't turn back, and both vehicles were washed away. It was very sad. I definitely don't think I would have gotten out of my car and walked home in it, because that is very dangerous. On the other hand, I was going to go outside in the middle of a tornado, so I probably would have done exactly what you did.
I can't imagine living in your house during that. It must have been awful and very scary. I hope you didn't live alone. That would have scared me more than anything, because if something happened there wouldn't be anyone there to help. When we don't have power we don't have water either, so we wouldn't have been able to live there anyways, but I don't think I would have chosen to if we did. On the other hand, I don't think I would have wanted to be away from home that long, because we were chomping at the bit to get back home and start clean-up right after the tornado, and we were only gone overnight.
I was almost in a flood, and that was scary enough. I was trying to get home from work and the river had risen and flooded the road. I thought about trying to drive through it, but I decided to turn around and spend the night at my parents' house - that was back when they lived around me. Afterwards, I found out that one of the emergency vehicles was trying to rescue a car that didn't turn back, and both vehicles were washed away. It was very sad. I definitely don't think I would have gotten out of my car and walked home in it, because that is very dangerous. On the other hand, I was going to go outside in the middle of a tornado, so I probably would have done exactly what you did.
I can't imagine living in your house during that. It must have been awful and very scary. I hope you didn't live alone. That would have scared me more than anything, because if something happened there wouldn't be anyone there to help. When we don't have power we don't have water either, so we wouldn't have been able to live there anyways, but I don't think I would have chosen to if we did. On the other hand, I don't think I would have wanted to be away from home that long, because we were chomping at the bit to get back home and start clean-up right after the tornado, and we were only gone overnight.@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
22 Oct 09
Alice, that is really scary thinking about the fact that you live alone and wouldn't have any way to contact your family or friends.
I thought it was awful that we didn't have power for a day or so, but at least we had each other. We did have to spend the first night in a hotel due to the emergency evacuation, and fortunately by the second evening we had power back, so we were able to stay home.
I really hope that you are able to move closer to your family soon, Alice, because then I won't have to be as worried about you having a problem and not being able to contact anyone. Also, I am sure that you miss your family.
I thought it was awful that we didn't have power for a day or so, but at least we had each other. We did have to spend the first night in a hotel due to the emergency evacuation, and fortunately by the second evening we had power back, so we were able to stay home.
I really hope that you are able to move closer to your family soon, Alice, because then I won't have to be as worried about you having a problem and not being able to contact anyone. Also, I am sure that you miss your family.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
20 Oct 09
hi purple yes indeed I lived in tornado alley in South Dakota when we saw a tornado anywhere on the horizon we just dashed for the cellar and stayed til it blew past. we were never in the direct path of one luckily but my mom and I watched this one afternoon , about a mile or two away on the horizon were three tornadoes dancing along one after the other a very large black one, a medium sized one, and bringing up the rear a smaller one, moving fast but going way past us. the next day we drove out to Spearfish where it had struck and helped people pick up the pieces, and I do mean pieces of their lives. baby buggy up in a tree, a roof from a house sitting squarely on an empty foundation of another house, destruction everywhere, it just simply made me cry.some people had just lost everything,nothing was spared. so sad and in just minutes too.small town people and country people will always work together in any catastrophe and they did then too.
2 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
20 Oct 09
That must have been quite a sight to watch. You were very lucky to never have been in the direct path of a tornado, though. From now on, I will definitely respect the siren and take cover, even though we don't have a cellar at my parents' house.
Yeah, I cried when I saw what it had done, too. I was crying partly out of relief that nobody was seriously hurt and partly because so many people lost so much property and couldn't afford to replace it. They are hard working farm people, but a lot of them are Mennonites, and I do not think that they have insurance. They are very self-sufficient, but they are not wealthy. When they lose their property, crops and livestock, they do not have anything left. Families work together and the community helps out, but that is a mixed-blessing. Since they rely on each other for certain things, when one person loses then everyone loses. Even though they lost so much, they were right there helping us out, despite the fact that we are not Mennonites. That is one of the best examples of kindness and helping others out that I saw, because I know how much they lost and how devastating the tornado was to them.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
20 Oct 09
Tornadoes terrify me. I'd have had the kids and the cats in the shelter (closet, whatever) as soon as the first siren went off. Not that I've ever been in a tornado. I've been in many earthquakes though. First rumble, I'm in the door jamb holding on for dear life.
