Tornado on the Ground in Okc & KS

Channel 5 Oklahoma ^ | 05/08/03 | Me

[John H K]

Don't know how you all can deal with tornados....I thought earthquakes weren't too bad, myself...except for the few seconds (which seemed like 20 minutes) when they hit. (So. Calif.)

Oh, I'm from Maryland, myself. When I was coaching a debate team I spent a Spring being chased around by Tornados at Nationals in Kentucky and Illinois and Alabama, though.

Even in Oklahoma the odds of a specific acre of land being struck by a tornado over, say, a 40 year period, is infintesimally small.

On the other hand, in Southern California, ANY location, over a 40 year period, is practically guaranteed of a level of shaking ranging from moderate damage to your house is leveled.

It's pure psychology why people perceive tornadoes as worse; much smaller land area ACTUALLY affected, but a high recurrence rate.

Insurers don't sit around worrying about tornadoes. They DO sit around worrying about earthquakes (and of course that's why you need specific earthquake insurance in almost all cases.

[rwfromkansas]

Alright, things are making sense now. This tornado was actually in Lawrence almost an hour ago.

The report I have is just west of 33rd and Iowa a tornado was spotted in teh city at 7:38.

[nicmarlo]

Well, thank God, I've never had to live in a place where there's tornados...although, I love to watch them on the news....they are so terrifying to me that I have to watch....they're incredible and frightening and terrifying and strike me with awe....their power.....that funnel, just incredible.

[nicmarlo]

It's pure psychology why people perceive tornadoes as worse

I'm certain of that....when you see this monster coming toward you, and that's really what it is, it's frightening, because it may kill you, and if it doesn't, it may kill your neighbor, right next store, and leave you completely alone. Very weird. Radomness.

[nicmarlo]

Radomness=randomness.

[nicmarlo]

sheesh..........."right next store" = "right next door" (I think I need some coffee, lol! : )

[RasterMaster]

had "quarter-sized" hail here and a good heavy rain, everything serious was east of I-35.

[thunders]

I think my own fascination was something genetic; my late grandpa was exactly the same way. We used to sit on the porch near Greensburg, KS and watch the thunderstorms in the distance coming at us. He would have loved all the new technology now, especially being able to do what I'm doing now.

I have always had a huge fascination with severe thunderstorms, and have always loved them. That's one of my complaints about living in Boston--they don't get any 'real' thunderstorms. And I get so frusterated at the people who talk about a storm here as being severe and scare and whatnot....I usually follow up with an explanation of what 'real' thunderstorms are like back home in Oklahoma. I've seen several green skies, but never actually seen a tornado. I was once very close to being in one; me and my grandpa (who had had a bit more to drink than he should have) were fishing; I was pretty young, and it was a beautiful day. A thunderstorm popped up out of nowhere and we thought nothing of it, b/c it was moving through so fast. We moved back under the trees to wait it out. When it was at it's worst point, the sky was very black with a only slightly noticable greenish tint, the wind was blowing helaciously, and there was pea sized hail. Once it blew over, we went back to fishing. When we got home later that day, we discovered that there had been an unconfirmed tornado that took out a bunch of trees not too far from where we were. I've also seen a funnel start to drop down out of the clouds, but pop back up and disapear.

I love the midwest in the spring, but I hate it at the same time....they are such awesome and yet so brutal storms....

[rwfromkansas]

Right.

I would rather live out here and deal with twisters than earthquakes in Cali.

[nicmarlo]

"quarter-sized" hail here and a good heavy rain

Good you're all safe; I remember once, east of Denver (where they've had a tornado too today), I was driving in a storm. The hail was coming down so big and hard, you couldn't see. I thought my windshield was going to be smashed. Cars were pulling over on the freeway, underneath the bridges for safety. That was a terribly frightening drive. I though for sure I'd see holes in my car. (Luckily, no holes, no dents).

[rwfromkansas]

The folks up in the northeast don't know what real thunderstorms are...lol.

When the city lights go out, you have hail several inches deep in your yard, and 80 mph winds........that is a real thunderstorm...:)

[nicmarlo]

Yesterday morning I had 3 phone calls around 3:30 AM (one from Budge) saying that there were 2 tornados heading right at us. Totally freaked me out!

That would do it to me, too, sweetliberty; glad you and Budge are okay.

[ChemistCat]

Speaking of California--my friend in Sacramento says they have hail in Sacramento, and "Funnel cloud with rotation over Rio Linda, hometown of Rush Limbaugh"!!!!!!!

[nicmarlo]

FYI:

(05-08) 18:18 PDT KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) --

Reports of tornadoes headed toward Kansas City forced postponement of Thursday night's game against the Baltimore Orioles.

It had been raining at Kauffman Stadium off and on for about an hour before the game was postponed shortly after 8 p.m. EDT. But more worrisome were reports of tornadoes aloft and on the ground about 50 miles West of metropolitan Kansas City, which was pummeled Sunday by a series of tornadoes that left one person dead and caused millions of dollars in damage.

The Kansas City area had been under a tornado watch since mid-afternoon and only a few hundred people were in the stadium when the game was called.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Even in Oklahoma the odds of a specific acre of land being struck by a tornado over, say, a 40 year period, is infintesimally small.

While that may be true, this is the very same area that was hit either 3 or 4 years ago by another very large tornado. I am stunned they were hit again.

[nicmarlo]

They said the same area was hit in 1999.....those poor people.

[Husker24]

I live in a little town in SE, Nebraska and I heard over the scanner a police man reported a funnel dropping about 3 miles west of me headed my way. We have no sirens in this town since there are only 40 people in it. A few minutes after the scanner report everything just went dead calm outside, the wind stopped completely the rain stopped and in a matter of seconds it got as dark as it is close to 9:00pm, then all the sudden the wind just hit it must have been around 75-80mph. Im guessing the funnel bounced back up and went over me, a barn was destroyed a few miles west of here. I actually got pretty close to going into the basement, I had the door open. To tell you the truth, i love this stuff. Although when confronted directly with it it is very frightening.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Was it 1999? That sounds right. My sister lived in Moore but now lives in Norman, which is not far from there.

This time of year is very frightening in that part of the country.

[nicmarlo]

Good she moved out of Moore....tornado hit there again tonight:

Tornado Hits Moore, Okla, Injuring Over 100
Thu May 8, 2003 09:12 PM ET

MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - A tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Thursday, smashing through buildings, up-ending cars and injuring over 100 people, authorities said.

There is one possible fatality and about 12 people were critically injured, said a spokesman for emergency services in the Oklahoma City area. The tornado also hit areas of Oklahoma City and some of its suburbs to the south and southwest [snip]

[hole_n_one]