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In Case of A Tornado...

Posted by str8_talk on Thursday, April 24, 2008 7:00:00 PM
Copyright © Kimberly MD

I live in Tornado Alley where the sky can turn quickly from a light sky blue to a deep cerulean blue with tinges of green. Anyone who has lived or grown up in Tornado Alley knows that this means an impending severe storm or sure signs of hail or at the very worst...a Tornado. Yesterday was one of those days and there are more storms predicted today. Some friends of mine were discussing what we would take with us to our 'room of shelter' if we had fair warning that a tornado was approaching. Also, we chatted whether we kept our "rooms" already stocked with "essentials." It was rather hilarious and I must be part boy scout or more of a planner than I realized.

My room is under my stairwell and it is a very nice cedar closet with two hanging rods and several shelves. I already have an all-band weather radio in it, along with a fire extinguisher and a flashlight. I check the batteries each Spring on my radio and replace them if necessary.  Another "given" is my gun, at least my 9mm, if there is any property that could be looted, you bet I'm going to protect it. I also might need to defend myself from wild animals or crazy men; or is that the same thing? My extra pillows are in there for guests, so I don't need to add more.  You never know how firm a pillow your guests like, so I keep an assortment with pillowcases. Then there are blankets and sheets because where else would you keep extra linens? My out of season clothes are stored in there but I've learned not to move the winter clothes in until after the end of June because it gets too crowded. If I lose them in a tornado, then I'll just have to buy new clothes. What woman hates new clothes?  Well, for me, I keep my most expensive camera lens in that closet at all times along with my tripod, when I'm not using it. This is much to my son's dismay, but it is a large closet. It can easily fit 3-4 people and if worse came to worst, we could throw the existing clothes out and fit in a couple more guests. ;) I'm not heartless...

Now, the next thing I have is my software, because if your computers blow away in a tornado, at least you have your software and the software for my iMac was more than the computer itself, even though I bought the 20" screen! I wish I could take my large screen TV down there, but I guess that is what homeowner's insurance is for, isn't it? I've recently thought of putting my hard copies of photography in there, but instead decided that I'll opt for all my flash drives and memory cards which take up less room. Perhaps I'll just take my film pictures and store them on one of the shelves.

I'm not EXPECTING to be blown away, but April 26th looms over us, and it is the anniversary of one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in Kansas history. There were fifty-four tornadoes in Kansas and some have reported as many as seventy-one on that single day. The worst was an F-5 Tornado, which descended on the plains just Southwest of Wichita, KS in Clearwater, it remained on the ground for a remarkable 46 miles! The destruction of the half-mile wide twister was devastating. Homes that were not completely gobbled up were ripped off their foundations and had to be demolished. One hard hit area was Andover, KS a suburb of Wichita where I had been looking for a house, so many houses were destroyed in this middle to upper class suburb; that the people living there, quickly relocated to any available real estate in the area. I remember my real estate agent calling me to say that I should mark Andover off my list of 'possibles' for the Wichita area. I happened to be moving to Kansas that year - 1991! I moved from another Tornado Alley...Tulsa, Oklahoma, so I'm used to this, right?

Plus, I used to be a storm chaser, but I don't go now because one person I used to go with when my son was three years old scared the bejabers out of him. So much, that if you mention the word "tornado" he still dives into his bedroom, which is located in the basement next to my large cedar closet. She would get overly excited when we storm chased, she couldn't contain her excitement and sounded nervous, when it was really more of a fascination. He interpretted it to be fear and it instilled in him a fear of the mighty storms. I'm not saying that tornadoes shouldn't be feared or that you shouldn't respect the awesome strength of these disastrous natural phenomenons, because they are to be revered. Anything that can drive a drinking straw through a 2x4 and not leave a split or a crack is to be respected! I've seen such a thing. I've also seen a house that looked like someome took a jigsaw and cut the top floor completely off but left the windows intact, talk about major vacuum power! There are countless chin-rubbing, head-scratching, "how in the world?" things that happen during a tornado. For those of you who have seen the movie "Twister" with Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton it is quite typical in most of the depictions and dialogue. I've seen where it destroys three homes surrounding another and leaves one intact. They are totally unpredictable, unlike hurricanes! They drop out of the sky with a vengeance and a fierceness that is unbelievable.

