Tornado Warning Sirens

Options
Yurippe
Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
in Chit-Chat
I used to hate those sirens. I was really annoyed everytime they went off. I don't live in an area where tornados are common so I thought that there was really no point and they were just irritating.

I was wrong.

Last night a tornado hit my condo complex. I was lucky that my boyfriend insisted we go into the basement. I had to leave on a business trip this morning before the sun came up. It was had to see in the dark with the power still out but the destruction I could see was unreal (trees uprooted in the streets, appliances scattered around in yards, and roofs torn off). You don't think something like that will happen to your neighborhood.

I just wanted to post this in case there is anyone out there like me that didn't take them seriously before. Why take the risk that it is a false alarm? Find somewhere safe until the sirens stop. Your safety is worth the minor inconvinience of lost time.

Replies

  • erica79
    erica79 Posts: 242 Member
    Options
    I am glad you are alright. :smile:
  • sunshine79
    sunshine79 Posts: 762 Member
    Options
    I'm sorry to read about this but very glad you're ok:smile:
  • zoey116
    zoey116 Posts: 75
    Options
    When I first moved to Texas from Florida I didn't understand why everyone on TV made such a big deal about "severe weather warnings" we get those almost daily in FL and it just means it going to rain a little harder, big deal. But after being in TX just over a year I have learned how quickly things can change! I guess its like hurricane warnings, most people don't take them seriously till they have had to deal with an actual hurricane.
  • mamaturner
    mamaturner Posts: 2,533 Member
    Options
    Wow, glad your ok! I love me some storms, but tornados... I take them seriously. Happen to live in WI? I'm north of Milwaukee and missed a lot of the bad stuff. I know there were a few sightings and Eagle got hit real bad.
  • Voncreepy2
    Voncreepy2 Posts: 1,450 Member
    Options
    I am from "tornado alley" and though you do get "used" to them I learned to never get complacent. I have seen too much damage.You are very fortunate. Glad you are ok.
  • spob
    spob Posts: 206
    Options
    So good that you are ok. Tornados are rare here but boy frightening to watch. Thank goodness you listened to your boyfriend!:wink:
  • KatieM7
    KatieM7 Posts: 588 Member
    Options
    WOW! Glad that you listened to the boyfriend and got to the basement!
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    Options
    I am sorry that you had to go through this. I live in the Midwest and we have had a couple of Tornadoes roll through this spring and the winds on the Thunderstorms, OMG, feel like the house is going to blow apart.

    Me, personally, I am scared of all storms, even simple thunderstorms..............and I have proceeded to make my dogs scared of storms too.

    I live in Illinois, near St Louis and St Louis has this Urban heat effect that splits storms apart and the Illinois side usually get the brunt of the storms.

    I have been in a couple of tornadoes since I was a kid and when I went in the military and ended up on the east coast, I have been in hurricanes too.

    I would much rather be in a hurricane than a tornado, you have more time to plan things out, then the spur of the moment happenings like what happens with a tornado.
  • lisajuly
    lisajuly Posts: 240 Member
    Options
    Glad you're ok. I live in the suburbs of Denver and a couple of times a year, the sirens go off. I'm originally from NY and I had no idea that tornados happened here until i moved here. The first time I heard them, I think i freaked out, lol. The closest one has come within 2-3 miles of my house, but you never know.

    But you're 100% right. For the few minutes that you have to go to a safe area...it's worth it! I pack up my kids and we go down into the huge closet in the guest room. It's uncomfy, but it's the safest place in my house.
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
    Options
    Wow, glad your ok! I love me some storms, but tornados... I take them seriously. Happen to live in WI? I'm north of Milwaukee and missed a lot of the bad stuff. I know there were a few sightings and Eagle got hit real bad.

