Ok, I am a California girl moving to Tornado country. I am pretty weather sensitive. In fact, It is kind of a hobby of mine to study and predict bad weather. I read lots of articles about people in tornado prone areas never knowing a twister is coming. I have seen several funnel clouds in California. Last year I was at my mom's and it was hailing and the sky looked really funny. I said to my mom, "If I didn't know better I'd think we were about to have a tornado, and then her back fence blew over. About an hour later, the news said that a funnel cloud had been spotted. My question is, how do all you country folk deal with this. Why is it you never hear about farm folk killed in a tornado? I just read an article last night where this lady was cooking dinner when the tornado hit. Is it just me or do you have to be pretty much ignoring the weather for this to happen? Another thing, why doesn't anyone put in storm cellars anymore. I told my husband when we move onto land if there is not one that is the first thing he's building. Besides i need someplace to store my vegis. Anyway I would really like to hear all your perspectives on this.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), May 12, 2000

Answers

I used to drive my neighbors in Iowa crazy ! I get my lawn chair and a 30 foot rope and lasso and wait to catch one. I'd be the only man on earth with a pet tornado. I was in one April 3, 1974. I saw it from a mile away in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. I believe there was 110 tornados that day. (some say the government tried a weather machine out that day) The only people usually killed by tornados are the uninformed--when you hear that town siren--Take Cover --in a basement, under a staircase or in a ditch !!!!

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), May 12, 2000.

Little Bit, tornadoes aren't like hurricanes, they build over land quickly and sometimes unexpectedly. So even the most alert people can get caught. Farm people do die, the news just doesn't usually make it out of the local area. But towns and cities have a higher concentration of people and buildings, so when they get hit the damage and death rate are usually higher. Other times there are warnings and people have decided to ignore them, or think they have time to finish what they're doing-like cooking supper.

When we got hit, it had been less than an hour since I'd seen the radar map on TV and gone to bed. There was nothing over us nor was there anything coming at us. Nor was there any hint in our actual weather that something was about to happen.

People don't put storm cellars in any more because they have basements now. Many older farm basements do have a storm room in them. Storm cellars aren't needed for storage these days either. Most farm people produce little or no food for themselves. Doesn't matter if they have a 10,000 head pork confinement operation, they're buying their pork chops at the grocery store. Storm cellars and root cellars have some differences, primarily in the venting and temperature control. Storm cellars can work as root cellars, some better than others. Storm cellars also tend to be inhabited by snakes. Trust me, sitting out a storm in a dark storm cellar with "company" is not fun. Storm cellars are also a pain to mow and most people don't like their looks.

A good basement and good constructions techniques are important. But the most important thing you can do is stay alert, keep an eye on the TV radar maps, and a NOAA radio turned on. Many areas offer weather spotters' classes. It would be a good idea to take one in your new area. I'd also search the 'net and at your library for both tornado and hurricance damage-mitigation ideas. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), May 12, 2000.

I am fascinated by the weather - have lived in tornado-prone areas most of my life- and haven't seen one yet! I sort of want to and sort of don't!! We have been through some pretty bad storms, but you will find me and the children down cellar with blankets, underneath a big, heavy desk. The ones during the night are the ones that make me nervous, I do try to keep watch. After I was home alone with my babies a few times with the house shaking and the siding being torn off and was petrified, I started to pay attention to the watches & warnings & procedures! Out here in farmland we can see what's coming. We pay attention to the weather now and get busy early to secure the barn and put things away. Oh, and when we're under that desk - we pray!

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), May 12, 2000.

Ok another question. Wouldn't it be better to have a cellar a little away from the house? I mean doesn't the whole concept of a basement for storm protection mean that you are stuck under a pile of rubble at the end. Now I realize that in an emergency it may be dangerous running outside too, but generally it seems to me that having my kids buried for who know how long until emergency services arrives is not a good idea. What differences in venting are you referring to?

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), May 12, 2000.

Joel - you nut!! I can always count on you for a laugh....and usually a shake of the head!

