Tornado Alley residents - do you pay attention to the sirens?

[StephMK]

I'm not talking about the kind of storm that came through OK. That was enormous, on the ground a long time, and everyone took cover there. I'm sorry for everyone dealing with the huge tragedy.

I mean the alarms that go off from time to time when storms are coming through? We moved to the Midwest 6 years ago and while we don't freak out anymore, we do still go to the basement pretty quickly any time the sirens go off.

Sirens sounded late at night last weekend and we went down until the news said it was clear. It surprises me when I talk to other people who comment they either sleep through the sirens or choose not to do anything differently when they go off.

So I'm curious, were you raised with sirens or move to an area that has them and how do you handle tornado sirens?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

If the siren goes off in town, I order everyone into the bathroom area.

At home, we have a NOA weather radio. We've gone to the basement 3 or 4 times just in the last week LOL.

 

[hereyago]

I don't live in tornado alley, but do live on East coast where hurricanes like to visit. I have a NOAA weather radio on all the time and have taken shelter when we have had tornado warnings,etc.

But some people with any kind of bad weather tend to get complacent if too many times nothing has happened.

 

[1Mouse2RulethemAll]

They go off in the whole county, so I check the news before heading for shelter.


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[lizbaby007]

I grew up in the DFW area and lived there for 30yrs. I took the sirens pretty seriously up until they started setting them off for not only tornado warnings but severe thunderstorms as well. I am not going to duck and cover every time a thunderstorm rolls through town. I would be spending just about the entire spring in the bathroom hugging the toilet....not going to happen!!

Tornados, yes, sound the alarm. A strong thunderstorm....NO!! It creates a somewhat "meh" feeling and you just get use to them always going off which IMO can be dangerous. Sadly my last yr in TX I got use to hearing the sirens so much that instead of taking cover I would turn the TV on to make sure it was just a thunderstorm warning and not something more serious.

 

[mnrose]

We have an NOAA weather radio. And, if it goes off, I will flip on the TV to see exactly where the "weather" is (we have 24/7 radar here). If it is anywhere in my area of the county, we go to our shelter area. However, we have BIG counties, and the warning could be for an area 40+ miles away. But, if it is our area, I heed the warnings.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I grew up in the DFW area and lived there for 30yrs. I took the sirens pretty seriously up until they started setting them off for not only tornado warnings but severe thunderstorms as well. I am not going to duck and cover every time a thunderstorm rolls through town. I would be spending just about the entire spring in the bathroom hugging the toilet....not going to happen!!

Tornados, yes, sound the alarm. A strong thunderstorm....NO!! It creates a somewhat "meh" feeling and you just get use to them always going off which IMO can be dangerous. Sadly my last yr in TX I got use to hearing the sirens so much that instead of taking cover I would turn the TV on to make sure it was just a thunderstorm warning and not something more serious.

Sadly, this may have happened with some of the victims in Joplin last year. Many who heard the sirens ignored them. The boy cried wolf too many times before the wolf really showed up

 

[ZachnElli]

Steph, I think I'm in the same area as you and I'm from this area and we still all headed for the basement this past weekend at 1:30 in the morning. I'm surprised so many you have talked didn't, it's only been 2 or 3 years since those two tornadoes hit Omaha in the middle of the night with NO warning.

 

[LuLuO]

Yes. We always head for the basement.

 

[StephMK]

Steph, I think I'm in the same area as you and I'm from this area and we still all headed for the basement this past weekend at 1:30 in the morning. I'm surprised so many you have talked didn't, it's only been 2 or 3 years since those two tornadoes hit Omaha in the middle of the night with NO warning.

Yes, same town! I know, that storm a few years ago was so sudden and way too close for comfort!

DD19 & I happened to be awake & heard it so I woke up DH & DD13. DH's coworkers, DS & DD friends, and even the guy at the gas station all said they just ignored it or slept. I know we don't get major ones but I'm still not sitting around taking chances. I will say I like coming upstairs & looking out the window at the crazy clouds.