    I live 1 block away from the Muskego post office. There were news crews there this morning filming the damage.

    http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/96876889.html
    http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/06/22/Tornado-hits-small-town-in-Wisconsin/UPI-85911277223401/
  • smuehlbauer
    smuehlbauer Posts: 1,041 Member
    Options
    I'm in Oconomowoc - I felt lucky that we just got rain, lightning, and some wind. I have family that lives in Muskego and in Wind Lake.
    Glad you're ok. It was pretty scary last night!
  • mamaturner
    mamaturner Posts: 2,533 Member
    Options
    Wow, glad your ok! I love me some storms, but tornados... I take them seriously. Happen to live in WI? I'm north of Milwaukee and missed a lot of the bad stuff. I know there were a few sightings and Eagle got hit real bad.

    I live 1 block away from the Muskego post office. There were news crews there this morning filming the damage.

    http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/96876889.html
    http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/06/22/Tornado-hits-small-town-in-Wisconsin/UPI-85911277223401/

    Yea I was watching all night last night and some this morning. Glad your ok

    Smuehlbauer, glad your ok too, I have family in Oconomowoc and was worried for them!
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
    Options
    This is video of the complex I live in.

    http://news.yahoo.com/video/milwakee-wisn-18667753/#video=20467763

    We were in the basement and could hear loud banging noises outside. We couldn't figure out what it was at the time. Now I'm thinking it was either the trees or the mail trucks getting tossed around.
  • xtina11179
    xtina11179 Posts: 352
    Options
    Glad you're ok. I live in the suburbs of Denver and a couple of times a year, the sirens go off. I'm originally from NY and I had no idea that tornados happened here until i moved here. The first time I heard them, I think i freaked out, lol. The closest one has come within 2-3 miles of my house, but you never know.

    But you're 100% right. For the few minutes that you have to go to a safe area...it's worth it! I pack up my kids and we go down into the huge closet in the guest room. It's uncomfy, but it's the safest place in my house.

    Same here, just moved to a suburb of Denver from Upstate NY (a little over 2 months ago) and the tornado warnings are a daily occurence here. The town in NY that I moved from had one of the only tornadoes in history recorded in that area (before I moved there). My boyfriends sister says that usually the tornadoes "stay east of 25" but it still scares the hell out of me.

    So glad you're okay! I hope there wasn't too much damage!
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    Options
    I'm orginally from the Midwest. I was born and raised in Missouri and have lived in Iowa, Kansas and Illinois so I was used to dealing with that kind of weather. I moved to Washington State around 12 years ago and experienced my first earthquake after I moved here. That was scarry!! I thought the ground would have big splits in it like you see in the movies. I'd rather deal with the Midwest tornado weather because at least you have some warning that a tornado could happen and you can prepare to head for shelter if you need to. With earthquakes there's no warning. I wish I could move back to the Midwest. Not only do I have to be concerned about another earth quake but there's Mount Ranier that's an active volcano that could decide to erupt any time. :tongue: :noway:

    I'm glad you are safe. That's a very scarry thing to have to go through.
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
    Options
    Glad you're ok. I live in the suburbs of Denver and a couple of times a year, the sirens go off. I'm originally from NY and I had no idea that tornados happened here until i moved here. The first time I heard them, I think i freaked out, lol. The closest one has come within 2-3 miles of my house, but you never know.

    But you're 100% right. For the few minutes that you have to go to a safe area...it's worth it! I pack up my kids and we go down into the huge closet in the guest room. It's uncomfy, but it's the safest place in my house.

    I'm just hoping that I've convinced one person not to ignore those sirens the next time they go off. :ohwell:
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    Options
    You're lucky they go off. They were testing the sirens here recently for if the mountain blows and the sirens didn't work. If that mountain blows I guess we'll kiss our butts good-bye.
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
    Options
    You're lucky they go off. They were testing the sirens here recently for if the mountain blows and the sirens didn't work. If that mountain blows I guess we'll kiss our butts good-bye.

    :noway: Yikes, that's really scary.
  • april522
    april522 Posts: 388 Member
    Options
    So glad to hear you're okay. Unfortunately I'm one of those people who hear the sirens but still sit at my computer. I keep telling myself I should go somewhere safe, that one day it might bite me in the *kitten* if I don't take them seriously. I really need to start . . . during our raining season here in Alabama, we hear the sirens a LOT.

Categories