Back to the shelter room, I also keep bottled water in the closet, because we must have water to live and our bodies are made up of 55-65% water. I also keep a container of wet wipes in the closet. They can be quite handy and a first aid kit. Now, if it comes down to the time, the next thing I pack is my medication, I have one that I must have and in a natural disaster how long do you think it would take to get that refilled? I can live without makeup, but I put in lip gloss for moisture, contact solution and extra contacts. Okay, now some of you may be thinking, gee she sounds like she's preparing for a bomb to drop, but have you seen the devastation of a tornado? I have one friend who has several canned goods, non-perishables, he was showing his "room" to me when he built his house a few years ago. He had the walls reinforced, because he lives on a rocky hill and cannot have a basement. The walls are built like a bomb shelter...ceiling and walls are 24" of reinforced concrete that meets bomb shelter specs! Now who's the one ready for un-natural disaster? He also has it vacummed sealed when the door closes, so whoa! I'm guessing by his profession, he takes his palm pilot/phone and already has all his oil well maps in the closet.

Some other friends have a room in their basement and the door to it is a vault-style door like you would find in a bank. Yes, I'm talking turning handle with a code! The kind you would see in an old western movie in a bank. The vault door is tall enough for a man over six feet tall to easily walk through. It is painted black with ornate gold paint detailing and the manufacturer's name is lettered in a very nice script. Their room is also reinforced to bomb specs and it can fit about 40-50 people! So, if we have an air-strike, I know who I'm calling!!! They also keep canned goods, non-perishables, water, pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags in their 'room' and still could easily fit 30 or more people sleeping!  I didn't ask what they take in 'case.' I know this guy though, and my guess is his laptop and his ledger. He's a cattle rancher, I think his wife would take her jewelry. Which brings me to my next item, jewelry, I keep my best jewelry near me at all times, so I have it handy and my purse, I must have my purse, it isn't big, I hate big purses. Now mind you, if I have the time, I will take my laptop, because my whole life is in this little box that I'm typing away on right now, along with addresses, and other important information. So it is a high priority, right along with my camera, which I'm sure you've been wondering why I haven't mentioned.

Well, I plan to have that in my hands up until I just HAVE to go into the room, you never know, I might get a picture of a looming tornado before it swoops down and takes the rest of my belongings, like an eagle after its prey. There is no mercy! I don't like small enclosed spaces, although I've had more brain and neck MRIs than I'd like to in my lifetime, say at least 20? I've lost count, that's what having a near-fatal car wreck and a cervical discectomy, which is having 3 discs removed and 3 cadaver discs put in to replace them, will do to you. I usually ask for the special, which is a washcloth for my eyes, ear plugs or if I'm lucky I go where they play music, now that's nice! (I take my own valium.) If not, I sing every song in my head that I can think of for almost one hour while I lay completely immobile except to breathe and swallow. I have a plate and six screws in my neck and I've only set off one alarm which was NOT in an airport, thank goodness!  So when I dash to my room, I want to be ready and to only have to take as little as possible, call me pragmatic or call me over-prepared, but if you've lived most of your life where I have, you'll understand. If you live in Tornado Alley, I'd love to hear what you have in your 'room.' 

One story I would like to add is about my childhood. We lived on a farm and we had a storm cellar. Our house was built in the twenties and was very charming with glass door knobs, french doors to the library, and chandeliers that had been converted from gas to electricity. Most of the fixtures in the house were original. I believe the bathroom was the only room that had new fixtures, because when the house was built there had not been indoor plumbing! Our storm cellar was added in the thirties, I know because the concrete pad was stamped 1933. This storm cellar had not been built leak-proof or maybe it was the years of shifting earth. Where we lived was on a fault line. Yes, we do have earthquakes in the middle of the country, just not to the magnitude of California or some other states. They usually range around the 2.4 mark on the Richter scale, but there was one in 1952 that registered at 5.5! Now that would be enough to crack walls and our storm cellar had some minor fissures. Each spring, my father would take a pump into the cellar and pump the accumulated water out of the cellar to prepare for Tornado season. He would also take out any snakes that had taken up residence and clean out spiders, both live ones and carcasses, as well as their nests under the benches that we would sit on during the storms.