2 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
20 Oct 09
We have watched two tornadoes form overhead at home, but neither actually hit our house. The most we had from them was wind damage, and we were in the basement at the time, so it felt safer anyway. This one was totally different. There was no basement to get into, and the tornado didn't actually hit our house, but it hit right across the road, so there was more than just wind damage. From now on, I will respect the siren and take cover, because I have found that it is better to be safe than sorry.
Earthquakes are scary, too. I know that you are supposed to get into a door jam, but that doesn't really feel safe. We were woken up by one several years ago, and we ran outside. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
2 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
20 Oct 09
Yeah, I would probably pick the one with the door in it.
I logically know that running outside isn't safe, because you could easily get clobbered with something falling. However, logic rarely plays a part in your decision when you are woken up at three or four in the morning from a sound sleep to the house shaking and things rattling on the shelves. We were lucky that it was a small one and there wasn't much damage or things falling. Since we don't get many earthquakes, reacting to them isn't something that just comes naturally.
I logically know that running outside isn't safe, because you could easily get clobbered with something falling. However, logic rarely plays a part in your decision when you are woken up at three or four in the morning from a sound sleep to the house shaking and things rattling on the shelves. We were lucky that it was a small one and there wasn't much damage or things falling. Since we don't get many earthquakes, reacting to them isn't something that just comes naturally.2 people like this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
21 Oct 09
The storms we have had has never been too terribly bad. I think the worst storm we've ever had was in the late 80's early 90's, I believe the early 90's... Though a few years ago there was a tornado that hit and there was a lot of damage not a mile down the road from us. We've never had to rebuild and none of us have ever been injured from a storm, of which we're thankful for. When it storms though, here we go to his parent's closet, where usually it's me, my husband, my mother in law, two dogs and a cat. When I lived with my mother it was in the bathroom my sister and I shared, when I lived with my grandparents it was in the hall bathroom or in the hall itself.
I remember being told of a time when a tornado was hitting and I'm not sure if it was the same time... but I was told once that I was piled with pillows and blankets in the bathtub with either my sister or brother... then, like I said it may be the same time, but I was laid upon by my brother to keep me safe when I was younger and it was storming really bad.
I am sure that in little ways we all stick together, whether it be because of a home being destroyed, or to help a scared child.
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
22 Oct 09
Solared, yes I did forget that it hops over, or is said to, and in the case I was talking about a mile down the road from us, obviously it did. We went through and looked at the destruction that year, and it was bad.
Purplealabaster,
I am glad that your daughter was safe. I think if I was in your shoes, I would be very panicked and would have requested a call as soon as she got somewhere safe!
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
21 Oct 09
That must have been a really scary storm, especially for your parents with small children in the house. They obviously took really good care of you, though, and fortunately nobody was hurt. That is the thing that scares me the most about storms - that someone that I love will be hurt. My oldest daughter was supposed to be driving to my parents when the storm hit, and I frantically called her and told her to turn around and get home immediately. She did and was fine. The storm didn't make it as far as her apartment, but it still makes my stomach upset to think that she could have been driving right into that tornado.
The tornado did hit a trailer park and it destroyed several trailers. However, it also destroyed several well-constructed houses on foundations as well as barns and outbuildings. Our one neighbor lost part of his house, two barns and two outbuildings not to mention his silo, fences, crops and some livestock.
