Tornado warning!

[thewayne]

Today someone sent out a tornado warning to everyone who works for the City.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

OK. Basement is good, I once again work in the basement. I can theoretically crawl under my desk. The entire wall behind me is glass, but there's cork covering a lot of it and a big book case, so I should be relatively safe.

But what's this crap about lying in ditches? WTF? As I recall, tornadoes are frequently accompanied by voluminous quantities of water. We have an amusing little feature here in the southwest: flash floods. I can just picture someone lying in a ditch to avoid a potential tornado and getting killed by a flash flood!

Comments

[apostate-96.livejournal.com]

The usual reason for the finding a ditch is that tornadoes have a nasty habit of picking things up and flinging them....including people. Trying to get as low as possible reduces the chance of being picked up. However, in the desert, it does raise some concern about getting buried under fast-moving water or mud.

What a conundrum....

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

"Auntie Em!" or "*Glub*!"

I don't know which way I'd go. ;-) I think I'd probably go for the sight-seeing. But for that matter, my car is 4WD, so I think I'd stand a decent chance of out-running it. They don't move that fast, but I don't know the radius of the accompanying winds.

[deborak]

I think I'd stand a decent chance of out-running it.

It was nice knowin' ya! ;-)

[apostate-96.livejournal.com]

If I had to pick one danger or the other, I'd almost be more inclined to pick going airborne. There'd at least be a better view and, depending on how high 'n' far you flew, a better chance of surviving it. Once you're in a flash flood, you're pretty much fucked short of being plucked out by the Hand of God.

[fastlearner.livejournal.com]

You going airborne isn't so much the problem. Rather, it's all the other stuff the tornado picks up and flings at you at 100mph+. Heavy things. Sharp things. Even tiny things can tear your flesh off. Bad juju.

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

Very bad juju indeed! Flensing while flying doesn't sound like much fun!

[apostate-96.livejournal.com]

No argument. Given that tornadoes have been known to blow stalks of straw through telephone poles, perforation is definitely a hazard.

Admittedly, if you get picked up and flung at the 100mph+, you might be OK in the air because the relative velocities mean you won't be hit as hard or fast. Of course, landing becomes a very different issue....

[fastlearner.livejournal.com]

Aye, even at only 100mph, the planet hits pretty hard. :)