Tornado!!!

"The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind,
the answer is blowin' in the wind"
- lyrics by Bob Dylan

On June 5th an F2 class tornado hit the town Streator, Illinois; in total 15 tornadoes hit the region during the storm. 8,400 residents lost power. Here is a first hand account,

"The twister tore through the southern part of town, wreaking a path of destruction 400 yards wide. It didn’t sound like a freight train — the usual description you read in the newspapers. Freight trains don’t roar like a wild beast and beat holy hell against your windows seeking to get in. The rattling, clacking, and shaking of my brick house was augmented by the rending, tearing sounds of tree limbs snapping, the popping of transformers (sounding just like old-fashioned flash bulbs exploding), and a strange, terrifying high-pitched whine that made it sound as if all the furies in the world had been unleashed and were circling my home in anticipation of its destruction."

Here's an report from trailer park,

"[Dan] ran back inside, told his wife to get their 11-month-old daughter and for several terrifying moments, the mother and father hunkered down over their daughter, their bodies shielding her as windows shattered, appliances tumbled over and the entire trailer shook violently with the force of a tornado passing by. "I just kept praying," [the mother] said. "I thought that my baby would get sucked away."

The good news about this event is that no one was killed (although 50+ were injured and 30+ homes destroyed). Modern weather radar gave advance warning so residents could shelter in their basement. Even so there is an element of luck and fate and fickleness when dealing with tornadoes. It can destroy one house utterly and leave one next door untouched.

Also keep in mind that tornadoes are FAST. The event in Streator was over in three minutes. When the sirens blare you must respond immediately; don't dither and don't step out on the porch to see what the sky looks like.

I read another account today (must have been a different storm) of a father sheltering in the basement with his family. Almost immediately the power when out so he and dog went upstairs to start the emergency power generator. It was at that moment the tornado hit and blew away everything above ground level. If he had stayed in the shelter in the dark he would have lived.

Bottom Line

Most people who die in tornadoes are hit by debris from their own house. Do you have a safe room to shelter in? For tornadoes it should be below ground if possible, if not then a first floor interior room without windows. Stock the room with flashlights, water, blankets, games, hand-powered radio, bucket for a toilet, and anything else you might need for 30-60 minutes while a storm blows overhead. The purpose of the shelter is defeated if you have to leave it to get something you forgot.