My first NC tornado warning

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

what a disaster.

No sirens? No warning from the police/fire departments?

I can't wait to hear what the schools did

I mean, I know this is an odd situation here, but the NWS gave the city of Asheville 30 min warning, and there was no apparent activity to warn citizens at all.

What is the point of warning then?

[supernova]

1. There was one siren that went off in Raleigh yesterday

that was the only one I heard of.

Mostly people go by public broadcasts.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. that does not let cities off the hook

for warning the populace, IMHO


the federal government did their job, a 30 min warning to a major city/county population center and the government did.... what?

nothing that I could tell

[MadAnne]

3. I just happened to turn on the Weather Channel

I'm in an adjoining county, I don't think anyone got a warning. Tornado's are pretty rare around here.

[mzteris]

4. warning or watch?

Just watch Greg Fishel on WRAL . . . he's the only meteorologist who's ever been any good. He's scarily accurate.


If you can't watch tv - stick your head out the window and lookit the sky. If you hear a train coming - and you don't live near a train track, hide in the basement (or an inside room).

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. not watch... warning

and wral wont help much in asheville

my point is, the nws gave this city at least 40 mins warning, and they did nothing

that worries me a bit

I grew up in W Mo... I know all about tornadoes, lost the roof of my house once... watched it just lift off and float away

[MountainMamma]

6. I purchased a weather radio

about a year ago for this very reason. Once one gets it set up correctly, it really gives you the skinny on who, where and when. My weather radio went off several times on Friday (5/8) with warnings for a large area (they name counties in general warnings) and then get more specific if one is getting close to a particular place. I am in Macon Co. and we didn't get anything much other than some wind and rain. Drove my dog nuts!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

8. but the train moves so quickly! had one in my neighborhood...

you described it well.

A few years ago, in afternoon, all of a sudden it got dark out.
I was in the living room.
Then I heard a sound like a train coming down the street.
I live in a quite neighborhood, next to last house on a dead end road.
We don't get "traffick".

After the train sound, many of the other neighbors stuck their heads outside,
and there were some trees down, and the power was out.

Never saw the wind, it all happened in about 1 minute.

[Digit]

7. When the chemical plant in Apex exploded/leaked, nobody told me either

I was awake and getting ready for work and had to learn of it on CNN.
No reverse 911, no knock on the door.
I even called the non-emergency number of the Apex Police Dept and was told I was NOT in the evacuation area. I learned from watching TV that I WAS within the evacuation area.
I packed up my parrot and cat and took them to work with me and had to spend the night in a hotel.

At least we don't have to worry about that particular plant anymore.
Do yourself a favor...get a weather radio.