Severe Weather Warnings at WDW

[MNDisneyFan]

Say, just a quick question for you all!

In November, 2006, we were leaving MK during a tremendous thunderstorm. It rained so hard that the parking lots were essentially rivers. When the storm was approaching, we were leaving the park, headed for the monorail. We waited for a good 15-20 minutes for the monorail, and they said that it was "due to a problem somewhere on the monorail line." We had absolutely no clue that there was a tornado warning for the parks (the actual warning from the National Weather Service - NWS - actually mentioned WDW). When we got back to our vacation home rental, we checked the radar and the NWS website, and found that a warning was actually issued before we were at the monorail. Tornado damage and I believe deaths or injuries were reported east of the parks.

As a meteorologist, I'm really curious to know if anyone has ever heard of a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning while at the parks? Do you know if they have a method to protect people in the event of a tornado?

Anxious to hear your thoughts

 

[mizzougrad91]

Hello from the wife of a NWS Meteorologist. I asked a CM this very same question during the possible threat of a tornado warning while we were there. She said that they evacuate the park into the tunnels below. Not sure if this is the case as the twarning never happened. Would be an interesting way to get a piece of the keys to the kingdom tour.

 

[edcrbnsoul]

I've posted this before and having been in WDW during a hurricane they are very good at Storm Readiness.

From the NWS website:

(May 30, 2006) - The National Weather Service has recognized Walt Disney World® Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., as a StormReady® Community. As the first theme park and resort in the nation to achieve this recognition, Walt Disney World joins more than 1,050 StormReady communities throughout the United States.

The nationwide community preparedness program uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle local severe weather and flooding threats. The program is voluntary and provides communities with clear-cut advice from the local National Weather Service forecast office and state and local emergency managers.

"StormReady encourages communities to take a proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations and public awareness in partnership with their local National Weather Service office," said Bill Proenza, director of the National Weather Service Southern Region. "StormReady helps communities improve communication and safety skills needed to save lives - before, during and after the event."

Located on 28,000 acres of land near Orlando, Walt Disney World Resort opened in 1971 with the Magic Kingdom theme park, hotels, campgrounds, golf courses and shopping villages. One of the most frequented vacation destinations in the world, the resort has its own emergency operations center, 24-hour warning capabilities and an amateur radio club.

"We appreciate this acknowledgement of our continuous efforts to ensure the year-round safety of our guests and cast members," said Lee A. Cockerell, executive vice president of operations for Walt Disney World. "Our partnerships with local, state and federal emergency management agencies are part of our overall safety strategy that enables us to provide our guests with the highest level of security and comfort possible."

Walt Disney World Resort is one of 70 StormReady designations in Florida. In a special ceremony at the resort, Cockerell was presented with a formal recognition letter and StormReady sign. The StormReady recognition will be in effect for three years as resort conducts the renewal process.

To be recognized as StormReady, a community must establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center, have more than one way to receive severe weather forecasts and warnings and alert the public, create a system that monitors local weather conditions, promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars and develop a formal hazardous weather plan -- including training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises

I'm not a meteroligist but it's a hobby of mine, I notice alot of weather monitoring sites throught WDW.

 

[wilde_oscar]

there are emergency shelters in all the parks and though out WDW. In the event of an emergency, it is one of the safest places in the world.

 

[MNDisneyFan]

That's really good to hear that they're StormReady and that they have plenty of shelters. I guess I was just really surprised that nothing was done when we were there, but I figure it must have been a fluke. I figured Disney would have to have a very good preparedness program.

Has anyone on the DIS actually been moved to the shelters? It's good to have all the steps in place, but actually following through is extremely important.

P.S. - hey mizzougrad91 - what a small world, huh?

 

[wilde_oscar]

it is very rare the shelters have ever been used... as they evacuate the parks when bad weather is on the way. Central Florida is not known for tornadoes and hurricanes don't sneak up on you by surprise.

