What are you supposed to do when you hear tornado sirens?

[Taverner]

Being someone who is not from the Southeast and Plains States, I have never heard one - we in California are used to our disasters without warning. Perhaps that's why we're so mellow -

But anyway, I hear from locals here in Houston that when you hear a tornado siren you are supposed to "take care of things."

What does that mean? Do you hide under a car? Stand in the middle of the street? Look for a basement? A fallout shelter?

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

1. Seek cover

They always told us the southwestern corner of a house (not near windows) is the safest place. You can go into a cellar or an interior room without windows.

[kick-ass-bob]

2. interior room, on the floor, cover your head

This is how they taught us:

[Ratty]

36. Against a wall is good but you should lie parallel to it

Can't remember where I read it but a rescue worker talked about when he found survivors and when he didn't. He was talking about tornadoes and earthquakes both. When people were under something, a desk, a table, they died more often, smushed when the ceiling collapsed. But when they were lying next to a wall, parallel to it, they survived much more frequently. Sometimes the ceiling or upper floors will collapse in such a way that debris leans against the walls, leaving a narrow V-gap of relative safety and unsmushability.

[Redstone]

3. Crouch down, grab your knees with both hands, curl your body up

real tight, tuck your head down as far as it woll go, and...kiss your ass goodbye.

Knew THAT one was coming sooner or later, didn't you?

Redstone

[tridim]

4. When I hear the sirens, I get up quickly and go outside

hoping to catch a glimpse of the funnel. I used to grab my keys and go tornado chasing until the night I almost died doing just that.

Seriously though.. You're supposed to take cover when you hear the sirens. Don't do what I do.

[MuseRider]

6. LOL

me too.

[patrice]

10. That's what I do. I've seen several.

I don't hide unless I know it's coming my way.

[gollygee]

5. Go into the basement

if you have a basement

Otherwise go into the bathroom or some other interior room, preferably without windows.

Tornadoes flip over cars so under a car wouldn't be good. It could at least lift it up and set it back down on you. Middle of the street wouldn't be better because you could get hit by stuff or flung about.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

7. We were always told to get into a ditch

If outdoors already, of course.

[gollygee]

12. Yeah that's what I've heard

get away from the car and go into a ditch.

And if a tornado looks like it isn't moving, it's coming straight toward you.

[patrice]

8. Kansas here - go to the SW corner of your basement and,

if it gets real bad, cover yourself with a mattress. No basement? Go to an interior room without windows, in a bathtub is good, cover yourself with a mattress. In your car? Do not try to out run a tornado. If there is somewhere to get inside, do that. If not, Get out of your car and find a ditch or anything like that, where you can lie flat, hopefully the tornado won't come right at you, but staying in your car is one of the worst things you can do.

You gotta get low, because one of the most dangerous things about tornadoes isn't the funnel cloud activity itself, but flying debris!!!!

AND OH YEAH: If you live in a mobile home. GET OUT!!!

[intheflow]

9. If in you're car in the middle of nowhere...

get out of your car and find a ditch. Lay flat in the ditch. That's what I've heard.

[northzax]

11. obviously, you dress all in gingham

put your hair in braids and grab your little dog. duh.

[MuseRider]

13. This is what I do.

Take pictures. A great wall cloud taken from my deck a couple of weeks ago.

[bertha katzenengel]

16. Holy crap!

Great photos!

Near my home: La Plata, MD, before and after 4/28/02. An F5, this tornado touched down less than 4 mi. as the crow flies from my house.

[MuseRider]

18. Those are great pictures!

This wall cloud had a history of funnels and I watched it spit out little bits of cloud but by the time it was here there was too little rotation for them to become funnels. They would fringe out and suck back up. It was pretty cool to watch. I took a bunch of pictures.

[bertha katzenengel]

21. How. Cool. I'd love to see something like that.

But I'd probably be scared out of my wits.

BTW my posting those satellite photos was by no means an attempt to say, "oh yeah?! Well look at what the aggrandizing I lived through!" :eyes:

edit: on the other hand, i have lived through numerous earthquakes, including Northridge, Whittier Narrows, Sylmar*, Landers/Big Bear, Hector Mine . . . .

* this one was on my mother's 30th birthday. happy birthday, Mom! :rofl:

[MuseRider]

22. I did not take it that way.

I really think those pictures you posted are cool, the way you can see the trail is interesting.

The last couple of years there have been many opportunities around here to see this. It seems we have had a lot of close calls and the storms have been remarkably photogenic. I live on the highest or next to highest point in the county so I have great views. Here is the one (you have probably seen it) taken from my farm last year by my neighbor. I left to go home about 10 minutes before he took it. I got pummeled on the way home but missed this beauty.



I am terrified of earthquakes. I was in one, only a small one that we heard before we felt it, on an island off Honduras. That was enough for me, no more please!

[bertha katzenengel]

24. Hadn't seen it. WOW!

"Pummeled?" Like Helen Hunt saying "Cow."??? ;) How were you pummeled - by wind, or debris, or both?

AWESOME photo.