I like the silence so I usually don't have the TV or radio on, but if it looks ugly outside, I'll hit the switch. The year my daughter was born, we had more evil storms than I can remember before or since - but that could just be motherhood speaking. It's a wonder poor Jes didn't grow up thinking she was a mole - I had a rocker and a basket in the basement, and we set out many a storm down there! We had a storm cellar, but who wants to run across the yard, fight a double door, then sit in the dark with the spiders while holding a baby?! I awoke from a dead sleep one day last week at about 11 am - horizontal wind with trees bent over touching the ground, torrential rain, silence, then hail the size of golf balls. Grabbed a robe and a phone, headed for the basement, and called the ex to check on the kid (school already had them in the basement auditorium). Noted the direction of the wind, called hubby at work and ma-in-law and suggested they keep an eye out. One room of our basement has three concrete walls, used as a store room. Ugly skies and thunder-boomers usually find me downstairs...ummm...counting the canning jars - yeah, that's what I'm doing down there!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), May 12, 2000.

Ok, I know that I am like a little kid on a trip asking when we're gonna stop again, but How do you deal with it when hubby is at work? This must be very hard, although farm women have been dealing with this for years.

Little bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), May 12, 2000.

We knew some people who moved to Missouri from California. They were unaffected by the thought of New Madrid cutting loose again but the tornadoes shook them up so badly, they went back. I'm ambivalent about them because when we were first married and living near Jonesboro AR, we had a tornado, a 3.2 earthquake, and another tornado in a 10-day period. Trust me, I would take the tornado over an earthquake any day. When a tornado is over, it is over, no "after- tornadoes" but my real problem is that in the dictionary, beside the word claustrophobic is my picture! (Don't go look, I'm just making a point) The best I can do is stand in or near the basement stairwell. I can go to the basement under normal conditions. Go figure.

We do take precautions having both a weather radio and a scanner set to local law enforcement. They get the immediate information long before the weather radio can get it then disseminate it but they aren't so good for events 2 counties away.

By the way, did any of you hear about the big rainfall and subsequent flash flooding southwest of St. Louis MO Sunday morning May 7? Four counties were affected but parts of Franklin County had 15", 2 people drowned and this morning I heard that the damage total was over $100 million. One man interviewed said he got out with the clothes on his back. He didn't save so much as his wallet! So NBC national news gave it maybe 60 seconds coverage and then spent a whole segment on the Big Game lottery the next day.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), May 12, 2000.

All good information so far. I'll throw in the old standard: Be sure you have a good battery powered radio in your storm shelter, and make sure the batteries are kept fresh. Regular radio and a weather radio would be good, though you might have to put up a simple external antenna for the weather radio. It might not work well underground without one. I also keep a battery powered TV handy so I can keep an eye on the radar. Also helps pass the time in a long haul. If you're lucky the local tv station will be strong enough that you can still pick it up underground without an outside antenna. Good luck.

-- Les (lvaughn@suntransformer.com), May 12, 2000.

What do you do when he's at work? You pray he has a safe place too then call immediately to check on each other-cell phones are wonderful when the regular lines are out. We had this happen two years ago when a storm struck just north of the town where he works. The tornado then proceeded right straight to our area 14 miles away but fortunately, it turned due east about 2 miles south of our house. To quote ole Jerry Lee Lewis' song, Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On! Then you pray again.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), May 12, 2000.

I'd go with the basement. Faster to get into. Don't have to risk the wind, flying debris and lightning to get to a storm cellar outside. Plus there isn't any reason that the storm cellar won't end up buried under the remains of your house or barn or the house that used to be upwind. In any event, because storm cellars have fallen out of favor, rescuers are going to go for the house first. There were a few people trapped in their basements following the Spencer SD tornado. Neighbors released them promptly. It is a bit different in the country, it is going to take longer for help to get there, but they'll head for the house, or what is left of it. I can think of two homes near here that have storm cellars. If either place gets hit, I'm one of the people who go in after the residents. If the storm cellar was easily accessible, I'd probably take the time to throw open the door, otherwise I'm burrowing into the house.

Something else to consider, a proper storm cellar has no windows and one door. Most basements have windows and possibly more than one door. I've got a better chance of getting out of my basement. If I can't get out, I've got ways to get fresh air in. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), May 12, 2000.

