what to do in a tornado situation

Well, I guess there are worse places to die than in bed. But that would be a terrifying way to wake up just before dying!
Speaking of sounding like a train, we'd just moved to a small town in the foothills of the Sierras. I'm sitting on the couch, thinking that a train was passing nearby. About the time I realized that the nearest tracks were miles away, we felt the earthquake. One of those rolling ones.

 

Aunty Em Aunty Em it's a twister!

 

Having been caught in a couple of tornados, I can tell you that they really are not fun.

a few years back, got hit twice, once just north of and agin just south of Ardmore Ok. It was night and very dark, never saw it comming. Was at a dead stop and got pushed from one side of the road to the other and turned 90 degrees.
Got the truck started and got the the thing pointed south, just in time to get just south of Ardmore when the second one hit. watched two trucks get tossed on their sides and the top of the truck stop get ripped off and blown down the street. Trucks in the lot got pushed around. I was lucky that I was up along the rock cut along side the road. Almost was pushed into it. Again never saw it comming, just a pouring heavy rain. I stopped on the side of the road to see if any of the other trucks needed help, the a trooper pulled up and told me if I was not hurt and truck could run, get gone down the road.

 

First off Im ok with the situation. Absolutely pushing trucks around etc. Sometimes even fly em. I discovered I don't "do" flying trucks, even if it is a empty trailer a half mile up in steady updraft rotating away; that's 13500 pounds that aint supposed to fly.

Second off the Troopers would want every bit of help they can get from Man and Beast with strap, cable, chain, shovel etc Even levers using a 34000 pound set of drives as a lifter. Get big stuff off people.

Sure you want us gone Trooper? I can do battle with my rig and maybe help people who otherwise will blister in the sunburn heat all day instead of being out and taken care of in a hour. I might even be running a large Inverter and be a source of communications = ObiWan.

 

I guess if you're parked near a business you'll want to head into there and bunker down until it passes. Same with truck stops. Otherwise if you're parked all by yourself on the outskirt of a small town with nothing around then all you can do is protect yourself and pray. I used to live near the panhandle of texas and couple times when I was young we had to take shelter in the middle bathroom of the house. Fortunately, we never had an issue besides power going out.

Funnily enough I want to move back to the Midwest. The community spirit is strong there. I get annoyed when blue states, like California, have people on tv making fun of conservative Americans. They really have no idea how hard they work or what they go through.

 

You seriously believe no one ever sees a tornado or gets caught in a tornados path....

I was stupid once and tried to make it home during a tornado watch.. was in my car... anyway, the tornado watch went from watch to warning very quickly... I was so. Close to home that I thought i could make it... between the wind and sirens and all the noice I heard what sounded like a frieght train... I didn't even have time to finish my thought of "what is that sound.. ". Before my car started spinning around like a top and was slammed into a group of trees.... I only remember spinning towards the trees...
I woke briefly when I heard other sounds that I couldn't make out what they were... there were people all around me.. found out later when i woke up in the ICU.. the sounds. I couldn't make out were the jaws of life cutting my car apart to get me and the life flight helicopter...

I was luckky in comparison.. there were others who lost there life and many others who were injured and lost their homes..

People can see a tornado.. and get caught in ones path..

The best advise is to check and know the weather conditions of your route from start to Finsh, as well as keep checking an remain updated for any changes..
Be it high winds and tornados or freezing ice on your route you need to make an informed decision.. may have to bunker down or change your route..

A truck and trailer are a big target for high winds and tornados.. i was actually better off in my car than I would of been in a truck..

 

And it only happened one time in your whole life, that's what I call rare.
And if you would have left for home 4 minutes earlier you would have completely missed it.
Tornados are super rare and the odds are statistically zero that you'll be in one

 

Having moved from blizzard alley ( Fargo) to tornado alley ( Omaha ) in 1990 and being farm raised im pretty weather wise and having lived thru the extremes of blizzards and tornadoes I keep an eye on the weather because once in a while the weather man is right .
I also avoid trailer parks when it gets still and the sky turns odd colors.

 

Yes they are rare. But try and tell that to the hundreds who are killed by tornadoes every year just in the US. The other weather that accompanies tornadoes can kill too. Severe wind blow overs, large hail, lightning, scared motorists driving crazy, etc

 

Cali where ? Never heard of it .