Why no tornado sirens in Florida?

[jillyjoey]

They aren't speaking in terms of damage that results...

You have notice with hurricanes.

With Tornados all you have is notice for a quick duck an cover.

Tornados are not events you can evacuate and get out of harms way.

For a natural disaster--a hurricane is the "best" destructive disaster you can plan properly for.

Earthquakes, Tornados--you just do not have the luxury of one to several days warning.

You cannot prevent a natural weather disturbance--you can only deal with it. I'd rather have a hurricane that I can personally avoid than teh other two disasters for which I pretty much can do nothing but save my life.

Well, that's what I've always thought -- but after Katrina we've been hearing the opposite around here. Kind of like -- don't complain about your tornadoes you could be having hurricanes. But then again -- I've never lived through a hurricane. That is why I asked.

 

[monorailsilver]

I'd ask my dh but he is putting the 2 older kids to bed. He works on the sirens that are thru out the US.

I know when he has to service places he has only gone to Florida once & that was the pan handle area.

 

[jillyjoey]

peak of tornado season

tornado season is now year long

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Well, that's what I've always thought -- but after Katrina we've been hearing the opposite around here. Kind of like -- don't complain about your tornadoes you could be having hurricanes. But then again -- I've never lived through a hurricane. That is why I asked.

Floods are no picnic--that is why Katrina was so bad....and I did forget that natural disaster as well. You never know how bad a flood will be....

But for a hurricane--you KNOW one is coming.

 

[NotUrsula]

Kind of like -- don't complain about your tornadoes you could be having hurricanes. But then again -- I've never lived through a hurricane.

I'm guessing that the people you are hearing that from have never been through even a tornado warning, never mind an actual hit from one. Most of the folks who lived in the zone struck by Katrina only know tornados as a minor byproduct of hurricanes, so they don't have experience with what they can do all on their own on a day with no rain. I know, I used to be one of them.

Yes, the resulting property damage from a hurricane is usually much worse, but you can always rebuild -- I can't get my life back if I'm dead. Drowning in a hurricane is very rare if you take recommended precautions. You stay out of the zone of the storm surge, for one thing. Remember that what caused the damage in NOLA wasn't the hurricane; I got calls from family hours after it passed, and everything was fine. What drowned New Orleans was human error and greed.

PS: Yes, I know tornadoes can strike any time, but in T.A. there is a specific time of year when they are not only possible but probable, to the point that there can be several spotted in a day for several days on end. That is what I meant.

 

[jillyjoey]

I'm guessing that the people you are hearing that from have never been through even a tornado warning, never mind an actual hit from one.

Maybe not -- I know the ones I have been through have scared me to death.

 

[Shutterbug]

We have a few in our city but city officials have said that it is basically for people that might be outside. Its not meant to be heard for people inside.

 

[jillyjoey]

We have a few in our city but city officials have said that it is basically for people that might be outside. Its not meant to be heard for people inside.

They're in the city but they're not for the people inside the city limits to hear ??? Okay?? That's a politician for ya!

People inside the city limits put your fingers in your ears -- the sirens are for people that live OUTSIDE the city limits.

Taxdollars at work!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

They're in the city but they're not for the people inside the city limits to hear ??? Okay?? That's a politician for ya!

People inside the city limits put your fingers in your ears -- the sirens are for people that live OUTSIDE the city limits.

Taxdollars at work!

She meant in a building.

I was visiting my sis' in Kansas City last year. We were at a mall...my mom when outside for a cig and came back to let us know the sirens went off. We could not hear them indoors at all...but the mall went on alert and gave (inaudible) announcements over the PA. We just followed the heard to the lowest floor and stayed away from glass. When stores reopened their gates...that was our clue the coast was clear.

 

[VirtuallyMe]

FWIW with my experience of 20-some years in each risk region: I'll take a hurricane (even a Cat5) over a freaking tornado ANY day.

Everytime I hear about tornadoes like these, earthquakes, fires, etc I say the same thing- at least a hurricane gives us a fair warning to the get the heck out of there before it hits... these other things are not as kind.

 

[jillyjoey]

OOPS Didn't register correctly -- didn't even think "inside the building" we have no problem hearing ours inside the building

 

[summerrluvv]

I grew up in MI and we used to have tornado drills at school and tornado warning sirens. The weird thing is, we didn't even get very many tornados. I don't recall a single instance of an actual tornado hitting us growing up. We had to go in the basement a lot, but one never actually hit.

 

[PrincessTiff]

I grew up in MI and we used to have tornado drills at school and tornado warning sirens. The weird thing is, we didn't even get very many tornados. I don't recall a single instance of an actual tornado hitting us growing up. We had to go in the basement a lot, but one never actually hit.

Quite the opposite here.

We had maybe 2 tornado drills throughout all the years I was in grade school even though tornadoes are a frequent occurrence.

 

[druidia]

In all of my life in FL the only time I ever hear about tornados is during hurricane season, and like said someone said before, we're usually on our toes already. During the 2004 season, each storm that came through kept me up all night watching the news because we had no other notification (except radio) if rotation was spotted in our area. I wasn't worried about the hurricane; I was worried about the tornados that are spawned off the edge of the high winds.

I remember having DH blow up the air mattress and putting our radio, important stuff and cat carrier in our walk in closet and we slept there during the worst of the storms, just in case. It was very stressful.

I feel so bad for these people in C FL. It's so scary to see fairly new houses like ours just obliterated or at least badly damaged. You really feel helpless to protect yourself.

 

[Hixski]

I live in Missouri and I think they panic with the sirens here. There can be a tornado 50 miles away and our sirens go off. We had a neighbor that came from California. She would get so freaked out and run downstairs with her kids. I told her to check outside first and then the weather on TV. The poor girl was spending hours in her basement when it wasn't anywhere near us. We do get quite a few tornadoes in Missouri but they shouldn't blow the sirens when it is 3 counties away.