1 person likes this
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
3 Dec 09
That was one a heck of an experience for you, I'm sure.. do take extra care of yourself and of your love ones yeah. Here in Sg, we don't have tornadoes but there can be quite a lot of storms and lightnings, and they can be pretty fierce. I can only imagine how tornadoes there can be; must be pretty scary. Is basement hiding any safe there?
1 person likes this
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
7 Dec 09
Oh yeah, I'm really terrified of thunders and lightnings too. They can be real scarily sounding, LOL. I'm not scared2x, but I feel like there's a trouble weather out there whenever they are around; like the angels trying to pin down the devils, and then we happen to be where the actions are at. HMmmmmmp. Hopefully, one day, you'll be able to get that underground safety, for temporary protection..
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
3 Dec 09
I will try to take care of myself, but I do not always do as good a job of it as I should. I always try to take the very best care of my loved ones as humanly possible, though. They are the most important things in my life, and I have recently lost one very dear to me, so that makes me all that more protective of the ones that I have left.
Tornadoes are scary, but I am still more terrified of thunder and lightening storms than I am tornadoes, even though a tornado can cause a lot more damage in a far shorter amount of time. I especially hate the thunder and lightening storms that are really fierce and shake the whole house when the thunder and lightening hit at almost the same time, and the wind is whipping so hard that it is blowing trees down. That is almost, although not quite, as intense as a tornado.
Basements are really one of the safest places to be in a tornado, but my parents do not have one. As Alice said, though, they can also be very dangerous. Tornadoes can take out dams, as she said, and that can cause flooding. The house can be destroyed by the tornado, and you can either be trapped in the basement or have something fall down on top of you. Also, the tornado that we had dumped a huge amount of rain in a very short amount of time and caused flooding, so flooding is a concern even in areas that do not normally flood, like by a river or dam. Even so, the basement is still one of the safest places to be, and I really wish that my parents had the money to build one - or at least a small underground shelter like the neighbor's have.
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
11 Dec 09
I really like your description of thunder and lightening storms - "like the angels trying to pin down the devils". I like the mental image and it seems quite fitting.
Yes, I hope that one day we will have the underground safety, even if it is only a small underground shelter rather than a basement. That would make me feel a lot safer, and it would keep me from worrying as much about my parents, although I will always worry about them to some extent, especially if they do not decide to take shelter when the tornado warning sirens start blaring.
Yes, I hope that one day we will have the underground safety, even if it is only a small underground shelter rather than a basement. That would make me feel a lot safer, and it would keep me from worrying as much about my parents, although I will always worry about them to some extent, especially if they do not decide to take shelter when the tornado warning sirens start blaring.1 person likes this
@mirali110 (435)
• Hyderabad, India
21 Oct 09
It sure is awful to hear all the turmoil that you have undergone facing a tornedo, and let God's mercy be praised that you and your family along with your little one are safe, humanity is such that they fight for power and it has been seen in history that the wars have been waged for power and human rights, but when it comes to such calamities or natural disasters we as humans forget all the power and join hands to save each other...it is strange and one cannot comprehend such an attitude within us humans. Every one heeds to a warning and searches for cover there maybe some mindless people who consider to dare with nature and finally land themselves in trouble. I once witnessed a lightning strike an old tree which was burnt to ashes and fortunately there were no one around such as humans of animals or any loss to personal property, but believe me it was such a terrifying site and the sound was so deafening that I was not able to hear anything after that and the flash was such blinding that I had to close my eyes and I could not view the full impact and when I opened my eyes the tree was on fire and I can see the branches burn and fall down. Oh God, it was so horrible that I was shocked..!
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
21 Oct 09
Yes, we definitely thanked God that nobody was seriously hurt during the tornado. It was pretty amazing that the worst we heard about were broken bones, especially after seeing all the devastation and destruction that it left in its wake. I know that there were livestock that were killed, and that is sad, but no human casualties that were reported.
You bring up a great point. We humans will fight and kill each other over property, power, greed, etc., but then we come together and help each other during a major crisis or natural disaster. It really is difficult to comprehend our species, isn't it?
