Tornado Season!!!!!

[2010Dolby]

Love it or hate it, the tornados are here. We had one hit ground 30 miles from where I live and storm-chasers are staying in the hotel 3 blocks from my apartment. Excited anxiety! We're gonna do some amatuer storm-hunting for the next few weeks :lol: And a warning to everyone: The twisters are supposed to be often and fierce this year so get your emergency kits stocked and ready.

-Flashlights
-Water
-Nonperishable food
-Tools (Knife, screwdriver set, saw, etc.)
-First aid supplies
-Matches or lighters

Anybody have any storm stories, tips, pictures, or videos we'd love to see them.

And a pic from here in Nebraska (spoilered just for one F-bomb)

Spoiler

View attachment 2621

 

[Bay]

I lived in the Midwest for years, where we practiced tornado drills in school and every family had an emergency plan that even the youngest child knew by heart. I am both terrified and fascinated by them. When the weather seems ripe for them, I cannot take my eyes off the sky. I have seen tornadoes form, and that's when I find shelter. I have seen first hand the damage they can do, and it scares me to death. They were such a presence in my childhood that I still have nightmares about them.

 

[marraco]

I want to see a tornado with my own eyes, but never could see one.

In January, the strongest storm ever rained over my city, with very fast winds. I saw at the window, hoping to see a tornado, but I saw none.

The city was wrecked. Some roads were flooded, and many old trees were destroyed:

 

[marraco]

Some days later, a similar strong storm wrecked Buenos Aires. I love trees, but I also find fascinating the images of wrecked trees:

 

[Bay]

I am a tree lover. It always feels physically painful to see trees ripped to shreds like that.

 

[Spinning Compass]

So far (knock on wood) it's been a fairly quiet season here in Michigan though in the beginning it didn't look like it. But May and June are our peak months so I am holding my breath and hoping that I won't have to submit any Skywarn reports.

I really recommend Skywarn training for those who like me are both fascinated and frightened by twisters (though I have to admit my first and only twister so far was rather a let-down--not that I am complaining, God, as puny as it was, it was a real F-category tornado so it does count). Personally, I think it is only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed chasing. If you are going to go out and chase, at least get some training so you know what to look for. In Skywarn they stress Safety First in spotting and/or reporting.

I once wound up in a car full of ignorant people who decided to go charging head-on towards a tornado-warned storm in hilly, hard-to-see country without having a clue as to where the funnel was, whether there was only one, how strong or weak it was, or whether it was rain-wrapped or fully visible. I repeatedly told them to slow down, that they did not know what they were driving into but it made no difference. Needless to say that was a very scary experience for me.

So, please, stay safe.

 

[2010Dolby]

So far (knock on wood) it's been a fairly quiet season here in Michigan though in the beginning it didn't look like it. But May and June are our peak months so I am holding my breath and hoping that I won't have to submit any Skywarn reports.

I really recommend Skywarn training for those who like me are both fascinated and frightened by twisters (though I have to admit my first and only twister so far was rather a let-down--not that I am complaining, God, as puny as it was, it was a real F-category tornado so it does count). Personally, I think it is only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed chasing. If you are going to go out and chase, at least get some training so you know what to look for. In Skywarn they stress Safety First in spotting and/or reporting.

I once wound up in a car full of ignorant people who decided to go charging head-on towards a tornado-warned storm in hilly, hard-to-see country without having a clue as to where the funnel was, whether there was only one, how strong or weak it was, or whether it was rain-wrapped or fully visible. I repeatedly told them to slow down, that they did not know what they were driving into but it made no difference. Needless to say that was a very scary experience for me.

So, please, stay safe.

There are few things more humbling that watching a funnel touch the ground. It'll make you feel like your body is as weak as a pane of glass.

And as you probably know by now, SpinningCompass, I do stupid things for stupid reasons. It's just how I am I guess :lol: my life motto, "If Im gonna be dumb I gotta be tough."

 

[76054Pluto]

Here in Scotland we very rarely get tornadoes and when we do they are always really weak. I would love to visit the US midwest to see and experience one for myself. I love watching tornado film footage online and I think one of the things that makes the midwest tornadoes really scary is that most of the land is flat so there is no shelter.

 

[Spinning Compass]

It depends on where you live in the Midwest. There are parts that are very flat but where I live it is rather hilly and wooded. In my opinion (and I am not alone in this, other storm spotters feel the same way) being out on the open plains is a lot safer because you can see the storms coming from a long way off and that is not possible where there are a lot of trees and hills. For example the only good view from my house is to the northeast which doesn't do a lot of good because most storms come from the west/northwest/southwest and those are precisely the views that are blocked! If I want to get a good look at things I have to drive out a mile or two where there is some high open ground. Obviously this is something I don't really relish doing in a severe storm.

The tornado that I saw in 2008 was a perfect example of this. I did not actually see the funnel until it was almost on top of me (it actually passed within 2 blocks!). It was very difficult to see because not only were there trees and buildings in the way it was nearly transparent and only the debris whirling around gave any indication that it was even there. In my Skywarn training class we saw a video of another tornado the same storm produced about 30 miles to the east which was wrapped in rain making it even harder to see. So give me the open plains any time!