The hotels have shelters as well, and are better equipped to handle hurricane like emergencies. If a hurricane is moving in, I think you'd rather be comfortable in hotel anyway, as they are all designed (the disney resorts) to survive 5+ hurricanes.

 

[edcrbnsoul]

I'm sure they have observers watching for any funnel clouds and at 46 sq miles at Tornado warning near AK might not have any problem at MK. I guess it's a fine line you have to walk. Do you panic a park full of people and shelter them only to have no Tornado roll through can you imagine the angery letters and lawsuits over that?

 

[MNDisneyFan]

Yeah, that's so true - it's not like evacuating a little league game or something

I bet it would take forever to evacuate/put in shelter that many people anyway. By the time it reached the park, the evacuation would undoubtedly still be going on in masses. They must have Amateur Radio Operators all over the place looking for funnels/tornadoes and act accordingly to observations.

I guess I was just kind of curious. Thanks everyone for the discussion

 

[mcqueengroupie]

I was in the MK with my family in June of 2007, the weather was terrible, and the rain and wind were whipping, we were parking our stroller by POTC and noticed the CM's motioning people into the line. We headed on in and then we were told there was a tornado warning in the area. We stayed on line and just listened to the rain, thunder and wind. Later at the hotel we saw there was a tornado, but it did come onto Disney property. I don't know how they would get all those people into a shelter, but they didn't evacuate the park at all. Our entire trip had terrible thunderstorms, we were leaving DTD on another day because we could see the storm coming, and our car was pelted by golf ball sized hail, I thought for sure it was gonna break the windshield.

 

[DVC Jen]

Both my husband and I are certified storm spotters for the national weather service. We are trained to read radar, clouds, etc.

When we were at Disney in June there was a tornado warning and Epcot was mentioned on the news. The report was that a funnel had been reported. We were about ready to leave for Epcot and found it VERY interesting and honestly quite unsettling that nothing was being done.

Funnels can touch down very quickly - or never touch down. You just don't know. I honestly do not think Disney does a very good job of responding to these kinds of threats.

They may be "storm ready" but that does not mean they follow through when a storm is in the area.

I can totally understand not wanting to panic the crowds - but to totally ignore the situation until the tornado is on the ground and immediately upon them - well that is not a great idea either.

Now - they DO do an AMAZING job of clearing people from the pool area when lightening is in the area - and I applaud them for that.

 

[disnut8]

I lived in Nebraska for 12 years so well versed on tornadoes and the precautions. At my workplace, we had to either go down into the basement or back against one wall (depending on what building you were in). And we had to remain there for about thirty or sixty minutes, depending on what was going on. We only had about 250 in both buildings. I cannot imagine trying to get the tens of thousands of people in all the parks, resorts, water parks, Downtown Disney, parking lots, etc. into shelters. And having them remain calm and collected for a half hour or so.

It is a shame that most people in this country don't even know what to do during a tornado warning. I know I didn't until we moved to Nebraska. maybe this can serve as a heads up to read up on procedures so you aren't ever caught unaware anywhere in the country.

 

[fla4fun]

Central Florida is not known for tornadoes.

I don't know that I would agree with this, depending on the time of year. There are two times when Florida is very much at risk of tornadoes - one is typically February, when we often have very severe storms and have had many, many devastating tornadoes. The other is if there has been a hurricane in the area (granted, since you kind of expect tornadoes in the outer reaches of a hurricane, you feel like you get more warning on these). We've had tornadoes on Christmas before, and back in 1998, there were some particularly bad ones in late February, around President's Day.

It's not like we get one every day, like we do thunderstorms (and in fact, lightning is a much greater threat to your safety), but we do get them. I guess Florida getting them in February is no different than the midwest getting them in April (like we always did when I was young).

 

[seashoreCM]

I do not think that all the guests could be safely and quickly herded into the Utilidors or whatever underground or tornado-safe shelter was available, once a warning was issued.