I am scared of thunderstorms, so I will take cover at the first sign of one. We don't have a lot of tornadoes, though, so it didn't occur to me right away that it might really be an emergency. I would have been terrified to watch that lightening strike that you described, too. The tree in our front yard was struck by lightening twice, and both times I thought the house had been hit. It was horrible! I don't think I could have stood there and watched the tree burning like you did. I think I probably would have been cowering in a corner somewhere.
@hellcowboy (7374)
• United States
21 Oct 09
This is a good discussion and I am sure that there are a lot of people who have gotten close to a tornado before,and hopefully most of them have survived,especially since tornadoes are very dangerous and deadly,and I can honestly say that I have been pretty close to a tornado because about a year or so ago,a tornado touched down on a road about a mile from here,and it destroyed a lot of houses a long the way,and the damage was devastating,and I felt bad for all the people whose lives were wrecked because of a natural disaster,have a great day,good luck with your life,and all of your mylotting goals,and Happy Posting.
1 person likes this
@hellcowboy (7374)
• United States
28 Oct 09
You are very welcome,and thank you,I am also glad that me and my family did not get hurt cause of the tornado and I felt bad for all the people who lost their houses because of it and I am sure they are doing better now and I hope that the people have rebuilt their houses and have moved on with their lives without thinking about what happened and how at anytime it could happen again.
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
23 Nov 09
Yes, a lot of the houses and barns are either repaired or replaced now. There were some that were beyond repair, and those have been cleaned up and removed. The area still looks very bare, and you can still see the reminders of what happened, but the place is on the mend and moving in the right direction. You are right, though, that it is very scary when you think that it could happen again at any time, and the next time we might not all be as lucky as we were this time.
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
22 Oct 09
Thank you for the compliment, Hellcowboy. I am sure that there are a lot of people that have gotten close to a tornado, and as you mentioned some have not lived to tell about it. I keep thinking how very lucky we were.
Having the tornado touch down a mile from where you live might sound like a long distance away to some people, but I know that it really isn't that far away. The wind damage alone from the tornado being that close can do substantial damage. I have seen it myself recently, since wind damage affected a lot more of the surrounding region than the reported three miles that the tornado actually hit. The tornado wiped out houses, but the wind damage alone took down trees, ripped shingles from houses, and sent lawn furniture flying. I am glad that you and your family were not hurt by the tornado that hit your area. You have a wonderful day, too, and happy myLotting!
I keep thinking how very lucky we were.
Having the tornado touch down a mile from where you live might sound like a long distance away to some people, but I know that it really isn't that far away. The wind damage alone from the tornado being that close can do substantial damage. I have seen it myself recently, since wind damage affected a lot more of the surrounding region than the reported three miles that the tornado actually hit. The tornado wiped out houses, but the wind damage alone took down trees, ripped shingles from houses, and sent lawn furniture flying. I am glad that you and your family were not hurt by the tornado that hit your area. You have a wonderful day, too, and happy myLotting!1 person likes this
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
21 Oct 09
Thankfully, i have never had a close call with a tornado. My late husband did though. He was out fishing and he could tell by the sky that a storm was coming. i'm not sure if he knew it was a tornado or not. he packed up his fishing gear and left to go home. About half an hour after he left his fishing spot, it was hit by a tornado. It destroyed everything in the path where he had been fishing. It's scary enough to hear about the tornado warnings in your area. Knowing that you have just missed the tornado's fury is even scarier.
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
21 Oct 09
That is really scary and a very close call! I am glad that he had the sense to pack up his fishing gear and call it a day when he realized that there was a bad storm on the way. Some people think that fishing is better during a storm, so they would have stayed to fish. That definitely sounds like it would have been a life-threatening mistake to make. I'm glad that he was smarter and safer than that.
@whitf0rd (32)
• United States
21 Oct 09
I live in northern Illinois, albeit we do not have as many tornadoes as central or southern Illinois does, I do have memories of seeing funnel clouds as a child, being through serious warnings, and always found it very exciting!
