Sever Weather procedures

[Luv2travel]

Today we expect sever weather warnings but I am finding it difficult to find information on what to do in the event of something like a tornado sighting? We live in Sumter County in the Villages, how do we find out what to do should the weather turn very bad?

[Army Guy]

Ok, here are the basics for tornado survival. I have lived in "tornado alley" for many years and we can easily get 10 tornados in one day in the spring/fall.
Prior, have a radio battery powered, charged cell phone. Determine a safe room/place in your house. Usually the inner most room with no windows or closet. Bathrooms are generally good if small and interior as the pipes help strengthen the walls. Also have a heavy blanket or quilt nearby
During, listen to the TV/radio. If a tornado warning is given and you are in the path, do not attempt to leave or get in your car. That is the absolute WORSE THING! Go to your safe room, with your radio, phone, and blanket/quilt. Use the quilt/blanket to cover your head and protect from possible flying debris. Stay until all clear.
IF a tornado hits your home, use the phone to call for help and give your location as you may be buried in debris.
If in car or outside, stop the car and lay down in the lowest point, ie ditch, or get in a strong structure. DO NOT TRY TO OUT RUN IT! They change course and are very quick!

Army Guy

[JenAjd]

If one has a weather radio what station(s) do we put them on? I just heard it (sort of) on WLVG but didn't get it fast enough to write down. This may help some who don't listen to the radio. Thanks ahead of time

[English Ivy]

If one has a weather radio what station(s) do we put them on? I just heard it (sort of) on WLVG but didn't get it fast enough to write down. This may help some who don't listen to the radio. Thanks ahead of time

Take your weather radio to one of our Villages fire stations. They will program your radio with the correct signals for the area you live in. Different areas are covered by different signals.

[ncr2482]

If you live in Sumter County, you can register on-line for code red emergency notification. http://www.sumtercountysheriff.org/emergencymanagement/codered.asp[/URL]

The county has an automated phone system(to your home and/or cellphone) with severe weather notifications. As others have mentioned it is a good idea to purchase a weather radio. One can be purchased at Walmart, Home depot, etc. Nancy

[redwitch]

Also, remove anything lightweight from your lanai, front porch, yard. If possible, move patio furniture to the garage. These items become very good missiles in a high wind even if no tornado.

[EdV]

You can and should purchase a weather radio with an alarm alert that will sound if a tornado watch or warning is issued. The EF3 tornado that struck TV in 2007 occurred at 3 AM.

If your safe room is a closet, it should be one that does NOT have an attic access door. Keep a flashlight there.

[LI SNOWBIRD]

You can and should purchase a weather radio with an alarm alert that will sound if a tornado watch or warning is issued. The EF3 tornado that struck TV in 2007 occurred at 3 AM.

If your safe room is a closet, it should be one that does NOT have an attic access door. Keep a flashlight there.

we also have a few "glow sticks" in our safe room (closet) in addition to a flashlight. they are cheap, have a long shelf life, and last for hours--justvsnap 'em and they're on. we were here during the'07 tornado--scary!
:clap2:

[graciegirl]

If one has a weather radio what station(s) do we put them on? I just heard it (sort of) on WLVG but didn't get it fast enough to write down. This may help some who don't listen to the radio. Thanks ahead of time

I heard on Wesh TV last night that our "number" to set on a weather radio is
162.500

They said our area (around The Villages) had a new setting. The meterologist gave the correct numbers for all of the different areas in the viewing area. I thought it was very helpful

Now I am going to get a weather radio and if there is a warning I will go to the basement.

.........oh wrong.

I will go into the closet and whimper.

[getdul981]

Was just wondering where you found a basement.

[duffysmom]

If you live in Sumter County, you can register on-line for code red emergency notification. http://www.sumtercountysheriff.org/emergencymanagement/codered.asp[/URL]

The county has an automated phone system(to your home and/or cellphone) with severe weather notifications. As others have mentioned it is a good idea to purchase a weather radio. One can be purchased at Walmart, Home depot, etc. Nancy

:wave:Thanks ncr & Army Guy, I signed up for Code Red and just heard that the Rec centers are closing at 3 PM today because of the weather. Please be safe everyone.

