Tornado Warning

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 11:16 pm

Let me make this perfectly clear- because for a minute or two I was not understanding this: A Tornado Warning is not a Tornado Watch!

We get Tornado Watches periodically- no big deal. Somebody may get unlucky that night- or not.

Tonight was a Warning. That is what made me pause and consider: Oh yes! I'm supposed to take cover!

I grabbed my cell phone, a flashlight and went to my safe room, which I spent so much time in during the 2004 hurricane season.

I was standing there listening, opened the linen closet and wondered if I should get out something big and soft- like my winter quilt- to cover myself in case.

As I hesitated with my hand on it, I heard the massive wind and a c r a c k! I grabbed the quilt and hunkered down on the floor with it over my head and wrapped around me, peeping out. Just then the power went out. Then it came on, then it went out, then it came on- all the while there was huge wind noise, another loud CRACK (Not Thunder), all this while torrential rain battered my house and I pictured my lawn chairs ending up in Oz.

The weird thing was the rain had a heartbeat. It was torrents, pause, torrents, pause, torrents, pause, torrents... and noises outside. This all lasted about 4 minutes!

It was like going thru a big hurricane (75 mph wind gusts) all in 4 minutes! Flooding was also a warning.

After the calm, I went outside with a flashlite to check my house. There was one big tree branch down on my front lawn from my next-door-neighbor.

I checked the street, because I try to keep it clear of debris. The street was OK.
My back porch is covered with other's wet leaves.
Whew!
No damage at my house so far as I can tell.
Daylight will prove that.

So tonight was voting results- interspersed with Tornado damage reports. And now TV cable is out so I'm watching election reults on a 5" b&w TV.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 3:54 am

Yikes!

Glad to hear you are safe and sound and so is your happy house. Funny, I thought of Lizzie as I voted today, wondered if she ever voted herself? Though I'm sure if she did vote that she didn't have to deal with all the Props we deal with today, ugh!

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 11:08 am

Good grief!!

Yes, Tornado Warning for your area/neighborhood means it's time to Duck & Cover, just like Bert the turtle used to recommend.

Glad you're okay though, hope everything else is.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 1:58 pm

There's a lot of damage up the road in Oviedo, I see on local noon news.
The wind was likened to a Cat3 hurricane after all!

Hardly any injuries- but Winnebagos and dump trucks overturned and apartments about 6 miles from here lost a roof. Actually, they didn't lose it- it lifted up and dropped back down!

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 2:58 pm

Good grief that's awful! No, few, or minor injuries is best though for sure. If the weather folks there are likening it to a Category 3 hurricane, that would be an F2 Tornado (measured on the Fujita scale, which tracks windpeeds, etc.) With an F2 twister, you'd have damage along the lines such as you described... "Considerable damage. Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light object missiles generated" and wind speeds between 113 and 157 mph. Nasty business, for sure!

shakiboo · Post by **shakiboo** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:19 pm

Oh my gosh! So glad you're alright! Sounds like you had an exciting time there for a bit! I live in west central Illinois, and they can be pretty scarey!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:53 pm

You know, when I was writing this I was wondering about other members who go thru stuff like this!

And yes, DougOh I'm just now learning about the categorys of tornados! I never knew what that *F* stood for. Thanks!

There were 2 confirmed tornados- an F-0 and an F-1.
The F-O took up that roof not far from here.
The F-1 took out selected homes and Winnebagos for 2 miles.
They say 40 homes were damaged and 4 demolished. Also a new developement had put a new wall up which came down and their business office, a big *portable* on site, was blown to smithereens. All that is left are little pieces of debris and the skeleton. That looks weird! .

They have, locally, a brand new technology and the Meteorologists are thrilled! They actually showed rotation in the storm on the TV map and predicted exactly when the storm would come and where it was headed! They showed these nearly invisible circles rotating on the weather map and it was for the very first time, so they were pretty surprised! I got about 10 minutes warning, and it took several minutes to sink in, as I had just returned from the grocery store. I unplugged my computer etc. and then 3 or 4 minutes of taking cover and it was gone. The Technology is Amazing!

Hope you can get that technology locally, shakiboo!

Wordweaver · Post by **Wordweaver** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 8:56 pm

Wow, that's scary -- and impressive.

Stay safe!

Lynn