[Peachie]

Originally Posted by barb1191

Point taken, however, I was thinking not small debris but very large debris, i.e., a fallen tree, a car, refrigerator, etc that would prevent the door from opening. To each his own, yes?

barb

I agree, Barb, to each their own. We have to make the best decision for each case. My thought is that if the large debris falls on the closet or bathroom, then what? I am going from personal experience in that my sister and her husband, their daughter and grandchildren, (visiting at the time), barely escaped January 7, 2007 when the rare F-3 winter tornado that hit their community, put their three flue chimney right through the living floor into the lower level where they had taken refuge. It landed three feet away from all of them. Their home and many others were gone but they survived. There by the grace of God...! I'm determined not to be paranoid about tornados but I never want to take them for granted.

[uujudy]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

. . . The radio woke me up at 5:30 AM to announce a tornado watch (not a warning, a watch).

We went out last night and bought a weather radio (Midland, $29.95 on sale at Walgreens) and it went off this morning. I turned on the TV, I listened to the weather voice on the radio, peeked out the window... It wasn't raining outside and there was no doppler radar anywhere near Florida. All the red areas were in the Gulf of Mexico. This is my first weather radio (except for the one in the car), so I didn't know what to expect. Does this kind of 'false alarm' happen often?

Lovin' my sleep,
Judy the Snoozer

[The Great Fumar]

Yes we did have a Tornado in 2007 , but keep in mind that the last Tornado before that in this area was in the 50's.......Law of averages are on your side . However there is the possibility that your not average .......

under the bed fumar

[Peachie]

Originally Posted by The Great Fumar

Yes we did have a Tornado in 2007 , but keep in mind that the last Tornado before that in this area was in the 50's.......Law of averages are on your side . However there is the possibility that your not average .......

under the bed fumar

The winter tornado in '07 I was referring to Fumar, was in the Upper Midwest.
A 60 degree day that wreaked havoc in an area that should have been 20 degrees or less. Definitely not average, I have to agree.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by uujudy

We went out last night and bought a weather radio (Midland, $29.95 on sale at Walgreens) and it went off this morning. I turned on the TV, I listened to the weather voice on the radio, peeked out the window... It wasn't raining outside and there was no doppler radar anywhere near Florida. All the red areas were in the Gulf of Mexico. This is my first weather radio (except for the one in the car), so I didn't know what to expect. Does this kind of 'false alarm' happen often?

Lovin' my sleep,
Judy the Snoozer

This WAS NOT a false alarm.....it was a tornado watch. This means conditions are right that a tornado may occurr, and you should be aware. When you get tornado warning....find a hole and crawl in.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

This WAS NOT a false alarm.....it was a tornado watch. This means conditions are right that a tornado may occurr, and you should be aware. When you get tornado warning....find a hole and crawl in.

It was definitely not a false alarm!! www.weather.com also advised of a Tornado Watch for this area. As Bogie pointed out, it doesn't mean that a tornado will occur, just that the conditions have potential.

I hope my Weather Radio never advises me there is a Tornado Warning.

In the closet
Barefoot

[Just Susan]

Oh I don't know which would be worse...buried alive in a bomb shelter replica or blowing around 100 feet up in the air in a funnel.

As a Mid-westerner who lived most of her adult life in the San Francisco Bay Area, I think I choose an earthquake.

[uujudy]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

This WAS NOT a false alarm.....it was a tornado watch. This means conditions are right that a tornado may occurr, and you should be aware. When you get tornado warning....find a hole and crawl in.

Originally Posted by Barefoot

It was definitely not a false alarm!! www.weather.com also advised of a Tornado Watch for this area. As Bogie pointed out, it doesn't mean that a tornado will occur, just that the conditions have potential.

I hope my Weather Radio never advises me there is a Tornado Warning.
Barefoot

Uh oh. I just went back to bed this morning. Shouldn't I have gone back to bed?
Won't the weather radio warn me again when it's a real warning? Should we get in the closet when we get a tornado watch?
Should we open the windows on the side away from the tornado? (That's what I've always been told)
What do you all do when you get a tornado watch (not warning)?

[Donna]

Today in PIA PA..the weather was calling for 1 inch of ice..I don't know what's worse...I guess the tornado..

[macgolfnut]

I'm from the Chicago area and we probably get 10-15 tornado watches each year. I realize everybody is nervous because of the 2007 tornado, and tornados are certainly dangerous, but as an earlier member commented, the last tornado in the area was in the 50's. Quite honestly, with Florida being the lightning capital, that seems like a bigger concern. But ya know what? I just can't live in fear that something might happen when the chances are so remote. I've had a good life and I'm here in paradise. Life is good!

[uujudy]

Originally Posted by macgolfnut

.. . . . But ya know what? I just can't live in fear that something might happen when the chances are so remote. I've had a good life and I'm here in paradise. Life is good!

Macgolfnut, that's the truth! I watched a tornado attack Salt Lake City from our condo on the 17th floor. The big question was: Where should I go? The closet? The laundry room? The hallway? The stairwell? Stupidly, I stayed (slack-jawed and glassy-eyed) at the huge window where I could keep an eye on it. The tornado turned away from us at the last minute (about a block away) and hit the Delta Center (where the Utah Jazz play) and many of the downtown hotels. Who would ever anticipate a tornado in the mountains?

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by uujudy

What do you all do when you get a tornado watch (not warning)?

Yes, Judy, the weather radio will wake you up again if the tornado watch turns into a warning.

If we get a tornado watch, I just secure everything that would blow around (like patio furniture). I usually put bottled water and the cat crate in the walk-in closet. Then I go back to bed and hope for the best.

[uujudy]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

Yes, Judy, the weather radio will wake you up again if the tornado watch turns into a warning.

If we get a tornado watch, I just secure everything that would blow around (like patio furniture). I usually put bottled water and the cat crate in the walk-in closet. Then I go back to bed and hope for the best.

Thanks for the tip, Bare!
I'll get an emergency pack together and keep it in the closet. We always had an emergency pack for earthquakes in Utah, and all the schools had earthquake drills and classroom emergency supplies. I guess I was too complacent, because I thought I'd have plenty of time if I got a warning from the weather radio. (No warnings with earthquakes, and they always talked about how we were "due" for "the big one"!) This shouldn't be any different.
Thanks again!