I have seen plans for a specially built room in your home that has reinforced concrete walls and a special vent, etc. just for tornado country. You might check it out. In Tennessee after the tornadoes in early 98 (I believe) these were real popular additions. And easier than crossing a field in a big ol' storm to get to safety!

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@hotmail.com), May 12, 2000.

I don't know, I still think that a properly vented cellar is a better option than a basement. The chances that out of all the places to land, all the debris will end up on your storm cellar door is really small. Not only that, but hopefully if you are away from the house aways you won't need rescuing. Anyone here know some statisics on this. How many people have died in their storm cellars? How many people have died in their basements? How many have died on the way to the storm cellar? Of the people who died running to their cellars how many died because they didn't pay attention to warnings and signs? I'd also like to know how many people have died because they trusted alarms and sirens instead of their own eyesight and the alarms didn't go off? These are just some some things I've been thinking about. It's been kind of a hobby of mine to follow tornado chasing sites and other tornado info. I happen to be one of those people who just love bad weather. I used to stand on my Papa's porch in Louisiana and just watch the storms for hours at a time. I have tremendous respect for the power of weather. I think of it as God reminding us that he is God.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), May 12, 2000.

I thought I'd also add that as much as I love bad weather, I am also the first to move my children to the center of the house during a bad thunderstorm. Great respect breeds great fear.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), May 12, 2000.

Little bit, I'm thinking maybe you're worried about what YOU should do on the farm if a storm comes up while Hubby's at work??

If the weather just looks ugly, or there has been a watch posted, I'll put up lawn furniture, take clothes off the line, close up excess doors and windows - I always leave the bathrooms windows open in case - to equalize the air pressure. I also put the plug in the bathtub and start it filling with cold water just-in-case. We always have drinking water on hand. I know where our gas, electric and water main shut-offs are, so no problems there.

My chickens always headed inside on their own when bad weather threatened - I'd just shut up the coop. Hogs and geese usually went in on their own and sheep would follow me to the barn. Cattle usually stayed out in the pasture, on the lee side of a hill or with their tails to the wind. If our old German Shepard, Whip-poor-will, tries to get in the house, we know it's going to be one heck of a storm and batten down the hatches accordingly.

If the storm is imminent, I let the dogs in and we all head to the basement. Call me cold hearted, but the other stock simply would have to fend for itself.

-- Polly (tigger@moultie.com), May 12, 2000.

Polly you are one together lady! I have a tornado watch right now! No basement, or cellar. I have a small bathroom with a small window, when it is really shaking, or if I hear hail and the air has that "feel" to it, all four of my dogs and I pile into the shower and I sing little calming songs to 'em. Like Amazing Grace and those type of spiritual tunes. Goofy, but it helps keep us all calm and focuses me on the fact that God is in charge and that's where my faith is.

If i had the time and $$ I would opt for a cellar for tornados and root cellaring, but not this year. Take care.

-- Doreen Davenport (livinginskin@yahoo.com), May 12, 2000.

I don't know if it's the same all over tornado country but here we can "feel" it coming. The air is heavy and muggy, and very, very, still. Everything gets eerily silent, birds stop singing. The sky takes on a greenish cast. When the clouds start to look like they are rolling and boiling we know we'd better take cover because something is about to happen. When we built our house we put a 5" thick concrete reinforced slab over the entry porch ( about 5' by 10'). Underneath that porch is a concrete room we use for root cellar and storm shelter. The steel fire door opens IN so debris can't block it. We live so far out there are no sirens, so a weather radio and scanner are good things to have. The sheriff's dept. will report sightings and directions of travel of tornadoes before the weather people do. If you are interested in the weather and learn the signs you should never get caught by surprize.

-- Peg (NW WI) (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), May 12, 2000.