 

[Frantasmic]

I am ashamed to admit it, but no. I see where the storm is first. I live in a large city and they will run the alarms if a storm is 30 miles away.

True story: once, my MIL was visiting during Mother's Day and we had a storm blow in. The sirens were going and the wind was howling. I was in the back finishing grilling the steaks we did for Mother's Day.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

The office I worked at in Fort Leonard Wood, had NO where safe to go....so we'd all go outside and check the skies and figured if we saw anything we'd rush for the culvert, every man for themselves!

 

[tcufrog]

They are a little trigger happy with the sirens here so I immediately turn on the weather radio when I hear the sirens. I also plan to sign up for the Red Cross warning app.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

The office I worked at in Fort Leonard Wood, had NO where safe to go....so we'd all go outside and check the skies and figured if we saw anything we'd rush for the culvert, every man for themselves!

Run down to the Roubidoux and lay low

 

[minkydog]

We live in North Georgia and we have had some pretty serious tornados in our day. I taught my children from a very young age to go to the basement when they hear the sirens. Usually DH or I will turn on the news briefly to get an idea of what's going on. Although, I have to say, recently we heard the sirens so I stepped out on the porch to assess the sky--overcast, but otherwise perfectly fine. Birds singing, slight breeze. I decided we were probably going to get some thunder and lightning, so I didn't bother with the basement. About 5 minutes later, I heard the wind pick up so I went back on the porch--and the sky was pitch black. And when I say pitch black I mean I could not even see the cars in my driveway! The wind tried to suck the door closed, but I managed to get inside. Grabbed my little dog and yelled for DD20 and DH to get in the basement NOW. We sat in the basement and listened to the hail pelt our house. Later we found out that a tornado had passed very near by and took some trees down in a neighborhood a mile or so behind us. Whew! Too close for comfort.

 

[beaucoup]

I live in MA. I will be in MO, KS & IS this week next year. I plan on making sure my weather app gives weather alerts & knowing what I should do.

We were in a hotel in GA last year. Tornado sirens went off. First time I had ever heard that. We were watching the local weather showing it down to street level & it was very close. Hotel staff was of no help at all as to what people should do and they really didn't seem to be concerned. We all decided to go to the bottom floor since our rooms were upstairs. We all watched the tv together in the breakfast room with other guests who also weren't sure what to do.

I learned staff won't help & you need to be prepared on your own.

 

[ZachnElli]

Yes, same town! I know, that storm a few years ago was so sudden and way too close for comfort!

DD19 & I happened to be awake & heard it so I woke up DH & DD13. DH's coworkers, DS & DD friends, and even the guy at the gas station all said they just ignored it or slept. I know we don't get major ones but I'm still not sitting around taking chances. I will say I like coming upstairs & looking out the window at the crazy clouds.

Oh no, we get major ones. The one that destroyed the small town of Hallum was an EF4 and is still the widest tornado ever recorded at 2.5 miles wide! And that was just outside of Lincoln. We have friends that lost the upper floor of their two-story home in the one a few years ago and they were all home! I was 3 and a half when the other EF4 went through Omaha, I was at Westroads mall and I remember it, that was in 1975!

 

[r3ngels]

Always! I get the kids and pets down there. I have seen too much destruction. Not worth it to me. But I have to say we have a finished basement, it makes it easier. My brother is in AL and he has to go to laundry room, no basement, that might change my mind

 

[almburr]

Here ours only go off if there is a tornado spotted only. Its kind of funny when they do go off for the tornados we have had, everyone looks at the clock to make sure its not the 6 o'clock whistle.

 

[emilyltd]

Yes. I pay attention to the sirens. I think most people do pay attention to them. The police also drive around the streets telling people to take cover on their bull horns (or whatever they use). There are a few people who run out on their porch to look for the tornado, though.

Usually, tornado warnings don't happen often. We're having an unusually long and horrible stretch of unsettled weather right now. I think they are pretty careful not to sound a warning unless there's a darn good reason. Our house alarm system will wake us up if a siren goes off and if I'm in my car during a watch, I listen to the radio.