Tornado Outlook for Saturday: 60% Probability in Eastern Nebraska

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the tornado outlook for Saturday, specifically a 60% probability of tornadoes in eastern Nebraska. Participants express concerns about safety, shelter availability, and the reliability of weather forecasts, while sharing personal anecdotes and suggestions for coping with severe weather.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight the alarming tornado probability and urge others to check their shelters.
  • Concerns are raised about the lack of shelters and basements in areas prone to tornadoes, questioning building codes and local government responsibilities.
  • One participant shares statistics about the relative risks of dying from tornadoes compared to other weather-related incidents, suggesting that the risk may not justify extensive protective measures.
  • Suggestions are made to consider alternative shelters, such as local churches, which may have higher building standards.
  • Participants express skepticism about the accuracy of weather forecasts, noting discrepancies between reported conditions and actual weather.
  • Humorous remarks are made about personal safety and preparations, including stocking emergency supplies and coping strategies during tornado warnings.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of concern and humor regarding the tornado threat, with no clear consensus on the adequacy of local safety measures or the reliability of weather predictions. Multiple competing views on the necessity of shelters and the interpretation of risk are present.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference varying local conditions and personal experiences, indicating that the discussion is influenced by regional differences in weather preparedness and building practices.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in weather safety, tornado preparedness, and community responses to severe weather events may find this discussion relevant.

  • #31
DaveC426913 said:
Don't let clear skies mislead you. Tornadoes are dangerous precisely because they are fast-moving and large changes in weather fronts.
Actually the warnings were removed, the tornado threat is for tonight, there was nothing to "TAKE SHELTER NOW" from earlier, except maybe a sunburn. The 30% chance of isolated scattered showers was the correct forecast, of course that was on the 2nd page.
 
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  • #32
Lacy33 said:
TURBO! Knock it off. I'm sure the local government will have made sure everything is up to code and all things are secure.
Sorry. I spent a few years in construction and worked as an inspector, clerk of the works, and superintendent during the construction of a large apartment complex. The owner of the complex had the architects fire me as inspector because I found too many structural defects in the buildings, and repairing them slowed down his project.

That Friday afternoon, I went to the Superintendent's office trailer to say good-bye to him and his assistant, and he told me to come back Monday morning. He hired me as an inspector/clerk for the prime contractor, and I kept rooting out problems for the next two years. I don't want to panic anybody, but corruption and payoffs are rampant in the construction industry, and there is a lot of sub-standard housing out there as a result. Talk to somebody who has been in the trenches, and you'll see.
 
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  • #33
Jimmy Snyder said:
But there are worse things than dying. A tornado could send you flying through the air and you might get scared. Or it could send you like a bullet though a window where the glass would shatter into a million pieces, one of which might cut your finger like a paper cut. Then again it might spin you around so hard you get dizzy. Or it could ... Hey Evo, you're not reading this are you?
What would I do without you Jimmy? :-p

Lacy33 said:
TURBO! Knock it off. I'm sure the local government will have made sure everything is up to code and all things are secure. Please Read Bob's post. The odds he says are more to getting hit by lightening. So don't scare this mom. :eek: Pleeease.
However since lightning can hit a house, is the bathroom the safest place when trying to keep safe from a storm containing hail, lightning and a possible wall cloud/ twister, in a town where the local government has made all sure all peoples are safe?
In the city I wondered if being in the kitchen or bathroom are safe in a thunder storm. Thanks
I've been hit by lightning through both plumbing and a corded phone (I recovered my hearing), apparently, according to a documentary on people getting hit by lightning, these count as lightning hits. Then the third hit to the house just fried everything in the house, but I wasn't touching anything at the time. I'm sticking close to the toilet if I have to go in.

Evo, you will be fine.
Note: At 24 years old, it is possible to pull a king sized mattress over your child, birds in cage and self in far end of hallway.
I told Evo child to get heavy covers to cover up with and intend to get her my old mattress for her basement for another time. Of course she will probably refuse, but then storms terrify her, so maybe she'll agree. I'd feel safer for her.
 