[EdV]

I heard on Wesh TV last night that our "number" to set on a weather radio is 162.500 .......

On most weather radios, you set the station for the voice weather news by selecting one of 7 channels. The frequency that GG mentions is the Sumterville tower and would be channel 5 on your weather radio.

You also need to set the alert code (on S.A.M.E. enabled radios) for the Sumterville tower, which is 012119.

[EdV]

If you want to keep an eye on things, here’s a link to the NEXRAD live radar (http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?ID=TBW&lat=28.99094582&lon=-82.04721069&label=Summerfield%2C+FL&type=N0R&zoommode=pan&map.x=400&map.y=240&centerx=317&centery=845&prevzoom=zoom&num=6&delay=50&scale=0.217&showlabels=1&smooth=0&noclutter=0&showstorms=5&rainsnow=0&lightning=1)for the area. Then scroll down to the bottom of that page to change any options if you like.

[ajbrown]

All good info, thanks. FWIW, here is a web site that is getting better with time:

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/WxMap.aspx?location=USFL0252&weather=hdRadarSmoothPaletteA

Look at quick picks and select "Storm Cells". I do not see a legend so am not positive what they mean, but they have changed as the front progresses.

[ijusluvit]

You can and should purchase a weather radio with an alarm alert that will sound if a tornado watch or warning is issued. The EF3 tornado that struck TV in 2007 occurred at 3 AM.

If your safe room is a closet, it should be one that does NOT have an attic access door. Keep a flashlight there.

About the weather radio: be sure the one you get operates on ac and batteries. Then it will always alert you even if you forget to change the batteries. Not only set it to the correct frequency, but put it in a place where anyone in the house can hear it. Then, increase the volume a little more so you are sure it will wake you at 3:00 am. There will be many alerts which come at all hours, but which are not any real danger. But no, no, don't turn that radio down low or off!

I'll never forget 2/2/07 when I blissfully drove down 441 to Home Depot about 6:30 am. Friends and many of their neighbors near Cane Garden had just suffered great loss or the total destruction of their homes. Then the tornado passed over the place I was standing and caused more damage and fatal injuries in Lady Lake and beyond. My sister called me from New York and my response was "what tornado?"

I bought my radio a few days later.

[EdV]

.....There will be many alerts which come at all hours, but which are not any real danger. But no, no, don't turn that radio down low or off! .....

That’s why I paid a few dollars more for the Midland Weather Alert Radio WR-300 because it allows me to disable the audible alerts for some of the alerts that are not really a danger.

Might also be available locally at Sears or Sams Club.

[Linda Barnhorst]

If you do not have a weather radio you should get one. Publix & the parmacy's sell them. The Emergency Services/Fireman will program it for you if you need help.
If you get a warning of a tornado, go to a inside area such as your laundry room or closet, its best not to be near a outside wall or any windows.
Put your cars in garage in case of hail.

[graciegirl]

We went to Publix and Walgreens and Leesburg's Walmart and no weather radios, sold out.

The parking lots were full everywhere with people bringing in provisions.

Our next door neighbor said they would call us on our cell if anything was heading toward us.

I echo the "Be safe" to all. I can't think of a better bunch to blow away to Oz with.....

[Pturner]

Please be safe. Watch out for neighbors. I hope to read tomorrow that this has past and all is well.

[jebartle]

STAY SAFE EVERYONE....LOTS of lawn ornaments still out! Hope this will bypass all of us...

[SALYBOW]

I heard on Wesh TV last night that our "number" to set on a weather radio is
162.500

They said our area (around The Villages) had a new setting. The meterologist gave the correct numbers for all of the different areas in the viewing area. I thought it was very helpful

Now I am going to get a weather radio and if there is a warning I will go to the basement.

.........oh wrong.

I will go into the closet and whimper.