We would have one practice drill which I detested, mostly because I hate spiders! I didn't mind the cellar and taking down the hurricane lamps, that part was an adventure! In fact, when friends came over, if my father had just cleaned out the cellar, we would play in it, but we would leave the door open, because we weren't allowed to play with matches or the hurricane lamps. The hurricane lamps required matches and they were antiques. We could have taken flashlights, but it seemed we only had one flashlight that ever 'worked' and my father had it out of reach so that we couldn't get it down without raising suspicion. Maybe that's why I have so many flashlights in my house that work! I remember one Spring when he hadn't had time to clean out the cellar and we were under a tornado warning. The thunder was ferocious! I asked my mother why God made the thunder so loud, I didn't mind the lightning (funny, it was more dangerous) and she told me "Oh, that's just God rolling out potatoes to feed all the saints in Heaven." I remember thinking that was either a lot of potatoes or they were HUGE!
 
Thursday, April, 24, 2008 4:08 PM Joe writes: You brought back memories I grew up in Puerto Rico, and my professional carreer started as Civil Defense Director. I saw the destruction of hurricanes first hand, and the power of wind. You can never be too carefull with mother nature. If God wills it, there is not a lot that can be done bu be prepared. 
 
Thursday, April, 24, 2008 4:19 PM Nee writes: May I suggest... In NC we get to have hurricanes and ice storms...But may I suggest keeping some of the larger disposable diapers on hand? This is because if you lose the ability to flush, then you can pee in the diaper without a fuss. (all those little beads really absorb!) We were in college in Pensacola and thought we would chase a Tornado...all the while looking at the side of the Hwy, making sure there were ditches to haul asss to-- as if that would have helped!! We were really young and dumb! 
 
Thursday, April, 24, 2008 4:49 PM str8_talk writes: Joe That's interesting, I used to have a friend from Puerto Rico. He was a professional baseball player until a car wreck ruined his career. Civil Defense, and now what?
No, I've seen many tornadoes over the years by sight and after their destruction. I also lived in Corpus Christi for three years so I know the hurricane preparedness as well. At least you have more time with those! 
 
Thursday, April, 24, 2008 4:53 PM str8_talk writes: Nee As I told Joe, I lived in a hurricane area and now my son is stationed in NC, that is why I have so many Photos of the Outer Banks. He's at Camp LeJeune. I never thought of diapers...LOL
We always used old coffee tins and those were call pee-cans. I grew up on a pecan farm and those were call (pu-cons). ;) Wouldn't want to get them confused! 

Thursday, April, 24, 2008 5:36 PM BrianR writes: Very interesting essay A couple of suggestions. I didn't see mentioned either a fire extinguisher or a gun, both of which I'd have in my emergency supplies. Maybe I missed them.
I also have an all-band radio and multi-purpose flashlight, but they also have generators built in, so that if the batteries go dead or are used up, I can still get the units to work by cranking them.

Thursday, April, 24, 2008 6:09 PM str8_talk writes: BrianR Well, the gun was a given, my 9mm is usually always by my side, so I didn't think to mention it and the fire extinguisher is in the closet already.
As far as the generator, do you have $4G so I can buy one? LOL JK 

Thursday, April, 24, 2008 6:11 PM str8_talk writes: PS to Brian My weather radio is an all band radio, guess I should make that more clear. 

Thursday, April, 24, 2008 6:45 PM 1maschrom writes: str8t aka Miss K (i like it, it suits u) I'll take a hurricane over a tornado any day. At least you have advanced warning with the former. I about had a nervous breakdown the year we had three hurricanes blow by us a few yrs ago. The first two were fun and we sat out on the covered porch and watched the wind whip by at 60 miles an hour. By the last one I'd had enough! LOL!
Nee, I LOVE IT, diapers. You get the ingenuity award of the day girlfriend! LOL! 

Thursday, April, 24, 2008 8:18 PM str8_talk writes: 1mas Well, I can't say I disagree with you on the hurricanes over tornadoes, having lived in both conditions. I am an adrenaline junky though. You wouldn't believe my last name, it has to do with etiquette. I don't write the column either! I don't like using it!! I have been razzed about it by cops but I didn't get a ticket!
The last time I was teased I was driving an ex-boyfriend's Mercedes doing 75 in a 50, I really didn't realize I was going that fast!
I said "Honestly officer, I'm sorry!" He said with a name like mine, he didn't see how I could be lying and that I probably had heard the line he wanted to use on me before. I said "Oh, I'm sure I have." ;) 
 
Thursday, April, 24, 2008 9:54 PM Ralph Ellison writes: str8t talk Don't want to interrupt your responses. Thanks for the comment on my blog. I wanted to apologize for the late response. My allergies have been kicking my @ss the past few days. I managed to leave a reply to your comment. Check it out when you get a chance. 

