The weekend tornadoes...

Mon Dec 13, 2021 10:52 am

In all the news about the Kentucky tornadoes this weekend, there was a small blurb or two about the Kingston Springs, Tennessee tornado.
That was where we lived prior to retiring and moving to Floriduh.

Strangely, I am feeling considerably relieved. Been digging around on the interwebs for information
about the Kingston Springs, Tennessee tornado. Turns out it went about a mile north of the subdivision where our old house is located.
Could have been a mile & a quarter or three quarters of a mile, but somewhere in that vicinity. It was an average of 400 yards wide
and was on the ground for a bit over 10 miles making a jolly mess of everything it touched. It hit between 3 & 3:30 in the morning.
Could have caused a number of people to wake up dead. But it didn't. No deaths and a single casualty. A 62 year old lady who lived
in a trailer (not in a shoe!) Was tossed out, her trailer was picked up then landed on her. Took them about 30 minutes to extract her.

Even tho I am 500 miles away, I feel strangely relieved having been missed. That may or may not make any sense to you.

BatUtilityBelt · Mon Dec 13, 2021 12:23 pm

When I was a kid in Ohio, a tornado passed directly over us and I was outside (to bring the mower into the shed). It took down a tree that narrowly missed hitting me. I left the mower and ran to the house for cover. Tornadoes anywhere remind me of that and renew my respect for their terrible power.

Houblues · Mon Dec 13, 2021 1:23 pm

mickey wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 10:52 am
Even tho I am 500 miles away, I feel strangely relieved having been missed. That may or may not make any sense to you.

I know I have that strange mix of feelings about disasters too - Sad for those involved, glad it wasn't me, and guilty for feeling glad.

uwmcscott · Mon Dec 13, 2021 4:58 pm

Heck of a thing, we got a foot of snow during the same period and were a couple hours drive away from where it was completely different. I've seen some night footage of the tornado and it was a scary beast of a storm to say the least. When they happen in the middle of the night it's the worst - the most deadly tornado in WI ever came through a small town called Barneveld at about the same time.

I've been close enough to see real tornados up close and personal and they are indeed one of the scariest things out there.

andrewsrea · Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:09 pm

I live in Lake Saint Louis, MO and the sirens / weather radios went off at 7:35 PM. Down in our safe room, the weatherman was showing doppler winds indicating a major rotation above my house. Luckily, not touching the ground. Sounded like a bomb going off.

5 minutes before, that rotation was an F3 that devastated homes in Defiance, Mo 7miles to 10 miles from my house. It did this:

Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:14 pm

Unreal, isn't it?

sabasgr68 · Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:28 pm

Scary, yes.

sabasgr68 · Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:29 pm

andrewsrea wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:09 pm I live in Lake Saint Louis, MO and the sirens / weather radios went off at 7:35 PM. Down in our safe room, the weatherman was showing doppler winds indicating a major rotation above my house. Luckily, not touching the ground. Sounded like a bomb going off.

5 minutes before, that rotation was an F3 that devastated homes in Defiance, Mo 7miles to 10 miles from my house. It did this:

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I´m glad you´re all well...

Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:39 pm

sabasgr68 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:28 pmScary, yes.

Scariest thing there is = a tornado at night!
You may disagree but I can't think of anything that trumps it!

sabasgr68 · Mon Dec 13, 2021 6:54 pm

mickey wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:39 pm
sabasgr68 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:28 pmScary, yes.
Scariest thing there is = a tornado at night!
You may disagree but I can't think of anything that trumps it!

I won´t disagree, Mickey, and I hope I´ll never get to experience one!

Razzle · Mon Dec 13, 2021 7:48 pm

Tornadoes are weird and come out of nowhere, my most recent experience was an F5 that ripped thru N Alabama in 2011 and took out a TVA distribution center that took out our power for 2 weeks. Missed my house by 2 miles.

golem · Mon Dec 13, 2021 7:57 pm

I checked in with a member here who lives near the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, IL where five died. Apparently he's on the other side of town and the town is a bit bigger than I realized, but never the less he's ok.

BatUtilityBelt · Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:46 pm

mickey wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:39 pm Scariest thing there is = a tornado at night!
You may disagree but I can't think of anything that trumps it!

Maybe, but waking up in the middle of my colonoscopy was right up there.

PoodlesAgain · Tue Dec 14, 2021 8:54 am

Are tornadoes "wet", that is, is there rainfall along the blow?

Or, perhaps, before or after?

Tue Dec 14, 2021 9:02 am

Yes, very much so. Rain likely feels like bullets with 150-200mph winds driving the raindrops.
Tornadoes occur as a part of extremely severe thunder storms.
They may also include hail stones.

andrewsrea · Tue Dec 14, 2021 11:01 am

sabasgr68 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:29 pm
andrewsrea wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:09 pm I live in Lake Saint Louis, MO and the sirens / weather radios went off at 7:35 PM. Down in our safe room, the weatherman was showing doppler winds indicating a major rotation above my house. Luckily, not touching the ground. Sounded like a bomb going off.

5 minutes before, that rotation was an F3 that devastated homes in Defiance, Mo 7miles to 10 miles from my house. It did this:

image.png

image.png

image.png
I´m glad you´re all well...

I appreciate that!

andrewsrea · Tue Dec 14, 2021 11:10 am

My house was hit by a vertical wind shear in 2015. I was at work and my family was home and my son said our patio furniture was levitating and making a 6' circle around the patio. The roof had to be replaced, outdoor grill was destroyed and found down the street, we lost 3 trees - one being a 10' rosebud that we never did find. The news did an aerial shot of the damage, and it went like that for a pretty straight 2-mile path.

The insurance adjuster said they are like a 100' to 200' wide tornado that spins straight down then back up, which he estimated to be at least 80 mph according to the damage to my 100mph rated (but older) roof.

The risk of living in the mid-west.

yesca · Wed Dec 15, 2021 5:37 pm

It is truly awful that this happened. The lives lost and the utter devastation is horrific. I came here to laugh and love each and every one of you today but this has to be said. This is an unimaginable crime and truly evil in it's origins. It's not natural. When I say it is evil I mean EVIL as in satanic. I sit here recognizing the time of the Eucharist (for over 2 months now) and hope that you know that this isn't a joke. I know who is responsible....

Wed Dec 15, 2021 5:41 pm

Er, uh, Welcome back. You've been missed.
Be careful tho, the two things not allowed here are religion & politics.

SamIV · Thu Dec 16, 2021 3:11 pm

And I thought hurricanes were bad. At least we know they are coming. Some are not wise enough to leave though, like me for the last one. Feel very bad for those affected from these terrible events, but don’t believe anyone is responsible.

yesca · Thu Dec 16, 2021 5:04 pm

SamIV wrote: ↑Thu Dec 16, 2021 3:11 pm And I thought hurricanes were bad. At least we know they are coming. Some are not wise enough to leave though, like me for the last one. Feel very bad for those affected from these terrible events, but don’t believe anyone is responsible.

I cannot tell you how many times that area in Kentucky has been evacuated over the years. People HAVE been warned over the years but very few listen as it is "not a tornadic area". Sorry you were hit last time, Sam. It is, among other things, a huge insurance/laundering scam to boot.