Just goes to show you. You can take the girl out of Ohio, but you can't take Ohio out of the girl. BTW Gracie, did you notice that the law firm in Harry's Law is set in Cincinnati? Be safe all

[Dirigo]

We are Florida storm virgins. Is this storm something we should take seriously, or is it being blown out of proportion?

Oops! Never mind...I see on weather.com that we are under a tornado watch until 9pm!

I'm off to prepare the walk-in closet for use this evening if needed.

Yikes!

[ajbrown]

We are Florida storm virgins. Is this storm something we should take seriously, or is it being blown out of proportion?

Oops! Never mind...I see on weather.com that we are under a tornado watch until 9pm!

I'm off to prepare the walk-in closet for use this evening if needed.

Yikes!

I have never felt comfortable in lighting storms. I would often listen to a storm from the basement in MA. The fact that I have no basement here in TV does not help that anxiety. Watches get issued quite a bit when large fronts roll through FL. When they are issued I just watch the radar a bit to make sure I do not get caught outside. This link is what I am watching now.

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/WxMap.aspx

I think the area of concern is thin purple line beginning to exit the gulf.

We get some doozie (sp?) lightening storms around here......

[Redtail]

We are Florida storm virgins. Is this storm something we should take seriously, or is it being blown out of proportion?

Oops! Never mind...I see on weather.com that we are under a tornado watch until 9pm!

I'm off to prepare the walk-in closet for use this evening if needed.

Yikes!

florida tornados are usually the mobile home types!! not the midwest killers.

[English Ivy]

florida tornados are usually the mobile home types!! not the midwest killers.

Redtail, were you here on 02/02/2007 for the tornado that ripped through The Villages damaging and destroying many homes, as well as Mallory Country Club and Coconut Cove Rec Center? If that storm had hit in the middle of the day it would have been a killer.

[Bogie Shooter]

florida tornados are usually the mobile home types!! not the midwest killers.

How did you arrive at that conclusion?

[Niels]

We are Florida storm virgins. Is this storm something we should take seriously, or is it being blown out of proportion?

Oops! Never mind...I see on weather.com that we are under a tornado watch until 9pm!

I'm off to prepare the walk-in closet for use this evening if needed.

Yikes!

It looks like you already answered your own question. Yes, we are under a tornado watch until at least 9pm and yes you should take it seriously. As English Ivy mentioned, The Villages was hit by a major tornado in February 2007 which destroyed a lot of homes.

[Redtail]

How did you arrive at that conclusion?

ive lived here 40 years.

[Bogie Shooter]

I have never felt comfortable in lighting storms. I would often listen to a storm from the basement in MA. The fact that I have no basement here in TV does not help that anxiety. Watches get issued quite a bit when large fronts roll through FL. When they are issued I just watch the radar a bit to make sure I do not get caught outside. This link is what I am watching now.

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/WxMap.aspx

I think the area of concern is thin purple line beginning to exit the gulf.

We get some doozie (sp?) lightening storms around here......

Thats a great site....thanks

[graciegirl]

LOCAL Fox 35 has issued a Tornado WARNING.


Neighbor just called and said take cover.

[Niels]

My weather radio is still listing it as a tornado watch for Sumter County. However, they just issued a severe thunderstorm warning that will be in effect until 5:30PM. Heavy rains, damaging winds and severe hail. Also, Sumter County Emergency Management Office just called about the severe thunderstorms.

[ajbrown]

Put your cars in garage in case of hail.

What a nice first post, welcome to TOTV. I was not thinking too much about hail and the car. As I type this I just got a "code red" call about a thunderstorm warning and hail. Thanks to you my car was already away!

[kandj]

It looks like it's hailing in LSL. At least that is what it looks like on the webcam!

[EdV]

Redtail, were you here on 02/02/2007 for the tornado that ripped through The Villages damaging and destroying many homes, as well as Mallory Country Club and Coconut Cove Rec Center? If that storm had hit in the middle of the day it would have been a killer.

Oh that storm was a killer all right, the second deadliest in Florida history. 21 people lost their lives to that monster, all of which were in Lake County, but none were in TV and all were in mobile homes.