I actually heard a story on the Discovery Channel not too long ago about how a man was knocked unconscious by a household vase while a tornado hit his Mother's house. He was carried something like miles away! Do not quote me on it, get the facts for yourself, I'm sure you can look it up.
Here are some rather interesting facts about tornado myths!
If on a road, hide under an overpass if a tornado approaches.
-The sad fact is this idea has caused many deaths of motorists already. The worst thing you can do is hide under an overpass. Winds can actually be worse under an overpass which makes it a bad place to go. Never use an overpass for protection, it will only harm you.
Open your windows during a tornado?
-Scientists once thought that the low pressure in a tornado caused the normal air pressure in houses to explode out. It turned out that the strong winds from the tornado destroyed the houses, not the pressure change. If the tornado wants your windows open, it will open them for you.
The southwest corner of a basement is the safest place to go during a tornado.
-The best place to go during a tornado is in a center room of the basement, like ones usually found under the stairs that lead down to the basement.
Tornadoes can't cross water or where rivers meet.
-Many tornadoes have crossed rivers and lakes, with out any effect to the tornado.
Tornadoes can not cross big hills or mountains.
-Tornadoes have made damage paths up and down the side of 10,000 foot mountains, in Wyoming. Therefor, the hills in eastern Kansas will not protect you.
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
21 Oct 09
I actually knew all those facts, but then again I am a geek and love Discovery Channel and other educational channels. It is a wonderful idea to list them here, though, because I'm sure that a lot of people do not know them. I hope that everyone takes the time to read your comment and learn these facts, because it could save lives.
I am definitely not what anyone would call a storm chaser, but I have always thought that tornadoes were exciting in a scary and dangerous sort of way. Since we don't get a lot of them, they were different and exciting, but I obviously never wished for us to have them. In the future, though, I will definitely give them the respect that they deserve. I wish that my parents had a cellar to go into, because now I will be more worried about them, especially since I have to go home and won't be there to help them out or make sure they are safe. I know that I couldn't have stopped the tornado from harming them if it wanted to, but I'm glad that I was there, because I'm not sure that they would have made it into the closet in time if I hadn't been. Also, they never would have been able to clean up the place, because they are older and both have serious health issues. The neighbors would have helped as best they could, but they had their own families to worry about.
I am definitely not what anyone would call a storm chaser, but I have always thought that tornadoes were exciting in a scary and dangerous sort of way. Since we don't get a lot of them, they were different and exciting, but I obviously never wished for us to have them. In the future, though, I will definitely give them the respect that they deserve. I wish that my parents had a cellar to go into, because now I will be more worried about them, especially since I have to go home and won't be there to help them out or make sure they are safe. I know that I couldn't have stopped the tornado from harming them if it wanted to, but I'm glad that I was there, because I'm not sure that they would have made it into the closet in time if I hadn't been. Also, they never would have been able to clean up the place, because they are older and both have serious health issues. The neighbors would have helped as best they could, but they had their own families to worry about.
@solared (1207)
• United States
21 Oct 09
Tornados usually don't affect that many people, but Hurricanes an Floods an bring out the worst, because you could lose power, an everything an people panic an it affects more people than a Tornado.
Snow storm can be bad too, you ever seen people fight over water, an food, an propane gas? lol
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
21 Oct 09
They reported that the tornado itself only hit about a three mile area, but the wind damage from the storm was more extensive. We lost power, and here in the country when you don't have power you don't have water, either. We used to have a generator, but we don't any more. I guess it is time to invest in another one as soon as my parents can scrape up a little extra money.
The Mennonites have a wellhouse with a spring, and they were letting people get water from there. People that had grills were passing them around, so everyone could heat food and water if they needed it. People with large tractors, loaders, etc. were helping out other people that didn't have the large farm equipment. Everyone was really pulling together. Fortunately most of the power outages only lasted for a day or two, but clean-up and reconstruction is still going on.
