I have been in Oklahoma for over a week now and I am happy to say that I have not seen any tornadoes yet!!! However, thanks to all my friends back home I think I am now one of the most paranoid people in Oklahoma City. Here are some examples...
On my first Saturday here Mollie and I were in my room when all of a sudden the tornado sirens go off. We run to the window and look out (which I recognize is the exact opposite of what we are supposed to do). It is a completely clear day, not a cloud in the sky. So we decide to run to the front yard so see if there are any ominous clouds on that side...nothing. My roommate then informs us that they test the alarms every Saturday at noon.
Well from that experience I learned that our house is far enough away from the alarms that they are not that loud. If I were awake I would hear them, but that is not a noise that would ever wake me up. So now every time there is any lightening or thunder at night I lie awake in bed thinking, I can't fall asleep because I won't hear the sirens if they go off... and we've had lots of thunder storms lately.
On Friday, I went with my roommate to her home in Ponca City... in northern Oklahoma. Well it was about 9:00 at night when we left and getting dark quickly. About 30 minutes into our trip we run into some thunder and lightening and a thought crosses my mind... How do you know if there is a tornado nearby at night? I spent the next little while looking out the window and every time lightening lit up the sky I searched frantically to make sure there were not any tornadoes swirling around us. In between lightening strikes I turned to her and asked, "Let's say you are driving down the road at night...how do you know if there are any tornadoes coming right at you?" Her response..."Oh you don't, just make sure you check the weather everyday". That did nothing to calm my fears.
You are definitely more dramatic than me but I'm glad you are safe
ReplyDeleteYou can always go to an abandoned barn and strap yourself to a pole. Then the tornado will go right over you and not even matter.
ReplyDeleteThis is weird...but I can't tell if it was Jamie or Jeremy that posted that...
ReplyDeleteMy dear Michelle. There is no need to be worried about tornadoes.
ReplyDeleteTip: Tornadoes are more likely to form in a drastic weather change. So if you wake up one morning, and it's really warm, but then clouds roll in and it starts storming and it's really cold, then be on the lookout and check your local news. (At least, I think that's right.) But generally, you'll probably just see some pretty awesome thunder storms. So don't let the storms worry you at night. Believe me. If the storm is bad enough that you need to be worried about tornadoes, it will (very likely) wake you up.
Tornadoes, by the way, sound like trains when they are going over you. I assume you can probably hear it coming (but they move quick!). And there will be very strong winds preceding the tornado. Branches will break off of trees, trash and loose items will blow around. If you really need to be worried, you'll be able to tell. But really, I wouldn't worry about any regular thunderstorms. Just enjoy the light show. :)