A tornado warning means a funnel is already in existence. A hit could be minutes away and exactly where is unpredictable. A tornado watch means that weather conditions are suitable for development of tornadoes.

The only way for Disney to be prepared for tornadoes is to start herding people into shelters, some being bussed back to their resorts, when the tornado watch is issued. Also limiting the park attendance to much lower numbers when a tornado watch is issued earlier in the day.

Unlike hurricanes where several hours' advance warning is had and more orderly evacuation can be done.

Also I was told that Disney's facilities are rated for category 3 hurricanes, not category 5. Only Magic Kingdom has a large network of underground tunnels.

As far as Nebraska (or O---klahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plains) goes, most people other than those in filled sports stadiums are prepared and able to get to tornado shelters.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[Schmeck]

We were on lockdown at our resort in June (mandated by our school principal for our school trip, not by the resort) because there were tornado warnings for the area, sightings of funnel clouds in Kissimmee, etc, so I think they can have tornados in central Florida...

We just had one in New Hampshire - tornados can hit anywhere!

I've never noticed if the attraction buildings at WDW have storm coverings for the windows and doors - I would think you could cram a lot of people into a gift shop, then slam down storm coverings, and pray!

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

August 2001 -- Severe thunderstorms with high winds in the early evening at Epcot. All the guests (at least in the World Showcase, which is where we were) were herded into the larger buildings by the CMs and the doors were shut for about 30-45 minutes. We were in the World ShowPlace, other friends were in China, Mexico, Canada, etc.

When the storm passed we experienced a true WDW phenomenon -- 75 degrees and a gentle breeze in August! We spent the rest of the evening enjoying the most pleasant walk around Epcot that I can remember.

 

[EpcotQueen]

Tornadoes can happen anywhere. Manhatten had one just yesterday!

 

[disnut8]

As far as Nebraska (or O---klahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plains) goes, most people other than those in filled sports stadiums are prepared and able to get to tornado shelters.

Actually, in Nebraska even it's impossible to get to a tornado "shelter". Unless you have built one in your backyard. Most people get to their basements. If you don't have one or can't get to one, you go to any room in the center of the house that does not have windows. That's usually a bathroom. If you are in a trailer park, you have already been notified of severe weather and have made arraignments for where you should go ALL DAY. If you are driving, you should stop your car and NOT GO UNDER THE CAR! Go to any nearby ditch or if you can't find a ditch, lay flat on the ground.

You should not try and outrace a tornado (playing Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton is a very bad idea) and you should not have a "tornado party".

Once you see a tornado, you have about twenty seconds to react. You need to look for the funnel clouds that signal a tornado COULD form. Then get the heck out of its way.

 

[kelmac284]

We were at the resort during Wilma in 05 and although it just brushed the resort and didn't really hit the area we got some MAJOR wind and rain there. They basically told us to stay in our rooms and not come out. They closed all the parks and we were basically stuck in our timeshare from that morning till about 1 in the afternoon. I have to say I was really glad we had a timeshare and were NOT in a hotel. We had a kitchen and had stocked up on food the night before.

We had gone to epcot the day before and upon leaving that night the rains and winds were starting to come in and it was torrential. We got absolutely drenched walking from WS to the parking lot.

Our timeshare was very good about giving us updates and then that afternoon they gave us the all clear. I can't remember if the parks ever did open that day but I am thinking they didn't because they had to clean them up and make sure all the rides were ok. But they DID open DTD and that is where EVERYONE and their mother headed LOL. It was packed. We noticed that they had several emergency vehicles parked at the resorts and that it was a kind of meeting spot. There were many downed trees and lots of branches and bushes everywhere but that was about it for damage.

By our place there was some damage to some signs and such but that was about it.

We lost one day but for the rest of our trip it was like nothing had happened.

We ran into some people at Epcot the night before and they told us the same thing that they evacuate to DW because it is so safe.

Good to know!