This morning the first news I read was at least 28 people are reported dead after a massive but predicted storm system roared through the Ohio Valley yesterday. I started watching the weather sources at 2:30 p.m. As one of the first tornados touched down in Kentucky, there was quickly 69 reported tornados on the ground within an hour or so.
How do these people get caught off guard with the warning system we have now? Do some people not use the available technology that predict and report dangerous weather? Obviously, yes.
I went to the chiropractor early yesterday and there was an Amish couple getting adjusted. I asked John how he got Amish clients and he said one of them found me and then they pass their results by word of mouth. He said on big days the hat rack is full of Amish hats.
He had concern they wouldn't hear about the tornado warnings because they don't use media. I explained that some bishops use a weather radio to warn their church about coming severe weather but word of mouth may not get to all the church members.
I am sure there are other reports out there but I am watching this report from MSNBC that we didn't see yesterday. All of the Cincinnati TV stations pre-empted their national news coverage that comes to us at 6:30 p.m. each evening for their own weather coverage. Each channel had teams of 3 who reported radar and other reports starting with local news at 4 p.m. and after.
I will add more as it comes along but we quickly learned that two died in Holton, Indiana where I was teaching a week ago, 2 in southern Ohio and 2 in northern Kentucky. Here is what Google news has so far for tornado news stories. One man was found dead on SR 133 outside of Bethel, Ohio and his mobile home was destroyed. Marysville, Indiana, a town of 1900 is reported as completely destroyed.
AM Sunshine asked in the Cafe what was in our "safe room" so I went down and took pictures. I found nothing but a dehumidifier and a furnace!
People do get caught off guard so we all need to stay abreast of the weather. Now they are predicting snow for these devastated areas!
You know, after watching all of these video coverages and talking to survivors, I think this is where the billionaires of our country could spend their money. Instead of giving it to our failing government, why not give it to these people who are in such need?
Ed
Ed, everytime I read about the death toll reports that follow a major storm, I causuallly wonder the same thing. I believe that there are a multitude of reasons for that.
ReplyDeleteHowever, basing this solely on my personal convictions, I believe that many times people are in just plain denial. "Yes there is a tornado warning, but it really isn't going to come this way", or "It's not going to be as bad as they make it out to be.
I will have to admit that of the times that there has been a tornado warning, I have never taken shelter in my basemsnt. Maybe that will be my undoing someday. I am a storm freak and am compelled to "witness" the weather at first hand. Guess I should've been a storm chasser.
I also read Dawn's post about safe rooms and pondered if we would be prepared if the need arose (guess there have been a few times where I should've used the safe rooom). We do have some jugs of water and some non-perishables in the laundry room in the basement, mostly due to the need for more storage space than anything. Didn't really plan it for emergencies, but I guess it actually serves as a dual purpose.
Regardless of why people fall victims to these storms, we all need to pray for those who lost loved ones, lost their possesions or became injured.
Doug
It is a little strange that with today's connectiveness we can't keep closer tabs on these storm systems. Anybody outdoors with a cell phone (and there must be a few of them) could report on the storm's progress and location. Surely computer technology could co-relate all that into a useful tracking system?
ReplyDeleteSafe room? The basement should be fine. In my lifestyle we are used to watching the sky all the time.
What concerns me is that we're starting to see them around here. You never heard of them in the hills when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteGreat comments, all of you. JD Tech, I was so mesmorized by the Xenia tornado, I drove an FFA member right into it! I remember turning onto bypass 35 and wow, there it was! The most gigantic, powerful thing I have ever seen! I had nightmares for a good month after surviving that. I understand the storm chaser comment and took storm spotter training in my 20's as an amateur radio operator so I haven't been as careful as I could have been either. You make great points.
ReplyDeleteRalph, I plan to get my hands on one of those crank up radios that covers weather alerts and other frequencies like AM, FM, shortwave or TV. A case of bottled water wouldn't be a bad idea for our cellar, either.
Gorges, we are definitely in a pattern of freak weather mankind has not seen in our short stint on earth. I was amazed of the damage done on US 52 or River Road near the planned Zimmer nuclear plant that was protested and became a coal burning plant where we get our synthetic gypsum from now. The tornado was so strong is sucked the pavement out of the road bed in places!
These storms are nothing to fool with and they are record early and we could be in for the all time record tornado season just like the all time record rain we have had the past 14 months!
Thanks all for your comments!
A little off the subject, but in the old farmhouse we just bought is an area in the cellar exactly like in your picture. Ours is under the main floor fireplace with what looks like shelves, same as yours. Ours is also even painted white. What were these areas for?
ReplyDelete