When fighting against suicide back in the 90s, I went through a period of being terrified of earthquakes. I'm certainly not unsympathetic. I hope there isn't one when Mrs. V. and I are home in November. She's terrified, too.

[MuseRider]

29. Terrible wind and hail.

Typical Kansas storm out in the prairie where you can't see 3 feet in front of you. I seem to find myself always leaving the farm just before they come in then driving 10 miles through nasty stuff. I outta learn to just sit it out there but no, I never seem to get that. :eyes:

So Mrs.V. is not from earthquake country? I can sympathize. The little one I was in was not more than feeling the earth rise several inches then settle back down. I had no idea they made sound, it was like a low flying jet coming and going overhead. Odd and terrifying.

[YankeyMCC]

14. You know how people always say

"Now is not the time to panic!"

Well when I hear a tornado siren I'm going to panic. I mean I'm entitled and there's not much I'm gonna be able to do to actually improve the situation.

Seriously though, the one time I was in an area where tornado's were touching down and wrecking a least some havoc (this was near St Louis about a decade ago) I didn't exactly panic but I was pretty frakin scared.

I was in the Air Force, and we had this one new Lt. He was a native of Texas. We're all pretty much trying to figure out how best to spend the last moments and this guy is saying things like "Hey! Lets get up on the roof and see if we can see anything!" He was all smiles and excited, the Loon!

And not to mention we were in a condemned building. The year before the base painted a big bright red X on all corners of the building, marking it for demolition because it was about 70 years old and "unsafe". Then they decided it was the only building they could fit out unit it. The solution - paint over the red X's.

Somehow I don't think moving to the interior of this building would've helped much. Thankfully no funnels came near - but man that sky looked just wrong!

[patrice]

15. They are thrilling. Hard not to go see them when you get a chance.

[RPM]

17. "take care of things"

does that mean run to the can - that's my euphamism

[Richardo]

19. Taverner are you still here in Houston?

Were you here for the big storm Saturday night?

[Taverner]

25. Just got in yesterday actually

so Saturday night I was in a kilt, drunk, stoned and choking on meat...

[Richardo]

27. Now that's a Saturday night I could get behind...

...welcome to houston. Enjoy your stay! :toast:

[RebelOne]

20. I'm in North Georgia in tornado alley

Whenever I hear the sirens, I shake with fear. I can't go to a basement or even hide in the bathroom. I live in a mobile home. So no location is safe.

[xmas74]

23. Take cover.

You go to a basement, an inner room w/ no windows or even a ditch.
I've been through my share. I once was stuck on the road w/ a 9 month old while the sirens were blaring. We pulled over to the side of the road, ran a little way down and jumped in a ditch. I held her w/ her face to my chest(so that she would not be face-down in the mud) and covered her w/ my body while we waited for it to hit us.
It jumped over us.

[GOPisEvil]

26. Put your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye.

Seriously, it means take cover. Get to an interior portion of your home or building away from windows.

[Taverner]

28. So hiding under the glass coffee table under the chandelier is bad?

[GOPisEvil]

31. If they are in a windowless room, you might be ok.

The difference in pressure can blow windows inward, so if you are in a room with windows, you can be cut.

But if the roof caves in, you're fucked. :D

[Richardo]

32. Using those arcane technical terms again, I see

:)

[Solon]

30. First thing we do...

take the animals, all of them, throw them downstairs, then immediately follow them down. We've had F1-3's near here, haven't hit us yet, but when the sirens go off, you KNOW what to do. We also try not to panic, too much :)

[Rabrrrrrr]

33. Shit your pants, then head for cover (such as a basement)

and turn on the local radio station and listen to it (or TV, but it's best to have somethign battery powered at least ready to go when needed) so that you know when the tornado warning is over and it's safe to come up again.

[Love Bug]

34. Well, if you're in Minnesota, you go outside,

Scan the sky to see which direction it might be coming from. Discuss with neighbors. When the sky turns really green, say "Well, think it's time to go to the basement now, you betcha," then stroll into the house heading for the basement. On the way down, pick up a flashlight and radio (so you can listen to 'CCO), get a drink of water (don't know when you'll get another chance), go to the bathroom (don't know when you'll get another chance), grab a snack and head downstairs.

[tjwmason]

35. Write your will

:shrug:

[Mobius]

37. Personally,

I laugh to mock the awesome force that is Mother Nature, and then go play in the rain.

[yellowdogintexas]

39. if you don't have a basement, get in the hallway or a closet

in the most interior part of your house

or in the bath tub,preferably with a mattress on top of you.

actually people really do that.

Since I have a waterbed, that would not work too well for me.

[davsand]

38. Knock out some of your front teeth then run out to film it.

Be sure you can do a "goofy" accent so that when the media interviews you later they can all point to how backward the locals are...

Oh wait--that is the UFO sighting section of the manual.

For tornadoes the thing to do is run like hell (willy nilly) down the street to film the tornado so the media can interview you later and illustrate the brilliance of the locals. Be sure to scream "Oh Ma Gawd!" a few times while filming to add auditory interest to your film.

:hi:


Laura