Sometimes 'better late than never' isn't good enough.

[tybeegb]

We have to suffer through "tests" of the emergency sirens and messages for bad storms, etc. fairly often.  Sometimes we are informed beforehand, sometimes not.  Sometimes they work, sometimes not. 

Well yesterday afternoon/evening a really bad storm front was moving through the area.  Lots of stuff on the TV about it, mostly westerly from Tybee.  Lots of lightning, wind was picking up pretty good.  Dark clouds rolling in.  I went out on the back deck to look.  Hmmm.  That sure looks like a tornado over there.  Oh, it is a tornado.  Nice big one.  Maybe three or four miles away.  West of Tybee.  Looks like it's moving in a northerly direction, which would bypass the island. 

I go inside and sure enough, the local weather guy on TV is really excited and pointing to where the "area of circulation" is and where a tornado may form and apologizes for interrupting the show that is on but this is important.  Okay.  That's good.  Then, about 15 minutes later the emergency siren goes off for at least three minutes.  Then this unintelligible voice spouts out something about what to do because of a tornado in the area.  Well by that time the tornado has blown itself out over the river.  Only damage was to one power line between Tybee and Wilmington Islands, and some damage on Wilmington Island and at Fort Pulaski, which is between Wilmington and Tybee. 

So later on that evening, after dark when we can't see anything, the damn sirens and voices keep going off every fifteen minutes for over an hour.  Sure there is a lot of lightning.  And it sure is raining hard.  But is this before or after the threat?  Are we really in danger?  

    

[jsharr ★]

In our town, there are set parameters that trigger the EAS.  So just the possibility of a multitude of factors could trigger the alarms for us.

The Warning System will be activated when:

• The National Weather Service issues a Richardson area Tornado Warning or Severe Thunderstorm Warning with destructive winds at or above 70 mph
• Trained storm spotters have reported a tornado with the potential to affect the City of Richardson
• Hail of 1.25 inches (Half Dollar) in diameter is imminent
• Deemed necessary by City of Richardson officials (i.e. in the event of any emergency when officials need to get citizens to move indoors for their safety)

[Kirby]

You need more warning so that you can stock up on ice cream sandwiches!!!!

[Scrapr ★]

How is the bike......errr dock?

(glad you are ok)

[groupw]

We are in Tornado Alley, here! I've experienced a few with, luckily, very little loss of personal property. WoW's parents house was hit when the tornados hit in 1980 (that incident is still a case study). Not afraid, but a healthy respect for them. 

A few years back, I tried to sneak in a ride before a storm was predicted to arrive. I stopped at a corner for a little break and saw a bolt of lightning strike about a mile away! I hurried for home, but rode through some pea-sized hail for a couple miles. 

May a clearing about 3 miles from home, I saw a funnel hovering over our neighborhood. I called WoW and told her to get to the basement. 

"Where are you? I will come and get you!" 

"I'm fine where I am. Get to the basement!"

"But you're out in the open!"

"I'm 3 miles away from the funnel and it's moving away from me. It's over our neighborhood get in the basement!"

i waited for it to move past and made sure there were no more behind. I ride the 3 miles home. I was less than a mile from home when the sirens finally went off!

[jsharr ★]

I have been IN two tornadoes, as in house blown to pieces around me.  

I have been CLOSE to four more, as in within half a mile or less of damage.

They are vicious beasts and they show no mercy.  They scare the hell out of me but I do not live in fear of them.  

I take appropriate action when they are possible.  

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

11 minutes ago, jsharr said:

I have been IN two tornadoes, as in house blown to pieces around me.  

That's pretty awful! 

I would suggest you take the beans out of your chili!

 

OK, I apologize, I shouldn't joke about getting caught inside a tornado...

[groupw]

In case you are curious about the case study. The Grand Island tornados

I lived 20 miles away, but worked in Grand Island. I had stopped to see some friends at the store they worked when it hit. Three tornados passed over the building we were in, but none hit us. My dad was in the garden at our house. Never got a cloud or a drop at our place, but he watched the clouds churn over Grand Island. He said it was the only time he was ever afraid for my safety.