  • #34
turbo said:
Sorry. I spent a few years in construction and worked as an inspector, clerk of the works, and superintendent of a large apartment complex. The owner of the complex had the architects fire me as inspector because I found too many structural defects in the buildings, and repairing them slowed down his project.

That Friday afternoon, I went to the Superintendent's office trailer to say good-bye to him and his assistant, and he told me to come back Monday morning. He hired me as an inspector/clerk for the prime contractor, and I kept rooting out problems for the next two years. I don't want to panic anybody, but corruption and payoffs are rampant in the construction industry, and there is a lot of sub-standard housing out there as a result. Talk to somebody who has been in the trenches, and you'll see.

Turbo, I know. Why do you think I am yanking so hard here and I am sick. :frown: (Some twister up and took my thermometer.)

My dear husband is an engineer and whatever and worked in construction management too. Perhaps he was involved in projects bigger than an apartment building but I hear of how things get worked out and people loose lives. Trenches? Yeah, we've been there. That is why we are concerned for the saftey of people when the weather is getting worse.
I have to go pass out now.
Happy, Evo, you will be tanning and not digging out from under.
Hope all PEOPLES are safe tonight when they COULD otherwise be.
 
  • #35
Lacy33 said:
Turbo, I know. Why do you think I am yanking so hard here and I am sick. :frown: (Some twister up and took my thermometer.)

My dear husband is an engineer and whatever and worked in construction management too. Perhaps he was involved in projects bigger than an apartment building but I hear of how things get worked out and people loose lives. Trenches? Yeah, we've been there. That is why we are concerned for the saftey of people when the weather is getting worse.
I have to go pass out now.
Happy, Evo, you will be tanning and not digging out from under.
Hope all PEOPLES are safe tonight when they COULD otherwise be.
The apartment construction project that I oversaw was 10 buildings, each containing 16-32 apartments (big, by Maine standards) but they were very, very under-designed, IMO. In severe weather, those buildings could collapse like houses of cards. Stacked vertical stud walls with minimal cross-bracing and other structural problems that would make any experienced constructor cringe. City inspectors probably just took their pay-offs and looked away. Working for the prime contractor, I got more threats from sub-contractors than I had ever imagined. The more corners they could cut, the more money they could make.
 
  • #36
turbo said:
The apartment construction project that I oversaw was 10 buildings, each containing 16-32 apartments (big, by Maine standards) but they were very, very under-designed, IMO. In severe weather, those buildings could collapse like houses of cards. Stacked vertical stud walls with minimal cross-bracing and other structural problems that would make any experienced constructor cringe. City inspectors probably just took their pay-offs and looked away. Working for the prime contractor, I got more threats from sub-contractors than I had ever imagined. The more corners they could cut, the more money they could make.

That's very sad. Sorry you had to deal with that without being able to stop the construction or improve the situation in some way. Must have left you feeling like you lost so much and as long as those buildings stood they were endangering lives.

So many things are needlessly substandard and there is nothing we can do but help our friends and family when a situation presents. But when it is in our realm of possiblilties to correct something (or we think it is) and we are still unable to make a change, that is where we take a personal loss.

So much has gone into the study of meteorology and the advancement of warnings systems that I am shocked that this has not been thought through that when the storms come and the warnings are effective, the people still have no where to go.
 
  • #37
Lacy33 said:
That's very sad. Sorry you had to deal with that without being able to stop the construction or improve the situation in some way. Must have left you feeling like you lost so much and as long as those buildings stood they were endangering lives.
I managed to stop and reverse some sub-standard stuff, but not enough IMO. The initial designs were woefully inadequate in respect to snow-loads, flashing and waterproofing, and lots of more critical structural problems. Unfortunately, if you can't engage the local code-enforcers honestly, there is little you can do.
 
  • #38
turbo said:
I managed to stop and reverse some sub-standard stuff, but not enough IMO. The initial designs were woefully inadequate in respect to snow-loads, flashing and waterproofing, and lots of more critical structural problems. Unfortunately, if you can't engage the local code-enforcers honestly, there is little you can do.

Thought you might say something about this. You are a tough guy, I suppose when you need to be.
At least you tried. That's all we can do. But the next time around are we wiser! Right?