I find it to be ironic that I lived many years in Missouri and three years in Texas and never once saw a tornado, yet here I am in beautiful Lancaster County Pennsylvania and Wednesday afternoon watched a tornado zip along about 50 feet up in the air a good half mile away...We had had predictions of severe thunderstorms and large hail, so naturally, I went outside to see the show..Lovely green clouds all swirling around and changing directions by the second...I said "uh oh"...I remember this scenario...I took one more look down the street and there was the tornado, moving away from our area..Surprise!!!!! It ripped up a few trees as it dipped around (I didn't get to actually see that), but never did any real damage.We had a tornado warning in effect from the NWS, but we did not know that at the time.In Missouri, I happily headed for the basement with each warning, but after 15 years and no tornado, one becomes complacent.Storm cellars are nasty buggy snaky places ugh...I love basements..so what if the house falls in???? As long as you are under something sturdy, somebody will find you..especially if you have a cell phone with you.I used to go see the aftermath of tornados and noted that the house frame, beams, etc. usually was blown away with very little "junk" left to lay around in.When you live in an area that has frequent bad storms with tornado warnings, it's alot easier to head for the basement than run to a hot buggy dark storm cellar several times a month.Our new place in NE Alabama has no basement or storm cellar, so we are putting on a small addition that will have a basement and making sure we have a cell phone, bottled water and battery lamps down there just in case.That area has 4 to 6 tornados a year...so does Lancaster County Pennsylvania !!!!! The only place in the U.S.A. that has no tornados is Rhode Island.

-- lesley Chasko (martchas@gateway.net), May 12, 2000.

Little Bit, listen to all these people with experience and opt for a basement. Like Lesley says, most of the debris is GONE, just have something sturdy to crawl under.

-- dave IA (tidman@midiowa.net), May 12, 2000.

Little Bit Farm;tornadoes are a fact of life in Oklahoma. When we bought our house it didn't have a basement or storm cellar. We have one now, our second. It's a matter of personal choice on a storm cellar or basement. Mine is just outside my back door and around the corner. I built the cellar(12'X16') and then built an outdoor garage over it. I have a friend that has a small rise just behind his house. He actually leveled a place off on the side of a small hill for his house. Anyway he built his cellar into the side of the hill and he just walks out his back door and then straight into his cellar. No going down stairs or back up. Things to consider when your my age. Two things that should be abandoned in a tornadoe situation are automobile and trailer home. If it is any comfort, thank the Good Lord,that most tornadoes that we have are in the F1 range and not many are in the F5 range like the one on May 3,1999.

-- Terrell (terrell@tanet.net), May 12, 2000.

I have lived in Kansas and Oklahoma my whole life. I don't think that you need to worry about the house caving into the basement. I read somewhere that if the foundation is solid without any termite damage the chances of the house collapsing into the basement are less than 1%. In most of the damage I've seen on TV in the area the house is blown OFF of the foundation.

On running outside to the storm shelter: Just last week we had our annual "storm/tornado" show on our local TV station. They said most people out in the open (refering to hiding under an overpass - WHICH YOU SHOULD NEVER, EVER DO!) were killed by flying debris. Personally I wouldn't risk getting stabbed with a broken limb or roof shingle.

When the weather has our attention (You'll soon get to know the signs which will prompt you to turn on the TV or radio for weather updates.) we collect the following items for readiness: 1. Radio with fresh batteries. 2. Cell phone (if we had one) 3. Blankets and/or pillows to cover ourselves in the event of a hit. 4. Tennis shoes - most people run for cover barefoot (at night) but what happens if they are hit and have to climb out of the debris? 5. Our pets (kids added that one). 6. Flash light 7. Car keys 8.Our family members if the time finally comes.

I vote basement. But our dream house isn't going to have one. We are planning to install one of those tornado-proof rooms (closet)near the center of the house.

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), May 12, 2000.

We generally get "small" tornadoes this far north(nd) but we do have to watch out. We live to far away to hear the sirens. The one I saw (from a distance) last year, I heard about on the radio. They had info from residents calling in at least 5-10 min before weather bureau!!! The weird thing was that I was in the kitchen when I heard the radio anounce it and the location to the town put it about 5 miles to us so I looked out the window VERY puzzled as all I saw was blue sky with only a few small, tiny, puffy clouds here and there. All was bright, so where was the tornado coming from? Then I looked out the other side of the house...it was like a wall about a mile out. Like someone drew a line and it was blue here and black there! The kids got out their kids book about storms and we watched. We actually saw the funnel a couple miles out but it wasn't coming our way. I had friends in their cellar waiting. Later they looked at the path in the grass, it had come sraight at them, stopped about 50 feet away, then picked up again on the other side (still in a sraight line). They never lost a shingle! Another friend, a couple years ago, Lost the whole barn, NOTHING left. The sheep had been locked in and she was afraid to go look. There they stood in their little group as if the barn had just carefully lifted off before ripped and strewn. Peices are still found in neighbors feilds!