Thursday, April, 24, 2008 11:02 PM BrianR writes: No, no! Not a separate power generator; the flashlight and radio both have built-in hand-crank generators. 
 
Thursday, April, 24, 2008 11:06 PM BrianR writes: PS I got a chuckle about your comment on having your camera with you.
Did you see the essya I posted when we had the wildfires last year?
Check it out: http://viewfromtheisland.blogtownhall.com/2007/10/23/evacu ate!.thtml
 
Thursday, April, 24, 2008 11:22 PM str8_talk writes: Brian Now it's my turn to oy vey. I forgot about the radios & flashlights with the crank generators. As for the fire extinguisher, I have it, but I'm not sure what would catch on fire because my house is totally electric! No gas anything that took some getting used to coming from Oklahoma where we had it practically everywhere. In fact on the farm I grew up on, we had our own natural gas well and our other farm they drilled for oil and hit a gusher which produced 100 barrels an hour! Boy would I love to have that in my yard now!!! Of course it stay at that rate for more than a few weeks, but it did stay up there and it did contribute to the family wealth. 
 
Thursday, April, 24, 2008 11:33 PM wil writes: I have never been in a hurricane or tornado. Oregon (where I grew up) and Northern California (where I am now) are pretty moderate weather places. Even in my military years in Texas and Georgia I didn't have any of that to deal with. We did get ash from Mt St. Helens in 1980 when I was a kid, but we were far enough away where it was just a light dusting.
 
Thursday, April, 24, 2008 11:56 PM str8_talk writes: wil I've been to Oregon once and many times to Northern California, that is beautiful country! I'm surprised you never dealt with any storms in TX, but depending where in TX. The Central North part of TX and the panhandle then the center of OK into the NE to Tulsa then up through KS, and into AR, MO, LA, and MS are the worst. Here's a link: http://www.tornadochaser.net/images/frequency.gif 
 
Friday, April, 25, 2008 12:26 AM wil writes: I was in San Angelo right in the middle of the state at Goodfellow AFB for 6 months from July to Dec of 1998. We once had hail the size of golf balls, but no tornadoes. Thanks for the link, storms are fascinating to me. 
 
Friday, April, 25, 2008 12:40 AM str8_talk writes: wil My kids call me a weather fanatic...LOL I'm always watching the weather where I live and I have friends who are farmers that trust my forecast over the weathermen. I was taught by my grandfather to look at the signs of nature, not just scientific data. Use both he told me and he was very accurate. I did a seven day forecast in 7th grade for a Science fair and I won an award. So, I've always been fascinated by weather. It's probably one of the reasons I became a storm chaser.
I also found a better map that I think is a more accurate depiction of what has happened. I think the 1st link I gave you was a projection.
http://www.nesec.org/images/haz_tornado_alley.gif
 
Friday, April, 25, 2008 8:49 AM ScarletPimpernel writes: Hello Str8t Never knew of the dangers of Kansas! Well, the Wizard of Oz of course. I lived in NC for a while. Was there when Hurricane Floyd put eastern NC under water. Quite amazing. Pigs were on barn roofs. I was not saved at the time so my supplies were a quart of bourbon, a flashlight, a radio, a carton of Marlboro Lights, and a giant can of peanuts. I survived pretty darn well actually. The rescue guys came by in rowboats for some folks.
In 1973 or 1974 I lived in Lexington KY. I was a kid then and a really bad tornado ripped through the area. I can see how you folks would want to stay prepared.
I like your photography. I appreciate (real) artistic ability. I define art as "something visual that I cannot do". 
 
Friday, April, 25, 2008 9:08 AM 1maschrom writes: LOL Miss K I was having a total senior moment (at 40) about your last name, but It finally came to me!
My fear during the hurricanes was for my new (to me) Eddie Bauer Expedition that I searched half the country for (not for the family LOL). I couldn't bear anthying happening to my dream SUV.
If that sounds shallow, well, let's face it....... it is! LOL!
 
Friday, April, 25, 2008 11:31 AM BrianR writes: You don't know what would catch fire????????
Isn't that closet lined with cedar?
You have electricity in the house, right?
Short circuit (fire source) + nice cedar = burnt down house and crispy critters inside.
Friday, April, 25, 2008 11:46 AM str8_talk writes: BrianR I knew that innocent Southern belle "Scarlet" act would get you going and you fell...LOL
Sorry... not really I liked the reaction ;) 
 
Friday, April, 25, 2008 12:08 PM BrianR writes: Yeah, well I used to be a Boy Scout, too. Natch.
 
