[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by billethkid

I am one that does not need a second or third party to tell me when danger is apparent/threatening or imminent.

I do not believe it is the responsibility of some automated piece of equipment to alert me to potential threats....sirens for example work as long as one is in it's cone of sound...and it is working as intended.

Weather radio for night time I think is adequate....

I know I certainly do not need to be tuned in to a television station with a weather person in their moment of fame and theatrics about all the impending red graphics and watch boxes with street by street arrival times....ridiculous at best.

The Villages has more people who totally ignore threatening weather while on the golf courses than any place I have ever lived. Maybe they think they are macho when they are in fact acting very, very stupid.

btk

GREAT POST......COMMON SENSE SHOULD PREVAIL....
Read below:

Florida is the lightening capital of the world.

Florida leads the nation in deaths caused by lightning. The reasons for that are straightforward – Florida has both a high population and typically a large amount of lightning.

It is a steady, methodical killer – in fact it kills far more people than any other source in its category. Far too often, however, people ignore it and become complacent. It won’t happen to them, they think. And while hurricanes make the news, lightning continues on as the leading cause of weather related deaths in Florida.

When thunder is heard and lightning is visible, many experts recommend that people seek shelter inside of a home or vehicle. Trees and bodies of water – even canals – are considered dangerous. The "right time" is problematic as most lightning strikes occur in the month of July – a time when school is out and more people are out of doors.

Lightning is powerful enough to defy conventional wisdom. Experts say that rubber soled shoes or rubber car tires will not protect you from a strike. The metal body of a vehicle, however, will provide protection – assuming, of course, that you are not in contact with the metal. Being inside a home or building is considered the safest of all.

With that in mind, however, the National Weather Service states that no place is absolutely safe from lightning. The NWS suggests staying away from electrical appliances and plumbing fixtures as lightning can travel a great distance through wiring or metal plumbing. They also recommend against using corded telephones or computers connected to telephone lines and electrical outlets.

The NWS suggests that Floridians follow the "30/30 Rule" to safeguard against becoming a victim of lightning. According to their research, lightning can strike more than 10 miles away from the center of a thunderstorm – a distance beyond the audible range of thunder. Therefore, if you do hear thunder, you are in striking range of lightning. The 30/30 Rule states that if the "flash to bang" time - from seeing lightning to hearing the thunderclap - is 30 seconds or less seek shelter immediately – and remain sheltered until 30 minutes after the last thunder clap
.
That rule, however, is of limited use should a thunderstorm form overhead.

Lightning is one of Florida’s greatest silent killers and while you may not be able to completely ensure the safety of your home, you can take steps to ensure your personal safety – and to avoid becoming the next victim.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

No, I meant a shelter. I don't have an interior room with no windows. How many homes have that?

The designer home we rented in the month of November had two large walk in closets across the hallway from each other. No windows.

Perfect place to seek shelter. They were very large closets, so it would not feel claustrophobic to take shelter in them, if need be.

Once in the past, someone suggested keeping a small mattress or two inside the closet for further protection......like in a true tornado...to cover one's body..........

I thought that was a good suggestion. Better safe than sorry.

[Villages Kahuna]

I had just emptied my rain gage before that storm came through. When I looked the next morning, we had gotten 3-1/2 inches of rain. As I recall, that storm blew through in only about an hour.

That was a gully-washer of the first order.

[Villages Kahuna]

At a recent neighborhood club meeting, one of the WVLG weathermen made a presentation. When he asked for questions, someone asked, "If you're out on the golf course, see black clouds, see lightning in the distance and hear thunder, when should you stop playing?"

His answer? "Let's see, you're asking whether when you hear and see an approaching thunder and lightning storm whether you should continue to stand out in an open field and hold a stick with a metal end on it up in the air? You must be kidding, of course."

[looneycat]

Originally Posted by billethkid

Weather radio for night time I think is adequate....

I know I certainly do not need to be tuned in to a television station with a weather person in their moment of fame and theatrics about all the impending red graphics and watch boxes with street by street arrival times....ridiculous at best.

btk

actually the prudent thing IS to turn on the tv when the weather radio goes off to see if you are in imminent danger....not to do so could be foolish and dangerous....but due to the theatrics you may want to do so with the sound off!

[SusanOfWoodbury]

I was driving that evening from Woodbury to St Tim's Church. Palm leaves; branches and lots of water on the road. From Buena Vista and El Camino Reel.. I had to laugh when the daily newspaper reported 19 miles an hour winds! The winds were like 30-40 miles per hour. I have been leaving in the villages for a year and have never seen a storm this bad...

[jblum315]

Originally Posted by mulligan

Just for the record, there are no nearby shelters.

Wrong. There is a shelter on Powell Road not far from the Pinellas Library.

[kittygilchrist]

I believe JB refers to the Community/Recreation Center on Powell Road.
Community Center - The City of Wildwood, Florida
I've been in this building....not sure what the codes are for building a shelter, but I am eyeing the roof design with skepticism.

[mulligan]

If you notice the sign says "City of Wildwood" . The only areas of TV included in the "City of Wildwood " are the commercial areas at Brownwood.

[Ooper]

Originally Posted by SusanOfWoodbury

I was driving that evening from Woodbury to St Tim's Church. Palm leaves; branches and lots of water on the road. From Buena Vista and El Camino Reel.. I had to laugh when the daily newspaper reported 19 miles an hour winds! The winds were like 30-40 miles per hour. I have been leaving in the villages for a year and have never seen a storm this bad...

Actually, I don't think 30-40 mph winds will uproot and blow down 8-10" diameter trees either as was the case Tuesday night after the storm on Buena Vista that was partially blocked near Palmer. It was laughable how the Daily Sun made light of the storm.