I had the same fears as you. Enough that we purposefully chose not to live inn tornado alley. People here look, listen,and prepare...then go out and watch them!

-- Novina West (lamb@stellarnet.com), May 13, 2000.

Here's another question -- what type of house construction best stands up to a tornado? Someone mentioned a special room they were going to build into their house that would be tornado-proof -- could you build the whole house to survive a tornado (this was one reason why I asked about underfround houses on an earlier thread)?

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), May 13, 2000.

Kathleen, yes you can build a house that is pretty much tornado-proof, for a price. You can get special glass for the windows, for a price. In some cases, specialized construction techniques are needed, it can be difficult to find contractors who can do it.

For the tornado room, contact your nearest Red Cross chapter. For ideas on how to build or remodel a house to withstand high winds, search hurricane sites, ask your Red Cross chapter, contact the nearest land grant college, the nearest National Weather Service office, or the weather people at your local TV station.

One of the most important things is to have your house bolted to the foundation. In the case of mobile homes, they need to be WELL tied down.

The aftermath of tornados is fascinating. Stories like Novina's are common. An entire house gone, but a table still standing in the rubble and on it, a kid's unfinished homework papers. A good first lesson in the unfairness of life! Every building on a farm destroyed, except for the ratty old chicken coop they'd never gotten around to burning. Things ranging from envelopes, to library books, bits of buildings, photographs, and more found 50 to 100 miles away.

During the day you have a fighting chance of protecting yourself from a tornado. But they can and do strike during the night. As a weather spotter, I know all too well how difficult it is to spot them in the dark. So especially after dark, if you're nervous, go ahead and head for the basement (or out to the storm cellar) to be on the safe side. NOAA radio might not have the location of any tornadoes on the ground, but they'll keep you informed of the weather conditions that could lead to the formation of tornadoes. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), May 13, 2000.

This is getting ridiculous!!!! At 7:45 this evening, we had TWO tornados within one mile of our house!!!!! That makes three of them in less than a week and this is in Pennsylvania !!!!!! Husband and the dogs and myself all zoomed down the basement..we heard the really strong lightening and turned the TV to the local news channel just in time to see a map of Lancaster County and hear the guy say "Two tornados have been confirmed by the National weather service in this location of the county..the guy then drew a little circle around our neighborhood and said,"Viewers living in Strasburg should take immediate cover..." Strasburg is maybe all of four miles wide and six miles long. I do not know what has made us so special this week, but I feel as if I have moved to Wichita Falls Texas!LOL

-- Lesley Chasko (martchas@gateway.net), May 13, 2000.

Little Bit Farm, No one takes tornadoes for granted. I have lived in Kansas for many, many years. No# 1 you can buy a storm shelter and have it installed. There is an ad in the local paper about a local company that sells and installs them. You watch the weather channel and keep a watchful eye on the weather. You listen for the changes in the wind direction and velocity. You can do all that out here cause you can see miles of sky and hear the wind blow. You are prepared and then you pay attention and then you stop worrying. Being in a tornado is a very scarey experience, but you can get to shelter if you are watchful of the weather, besides you can hear a tornado coming, and unless you live next to the railroad tracks you do not mistake it for anything else. I agree that earthquakes scare you more, or me, more than tornadoes. So build your root/storm cellar and enjoy living in the country. karen

-- Karen Mauk (dairygoatmama@hotmail.com), May 15, 2000.

Little Bit Farm,

I live in NE Oklahoma. I haven't noticed that cellars are out of fashion. There are businessess in our small town that build/install them. I'm not a fan of those concrete boxes that look like a septic tank with stairs. Too small! It is possible to construct a cellar that is water/snake proof. When you get moved, ask around and find someone who knows what they are doing.

Re- debris over door....keep a good auto hydraulic jack in the cellar. You should be able to lift the door with that if needed.

It won't take long for you to get a feel for things. Radio ( Bay-gen freeplay windup is great) tv are great sources for info. The radar views these days are great.