Friday, April, 25, 2008 6:18 PM Sgt Relic writes: Tornado vs. Hurricane It's so hard to choose. When I was a kid we lived in western Illinois and saw tornadoes frequently. We had a storm cellar but it was mostly for a short term take-cover position. My Grandfather used to turn on the TV set and wait for the screen to go blank and milky from the RF dampening effect of a nearby tornado.
Here in Virginia storm cellars are called swimming pools. We are 3 feet about sea level and it's the flooding that gets you. We were last visited by Isabel in 2003. Hatteras was kind enough to take the first punch but it was still an F-2 when it got us. Lights out for 3 weeks, no gas, no groceries...thank heavens for my portable generator.
The big difference is frequency and intensity of major storms, with tornadoes being generally f-4 or f-5, while hurricanes are usually winds of about 110 mph. On the upside tornadoes aren't 350 miles wide!
God loves Virginia, why else would NC stickout in front of us for easy landfall. HaHaHa!
 
Friday, April, 25, 2008 7:16 PM str8_talk writes: Sgt Relic Yes, they can be a toss up and when I lived in Corpus Christi, there was a hurricane that wiped out the North Beach, near Port Aransas. We were scheduled to fly to LA, but all flights were canceled two days in advance. The airline called us and said if we drove to DFW, they would refund the portion of our trip from Corpus to Dallas, so we headed out and had someone keeping an eye on our house. My oldest was a baby then.
That was Hurricane Allen, in 1980 and it was the strongest hurricane in the 1980 Atlantic season. It is also rated as the 5th strongest hurricane ever in the Atlantic as far as low pressure, stronger than Katrina, but it hit an area that was sparsely populated. The good thing that came out of it was that it ended the drought of that year and the bad thing was that it spawned several tornadoes. 
 
Friday, April, 25, 2008 7:21 PM BrianR writes: Happy to oblige, ma'am (((((((((((((((((digging booted toe into dirt))))))))))))
 
Saturday, April, 26, 2008 3:38 PM Frigglesnitz writes: str8t talk: Once my parents and various family members gathered at Grand Isle, Louisiana for fishing and a family reunion. I was probably about three months old, so I don't remember the hurricane that tore through at some point in the gathering (in one large structure built on stilts).
For years I actually thought I remembered it because I'd heard so many stories about it that the memories seemed my own.
Some of the family members took off for safer territory, but my parents, my three sisters, and other relatives stayed. I expect there was some praying going on. I'm sure I felt quite safe in my mother's arms.
At any rate, all of us survived, and I wish I had some first-hand things to tell you about it. Suffice that it was quite frightening for them, especially staying in that flimsy structure. Maybe they had protection from some trees? Maybe a few angels? Maybe the prayers woked? At any rate, here I am with no story to tell.
Enjoyed your essay.
 
Saturday, April, 26, 2008 7:50 PM Sgt Relic writes: str8t I suppose we are just used to the Hurricanes here. Most seasons we will catch at least part of one. Tornadoes are not uncommon but are usually lower intensity than the Midwest.
Some years back we had one go through a friends neighborhood a few miles away. It cut a very narrow path and apparently never touched the ground since it clipped the trees about 30 feet up, clean as a lawn mover. There was little damage in that section but a few blocks away it was badly damaged by the tree tops falling back to earth.
Brian is right about the magneto flashlights and radios. They are great.
 
Monday, April, 28, 2008 9:21 PM str8_talk writes: Frigglesnitz Thank you for the compliment. I'm glad you made it out safely with your family's help. Sorry for the delay in response, having some issues with my health. ~K
 
Monday, April, 28, 2008 9:22 PM str8_talk writes: Sgt Relic Yes, I think we had one of those flashlights when I was older and I've seen the radios. I should get one or both. ;)
 
Monday, April, 28, 2008 9:23 PM str8_talk writes: Brian Just realized I never commented, have you worn out that boot, or dug halfway to China yet? ;)
 
Monday, April, 28, 2008 11:45 PM Sgt Relic writes: str8t talk It looks like you wrote about tornadoes and we got them. LOL!
A line of F-3's and an F-4 went through about 15 miles to the west of us today. Lots of damage but no one killed. It certainly messed up Suffolk VA. though.
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