We just heard a storm hit a hospital:

(CNN) -- A possible tornado struck a hospital Saturday evening in Creston, Iowa, according to a dispatcher with the Union County Sheriff's Department. A search-and-rescue operation was under way.

From working in hospitals i know evacuations are done and if the building is safe, things should be ok. With hopes.
 
  • #39
Lacy33 said:
From working in hospitals i know evacuations are done and if the building is safe, things should be ok. With hopes.
Evacuating hospitals can be tough. You have people with special needs, including monitoring, infusions, regular medications, intravenous medicines and feedings... How do you get everybody out safely??
 
  • #40
turbo said:
Evacuating hospitals can be tough. You have people with special needs, including monitoring, infusions, regular medications, intravenous medicines and feedings... How do you get everybody out safely??

Of course its all work. The professionals direct staff and follow procedures. I was talking about evacuating within the building for tornados in MN.

When Irene hit the east coast, (remember that, yikes) NYC evacuated entire hospitals. And it went well.
 
  • #41
turbo said:
Let's hope all our members in the danger zone escape unscathed, and that they keep us updated (hint, hint).
~10:00 P.M.

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  • #42
You and Roger be safe!

It appears it was another false alarm here. They really need to stop over hyping these potential storms.
 
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  • #43
Evo said:
You and Roger be safe!

It appears it was another false alarm here. They really need to stop over hyping these potential storms.
:bugeye: Only when we stop losing lives over them.
 
  • #44
DaveC426913 said:
:bugeye: Only when we stop losing lives over them.

With tons of respect to Evo who was sitting together with family in the middle of this weather event, I do think the hype was VERY much called for.
Not only was it a good practice drill for extreme weather yet to come, but I am not convienced that this extra day warning didn't save lives.

I for one appreciate the money and science invested in giving people so much time to know if we don't tuck it in and tie the family to the most solid thing in the powder room (the best we can do now) we may find our belongings in the next state.

I came to PF years ago because of vortex physics.
Didn't take me long to realize I don't have the background to study that subject, I am still thankful for the science done by people qualified. And the lives saved.
 
  • #45
Actually the hype was false, the official weather service never even issued a tornado watch, much less a warning for our area. The weather media made the threat up, it never existed for us.

It's intentially false fear mongering like this that causes people to ignore warnings and puts people's lives at risk. Intentionally false warnings for gaining popularity and ratings should be illegal.
 
  • #46
Evo said:
Actually the hype was false, the official weather service never even issued a tornado watch, much less a warning for our area. The weather media made the threat up, it never existed for us.
Oh.
10 chars
 
  • #47
Evo said:
Actually the hype was false, the official weather service never even issued a tornado watch, much less a warning for our area. The weather media made the threat up, it never existed for us.

It's intentially false fear mongering like this that causes people to ignore warnings and puts people's lives at risk. Intentionally false warnings for gaining popularity and ratings should be illegal.
Thank goodness for http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=twx&product=N0R&loop=yes. If I had to depend on the Topeka TV "meteorologists", I'd be in a shelter on most stormy days. :mad:
 
  • #48
Dlgoff, Is that Manhattan in the middle of that map? Cause I didn't think I was in Kansas any more! :-p
 
  • #49
Lacy33 said:
Dlgoff, Is that Manhattan in the middle of that map? Cause I didn't think I was in Kansas any more! :-p

The way the wind is blowing the last couple of days, I'm not sure if I'm in Kansas any more. :rolleyes:
 
  • #51
I hate tornado season. My house was almost hit last year, the tornado shifted towards a different part of the city and barely missed my house. I was elated that I didn't get hit by it, but still those who did get hit I felt sorry for.
 
  • #52
Evo Child woke me up. The sirens are going.

I'm too tired for this.
 
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  • #53
That was 7 hours ago, should we be worried?
 
  • #54
http://www.kmbc.com/news/31018742/detail.html
 
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  • #55
Andre said:
http://www.kmbc.com/news/31018742/detail.html
That one touched down, the one nearer to me didn't touch down, a blast of cold air killed it.
 
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  • #56
Evo said:
That one touched down, the one nearer to me didn't touch down, a blast of cold air killed it.

No, smoke from the smoker killed it, good karma... :biggrin:

Rhody...