My kids know the drill if they hear the word tornado. They put on shoes, put a few toys in a backpack and place it with jackets beside the front door.

Most important...don't be too afraid. Enjoy the excitement of the storm. Just be aware and be prepared.

-- Mona (jascamp@ipa.net), May 15, 2000.

You can get a NOAA weather radio, and tune it in to your area only, when you go into a watch or warning it will go off. I think its great since I have advance warning when the weather is getting bad and I can start looking for the kids to get them home befor the storm is on us. We also put in a 1/4 bsmt.. We got our radio from radio shack. Cindy

-- Cindy (hale@ria.net), May 15, 2000.

We live in So Central KS. I remember well, that line, "Well, I've lived in KS for 31 years and never seen a tornado. One week to the day later, I was in my backyard watching a tornado that had just hit Haysville and was heading to our house. It was April 26, 1991. I think there were 4 tornadoes all around us that day. We ran to the basement, and weren't hit. But all around us were. We've moved to the country since then. Last April, Haysville was hit again. That tornado went straight up the street right across the street from where we bought our first house. My best friend is from California, and was 3 minutes ahead of that tornado driving her kids to her in laws for the nite. She had no idea until she got to their house there were any warnings out. She doesn't have time to watch tv, not that hers was even hooked up. I bought her a NOAA radio that an alarm goes off if there are ANY kinds of warnings within 2 counties of where you live. In KS, this is USUALLY how it goes. First, a severe thunderstorm watch, (sometimes the tornado watch comes at that time) then the severe thunderstorm warning, then a tornado watch, then the tornado warning. Watches mean the weather conditions are ripe for thunderstorm or tornado, so keep watch. Warning means it's HERE, now! Tornados come in front of and behind storms. So, just because you've been given the all clear, stay close, because if it was a nasty storm, usually, within 45 minutes you'll be in your basement again. I don't know how, but my husband KNOWS this stuff. He seems to know which ones will bring the ones behind it. I love those NOAA radios, they have alarms that go off to warn you and we even get river and creek levels. When we had a basement, we stocked a change of clothes of jeans, shirts, shoes, socks, diapers and powdered formula, an empty clean bottle, big box of baby wipes, and 2 gallons of bottled water, and extra pillows and blankets when we had them, and storm toys, flashlights, radio and always an extra package of batterries, and snacks in sealed packages. That way, when the sirens went off, we ALL stopped what we were doing and ran to the basement. These things hit in the spring and summer. If you're in a neighborhood, it's going to be a while before you're dug out. There will be debris, sharp things and nails, shoes, jeans are a must to get out. We'd put stuff in there in March and take it out in winter and reload it every spring. Now that we're out in the country, our neighbors know where we go for the warnings and where to look for us. Here, everyone checks on everyone else. It's the first thing you do when you get the all clear. If you're ok, you make sure none of your neighbors were hit. You may be the one that has to call to get them help. I'm terrified of the tornados, and here, it's kids first and animals fend for themselves. Unless Spencer is here and he knows enough ahead to get things battened down. My oldest seems to be developing that ability, too. I would reccomend taking the storm chaser classes when you get here, if you really like to watch the storms. They are awesome. We'll be putting in one of those drop in fiberglass shelters here and pour some cement on it to anchor it down for when it floods.

-- Louise Whitley (whitley@terraworld.net), May 16, 2000.

As a weather guy I will tell you just about what you have all ready seen on this site. This what you should do if a tornado is on your e.t.a. in your path, use your basement or a storm cellar if you have none and only a single storie house go to the the most center part of your house or a bath tub wich may be strong,put protective covering over your head such as a book or arms,If there is a tornado at my place I go into the basement in a stronr room under a table with my weather radio and a flashlight at try to have some communication to the out side if you are hit, if in a moble home get out of the home and seek better shelter. if in a car,well I try to out run it but is I can't I will get on the ditch and pray.Remember always pray that helps me out.If you look on a radar there will be something called a hook eaco that means that means that you have a hook shape signiture on the radar that means there is rotateion in the storm some others are bow eacos or wich means strait line winds bowining out like a bow shape signiture on the radar wich is not a tornado but can be just as bad.never open your window that will and all means kill you and bring in more crap in your house plus you need to take cover as a warning is taking place besides is a car that is air born really going to fit through your window no it will ta

-- top secret (bigtrain58@hotmail.com), February 13, 2001.

