Tornadoes

When we lived in Minnesota, that was my first real experience with tornadoes. I had never heard a tornado siren before unti I moved there, and was oblivious to the fact that they were not uncommon in Minnesota.

I always claim to want to see one, but when we get "those conditions" I get a bit scared. We had one a few years ago that formed a block or so from our office in Minneapolis. It ripped off parts of our building and threw tree branches through people's cars - took out my (and others) car windows in the parking lot. That was close enough for me.

A few months ago we had some not too far from us here in Charlotte as well. Sometimes I think we are ok with a brick house, but like most houses here, we don't have a basement. And we have plenty of big trees around!

It happens here, but not as bad as everywhere else. We may get some touchdowns... but I cant remember the last time one did major damage.

We have tornadoes all the time in Indiana. We live about 50 miles north of Henryville where they had those deadly tornadoes about a month ago. We live on a farm where there is plenty of open flat land where tornadoes love to touchdown. I have seen one when I was camping across the lake from us at Starve Hollow Campground. We had to spend the night in the bath houses. Then when I was pregnant with my first child we lived in town and my husband was working. They were calling for bad storms so he requested that I go to my parents house since they have a basement. The tornado went east down the road right by their farm. The most recent was a few years ago before we moved back to the farm. We had a log cabin with a lake and a tornado touched down across the lake behind another house and we watched it from our front porch. Tornadoes have always been a fact of life and I have never been scared of them. They have amazing power and watching their destruction leaves you in awe; that must be the weird redneck girl part of me.

we don't get them here usually in ma. but we dis have one out in the western part of the state last year that did alot of damage. my area just got some really cool lightning shows.

We get Tornados all the time. Its funny beacuse growing up here (North Alabama) you get used to having the warnings and not really taking cover or anything because nothing ever gets too damaged.. usually just trees uprooted and that sort of thing.

Last April, the 27th to be exact, I remember waking up when B was getting ready for work and there was a tornado warning.. I just rolled over and went back to sleep... it was nothing. I was working at a photography studio at the time and we closed around lunch time that day because schools were letting out and a strong line of stoms had already come through south of us. I went to the grocery store, got stuff for dinner (my parents were here visiting) and Brandon came home from work because everyone was leaving there too.

The power went off about 3:30 (we later found out that the main transformer blew that supplies power to all of north alabama). We had no tv, just my radio app on my phone. My aunt (from florida) kept calling us and telling us about all the stroms that had hit Tuscaloosa and Birmingham... then we started to get worried...

We were able to find a radio, and they were announcing that the power could be off for about 2 weeks... everyone was in a panic trying to buy groceries, ice, batteries... we didn't realize how bad it was...

2 days later we still didn't have power, but heard that our church was going to some of the areas that had been hit (about 5 minutes north of our house--hubby's work was hit also). I was expecting to see trees down, that kind of thing... but when as we started getting closer it looked like a war zone.. houses completly flattened, brand new cars in a field a mile away, some houses looked like a dollhouse, the front had just been ripped off... it was something I'd never seen. We worked for the next 2 weeks from 7am until the sun went down all day helping with clean up efforts, getting necessities to people that had nothing...It was a life changing experience. I could tell stories for hours, but I know this is getting long!

I was never scared of storms before.. and now the smallest storm can pop up and everyone here, myself included, freaks out. We came so close to losing everything we own and are so incredibly lucky that the storm was north of us. There were over 200 tornados that day in the state of alabama and many of my friends and family lost their homes and many people lost their whole family.. And so many people were totally unprepared and were killed just because they were used to having a warning and nothing happening... I know I am much more weather aware now...

sorry that was so long... just wanted to tell the story...

Brad I'm glad that you guys are okay.. those storms looked nasty yesterday!!! I think we are about to get the tail end of them any minute...

I visited friends in Southbridge MA after the tornado hit last year and we went for a ride through the damaged areas. It was so sad to see. We had a couple tornadoes hit in Connecticut the last few years. None where I live but close enough.

I live in Illinois, just south of chicago. We get tornado warnings all time, but just like Emmaanne we ignore them. We are so used to the warnings and nothing happening.

A few years ago we had warnings and the sirens went off. I was home alone. (this was when Ed and I first started dating and I had just moved back in with the parents to save some money). My mom, dad, and brother were at work and I was off that day. I started calling my mom and work and she suggested I call our neighbor across the street and see if I could pop in over there until it passed. No one was answering the phone but I could see the garage door open with a car in the garage. I decided to run over there anyways. I rang the doorbell and their 11 year old daughter was home alone (mom worked part-time in retail and couldn't get to a phone and her older sister,whose car was in the garage, left with a friend that picked her up.) she was crying hysterically and couldn't reach her dad on his cell phone. So I grabbed her and ran back to my house. Literally, walking across the street became difficult and I watched a tree get pulled out from the ground and slam into the side of a house. By the time we got back and into my basement the worst of it started. Luckily no houses were damaged or anything but a lot of hail damage and wind damage to roofs and cars. But just the thought of that poor 11 year old all by her self was enough to toughen me up at that moment.

I still love storms and get excited when they roll through, but that memory will never leave me.

Emma- I had friends BAMA during that storm. They still have a hard time talking about that day. I said so many prayers during that!

MicRac - My starbucks donated a TON of stuff to that town in Indiana. We did a drive at my store to gather kids toys and games and pet food, toys, and supplies. The red cross told us no clothes or food so we decided to help out in that way. It was a huge hit with my customers and I hope that it made it there ok.

I just remembered that Epcot had a tornado 3-D movie when we were there last May. We did it with our kids and that helped them to understand the dangers of a tornado. You pick the type of materials to build your house with and if you have windows open or closed and what doors you buy. Then a tornado comes and you get to see if your house will survive. It is really neat. Its in the innoventions building I think I can't remember exactly. Has anyone else done this?

I've always said I wanted to be a tornado chaser after seeing Twister when I was little.

But I go to school here in the mountains, so we don't get tornadoes. However, a couple of weeks ago apparently the dorms on campus had the first EVER tornado drill in the 120+ years our school has been around. When I heard that I was a little worried.

We have had the tornado sirens go off several times this year already but we have never had a touchdown so everyone pretty much just ignores the sirens. I can't even imagine being in a tornado though...it would be so scary.

I'm from Illinois so Tornadoes are pretty commonplace here. In addition my husband is a trained storm spotter and has worked disaster services in the past. We know enough to not totally freak out, but to still know how important it is to get to safety. In this house we have a basement, so we usually grab extra water and the Trauma level first aid kit then head to the basement with the weather radio.

I also spent 7 years in California, so earth quakes don't really bother me either. However most of the people in our area completely freak out if there's even a 2.0. I just smile and laugh.