Don't wanna die in a tornado

[Ripley]

Thought that was going to be the case on April 15 at 3:30 pm when that fucking F-3 went over my house making the roof joists scream almost as loud as the loudest thunder you ever heard that kept getting louder and louder and louder past loud. My fingers started tingling like when you hit your funny bone and then it traveled up both my arms. Not funny. Both of my arms became numb up to my elbows. I thought I was going to die of fright.

Then it was gone. Left a lot of damage but I still have a roof over my head. Now they're telling me another outbreak is going to hit my area tomorrow with a muthafuckin 90% chance of tornadic activity.

Just cleaned up the downed trees and debris.

Need a break!

Everyone in the Southland needs to be heads up.

[Lasher]

1. Holy shit what a story!

Glad you're safe. I won't preach about how to shelter, I'm sure you know all that. Thanks for sharing.

Lasher

[Drale]

2. Never ignore warnings

If the sirens are going off, find cover. If there is a tornado warning keep your heads up. Serve weather is nothing to play around with.

[elocs]

14. I've lived in western WI for over 50 years and heard the sirens 3 times

in all those years. We've had some strong winds here in La Crosse, but never a funnel cloud. Doesn't mean it couldn't happen, but I'm afraid the tv weather has cried wolf too many times. Myself, I live in a mobile home and there's nowhere to go so I hope we maintain our track record.

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. Lucky you..you have sirens.

Some areas here in Ala.have them, our town does not.
Nor do we have basements.
Best I can do is watch the computer radar and try to stay awake during these storms.

[elocs]

30. The problem is that people disregard the sirens which I've heard 3 times in over 50 years.

When it last happened a couple of weeks ago it really didn't even rain. The weather forecasters on tv here continually cry that the sky is falling and that people should take shelter, but then nothing ever happens. It just reaches the point where people do not believe them any longer. As far as I know nobody here has ever been killed by a summer storm.

[bkkyosemite]

3. Stay safe I'll say prayers for your safety

[Suich]

4. It's scary just reading your post, Ripley!!!

Stay safe...:hug:

[adigal]

5. I live in NY, and have been near two tornadoes

one in NJ and one in upstate NY. Scare the hell out of me. If you have a basement, use it. I am sure you will be OK.

[Ripley]

13. No basement

Just the interior bathroom where I was last time.

It really makes you realize what's important in life. Not the house, not the car, not the stuff.

And little things like finding a rosemary plant in a terra cotta pot unscathed after removing a 50 foot cypress tree on top of it...makes you smile.

[annm4peace]

6. Put your valuables in the basement.

Put your valuables in the basement. and some supplies and clothes.

If you are a women and they say go to the basement take your purse. Just as a precaution

[seabeyond]

7. we had a spring with too many tornadoes. dreaded spring for a couple years, but we had

little to nothing. now i am much more comfortable with spring.

it is hard ripley.

give me calif adn earthquakes any day.

[Renew Deal]

8. Be careful.

:pals:

[Odin2005]

9. It is fucking NASTY down there! Good that you are OK!

[Rusticus Too]

10. Have you ever noticed how tornados always seem to hit . . .

trailer parks! Why does God hate poor people?

[AsahinaKimi]

11. Just a silly question but

Don't people build underground shelters? (I recall in the movie, TWISTER, in the start of the movie the family runs to an underground shelter.)

[Celebration]

15. I don't know anyone with a shelter

A few people have basements here, but mostly the topography doesn't support basements well. We just go downstairs away from windows.

[Lars39]

16. In parts of the US a basement is hard to dig out because of rock.

It can add a lot to the cost of building a house.

[Ripley]

17. Yes some people do have shelters

Underground if they have the land and money. Some people build safe closets heavily reinforced.

The thing is no one knows when/where the tornadoes will hit.

One house stands and the next is gone down to the slab. Seen it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. In Fla. you dig 3 feet and you hit water.

I used to live in N. Fla. You would not believe how much rain can come down in 10 minutes. RIVERS form in the street.
So you have a flooding issue there.

People here in Ala. where I live, some of them have half basements, which is actually a house build on sloping land,
so the downstairs half has dirt on a couple sides.
Our house does not, but i sure know where my neighbor's basement is!
Have no idea why there are not more tornado shelters, most of Central and Northmen Ala. are in tornado country.

[a la izquierda]

32. It's spotty in certain places...

for instance, my section of block has no shelters...but the next section over (literally about 200 meters away) has storm shelters at every house. Weird, huh?
If a tornado hit, my husband and I would have nowhere to go, except to campus, where I'd have to fight with them to let me bring my dogs inside.

[Logical]

12. On average a house should get hit by tornado every 200 years, so chances are on your side!

[nebenaube]

22. But isn't that a statistical lie?

I mean all houses are not subject to tornadoes so obviously those that are have a higher frequency of risk.

[Logical]

26. The study covered areas with high rates of tornados. Midwest.

[K8-EEE]

18. Please keep checking in!!

Worried about you :(

[blogslut]

21. I hear you

Take care. Be well. If there's a local storm-safe facility to go to, then go.

[AC_Mem]

23. Memphis Here- been riding this out all evening

What storms! The Sky just grew larger and blacker like they were taking in huge, billowing amounts of energy and then POW we would get hit. Very wild weather tonight. As I sit here the sky is lighting up my room, my apartment is shaking with thunder and tornado sirens are on.

I heard that they have given these storms a new color - white, and a new letter for the tornadoes - G.

How can anyone deny that we are experiencing the effects of climate change? We are breaking historical records in our lifetimes.

To all my DU friends in the storms tonight - be safe and look forward to the May flowers!

Shine on,
Annette

[Ghost in the Machine]

24. Wow! Stay safe over there! I'm waiting for the storms to arrive here in East Tenn, they say around 8

in the morning.. We are already under flood and wind advisories from 8 AM - 8 PM tomorrow, with winds forecasted with gusts up to 40mph, large hail and tornados.

At least it will be daylight.. not that it makes much difference, but we can kinda see whats coming our way.

Peace,

Ghost

[Rowdyboy]

25. Sunuvabitch will be here in about 4 hours....I dread it already....

Hope to see all you guys tomorrow.

[Ohio Joe]

27. When I lived in Ohio and they would come through...

My apartment complex had no basement and no shelters. I lived in a second story apartment with really no where to go... The TV would say for people like me to go and find a ditch to lie in... I shit you not. I would go out on the deck and drink.

[Ship of Fools]

29. actually know a guy who survived

a direct hit on I-70 here in Kansas by getting out of his car and going to a ditch -- saved his life. he said he laid faced down in the mud. said he felt *it* go over him, and the pull on him was so intense he felt the need to drive his hands down into the mud as far as he could. so I think the ditch thing is good advice for anyone who has no other recourse. that's what i'll be doing, anyway.

[Chris_Texas]

28. Where I live almost no one has shelters or basements. I know I don't

Nor does our town have a working siren. I think most just ignore the storms and hope for the best.

Myself, I watch the radar. If anything looks like it might hit our town I drive out of the way. Usually I dont need to go too far.

[malaise]

31. Glad you're OK

despite the damage
Stay safe :grouphug:

[Sivart]

33. Agree - don't ignore the warnings

Also, if your ears start popping like when on a plane, you are in immediate danger....and need to take cover.

I'm in the midwest.....we have been lucky this season so far, but I have been watching the storms down south, and I truly feel for you. It can be extremely terrifying.