I have lived in Missouri and Kansas all my life. Never seen a tornado yet, and you probably never will either. As for people getting caught in them unaware, I can see how that can happen. For example I live in a stone house with 18 inch thick walls. We have to have a whale of a storm for me to hear anything in the house. I've slept right through some terrible storms. One night the church across the street burned down. The fire trucks couldn't have been more than 20 feet from where I was sleeping but I knew nothing about it until an ATF agent knocked on the door to ask me what I knew about it.

-- debra in ks (solid-dkn@msn.com), February 13, 2001.

Tornado season is begining again, here are some web sites in OK for those who would like to follow coverage; www.oklahoma.com www.9online.com

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), March 18, 2001.

Just had a tornado here friday,my friend half a mile away was killed,the closest town is 20 miles away,no warning sirens,the only warning was a severe weather warning ten minutes before it happened. That was at 3am, I just happened to be awake at the time,I'm working on a storm shelter today. Daryll

-- Daryll (twincrk@hotmail.com), March 18, 2001.

Hi Little Bit!

I had a tornado hit my place back in March of 1991 at 4:30 in the afternoon with no warning. We usually know in GA that if the sky looks "funny" kinda green cast and low boiling clouds to take cover. We lost our new 10 stall stable and house that day. The stable literally exploded with debris scattered over several acres. One of our halters was found over a mile away hanging from a tree limb. Our house was lifted from the foundation and smacked down severing all power, water and sewer lines. Thank goodness no one or none of the animals were badly hurt. We didn't have a storm cellar. One reason people don't put in basements or cellars is the advent of the slab foundation. It is cheaper to build houses that way. I want a storm cellar put in as soon as possible, I wouldn't mind a spider or snake if it meant that I would still be around to tell folks about it! If your stock starts acting funny, pay attention. They usually know bad weather is coming long before we do. My goats will get in their house long before it starts to rain and the dogs head for the barn. Batten down anything that will blow away, get to the lowest point you can, and stay put. Stay out of cars, and mobile homes. Better to be in a ditch if caught out on the road than be in your car. Tornadoes come through here pretty regularly, but none of my neighbors have storm cellars or basements. We are definitely putting in a cellar though. I don't want to bet that the next big twister won't hit here.

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), March 18, 2001.

Little bit, I'm surprised at your fear of tornadoes. I grew up in "tornado alley", and I never worried about them. Hell's bells. If you're gonna die, you're gonna die.

I'm not a particularly religious type person (oh, you've noticed?) I used to run all over the neighborhood during hail storms, wearing my football helmet and shoulder pads laughing at the golf ball sized hail bouncing off me. Lightning--I love it; it's exhilarating.

With your oft stated faith in god, why, you should just carrry your big cross out into the storm and beg god to spare you. You'll be fine!

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), March 19, 2001.

Jump off Joe, so far the method you mentioned is working just fine. Don't have a storm cellar, or a homestead at the moment cause our proerty fell through. Jesus seems to be working pretty well so far, Not that I believe christians can't have tornadoes mind you. I just believe that if I do have a tornado God will take care of me wherever I am either in heaven or here on earth. Thank you for the advice. You're right, I need to have more faith. God bless you!

Little Bit farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), March 20, 2001.

i only have one question....how can you find tornadoe celler plans...i live in indiana and i am scared to death of tornadoes.. i want a celler but no one knows how to construct one...got any ideas??? tornadoe shelters that go under ground are way too expensive i need something cheap...please let e know

-- ellie robbins (emrobbins@seidata.com), April 11, 2001.

I deal with tornadoes by living in the mountains of Colorado. As for digging a storm cellar, I'm not sure I'd want to dig a hole in the ground with flash flooding. The real reason I got on line is because of one of the responses and questions about building a cheap storm cellar. My question. Why in the world would want to cut costs on the thing that might possibly save your life in the event you do actualy encounter a tornadoe?

-- Jim Kuchenbrod (bulwinkl@brecknet.com), April 22, 2002.