Thursday, May 08, 2008
I raced a tornado -- and won
(Thump, thump). Mic check! Mic check! Is this thing on?? ...
Ahem. Teh Internets have been down at my house.
I raced a tornado -- and won!
That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it, although there is some discussion as to whether the strong storms that whupped Oklahoma City yesterday evening had tornados.
I say they did. I was in the middle of it, listening to the local expert TV weather gurus and spotters simulcasting on my truck radio. They don't make stuff up, although those boys do get excited. 'll bet they call it an EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
But hey, hearing a spotter say "lowering" is good enough for me. Especially when it's raining sideways. I was heading north as it was heading north and then east and our paths crossed but just missed each other.
For people who know Oklahoma City: I was leaving work as the sireens went off, heading north 10 miles to the house. A miles north, Mike Morgan (TV weather guru) was saying possible tornado at Warr Acres. The next mile over Lake Hefner. The next mile over Quail Springs mall, and now bearing east more than north.
I was at Memorial and Broadway and it was coming fast from the mall area. Cloudy and foggy, big rain, but the front edge of the thing was boiling. Very cool. At 33rd and Kelly in Edmond, Mike Morgan is yelling by now, "Edmond! Edmond! Edmond! Get to your palce of safety NOW. This is serious, etc."
I'm thinking; Well, it's pretty cool out; if it's a tornado it's a small one, and fickle; if the glass breaks, from hail or debris, that'll suck, and if some idiot fraks out and drives into me, that could suck; but the most the thing itself might do is roll the truck a few times, and I've got my seatbelt on and air bags. Rock on.
Mike Morgan says the hook had just crossed around Memorial Road/Kilpatrick Turnpike area at Broadway Extension. And I'm, by now, about a mile north and a little west of there. So, the thing has passed behind me. Cool.
Then it got dark in an instant. The wind picked up. It was raining sideways already, but now visibility was about gone, except foe tail lights right in front of me. I race on, worryin' about the dogs -- sireens still blarin' and Mike Morgan and the spotters still yellin' on the radio.
Only once did I think, I might have to slip it 4WD and go around these people, when stuck at a light (rush hour) Only once dd I think, I might have to slip it in 4WD and push these little cars the hell out of my way.
I was racin' home to get to the dogs to put 'em in the house. Within a half-mile of my neighborhood, the traffic is slowed to a crawl and I am trying hard not drive over the car in front of me. OK, sure, you couldn't see -- but hey, I could get the house by feel from this point.
Finally whip into my neighborhood and I can see nothing but fuzzy shapes that I know are houses and cars parked in the street. I sped on, slowing only to turn onto my street, and then to slide into my driveway. It's about 10 feet from where I get out of my truck to the front porch. I busted it to get there -- and got so wet I had to change clothes.
First, I ran to the back yard and hollered at Riker and Bailey. They were like, "Yessir! Go into the sunroom? Absolutely. Glad to do it. Yessir!" No barking, not bitching to be fed. They were quiet, and they laid down in the floor and looked at me with thankful eyes.
Ice-T was on the back of a couch, sort of nervy, quiet and stiff.
Turned the TV on, ran to change clothes. Grabbed a flashlight and made sure the was nothing in the way of me and all the critters congregatin' in the bathroom in the middle of the house.
But before long, the main storm had passed, about an hour and 10 minutes after it spun up.
Most fun I've had with weather since I lived in Texas. :-)
--ER
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I'm glad you won! I was thinking about ya'll in OK when I heard about all the stormin' going on.
I guess weather guys are the same everywhere. they can make anything sound "exciting" -- even here in Southern CA on a bright, sunshiny day. :)
I guess weather guys are the same everywhere. they can make anything sound "exciting" -- even here in Southern CA on a bright, sunshiny day. :)
# posted by 
: 10:00 AM
: 10:00 AM
I remember when I was workin' at the same place and the sirens would go off, the annoying baratone voice would blare over the speakers for us to make our way -- via the stairwell -- to the basement. More times than not, most of us would venture to the southwest windows to see if we could see anything coming our way before we would find our way down many flights of stairs.
Outrunnin' the tornado reminds me of an episode in western Kansas a dozen years ago or so: I was back home visitin' family one weekend and had to get back to Dodge City that Sunday afternoon for work.
It was a stormy day when I pulled out of my folks' drive, and as I hit the edge of town driving east, I heard the sirens. So I tuned into the radio. A mile or so down the road, the meteorologist said, "A tornado is on the ground a mile northeast of Leoti."
I looked to my left, driving about 80 mph, and sure enough, there was a tornado on the ground about a mile away.
The speedometer hit 105 in a jiffy, since the twister was moving southeast.
I got well ahead of it and continued traveling due east out of my hometown for about 45 miles before I ventured southeast toward Dodge City and work. It was blocky driving that route -- 90-degree right turn at Dighton; 90-degree left turn on 156; 90-degree right turn on 23; 75-degree turn at Cimarron on 50 -- so there was no direct line, but I could maneuver the Thunderbird faster with less patrol cars that way.
All the while, the radio reported the tornado dipping and rising as it moved southeast -- it was taking the direct line that I could've only dreamed about in the vehicle.
I pulled into work, scrambled through the pellets of rain and hail into the office in time to scamper into the basement area for cover, just as the tornado sirens began blaring in Dodge City.
The storm passed right over Dodge City -- the most populous community in its path that day -- but never touched down. Lights flickered, then went off, and we were without power for a couple of hours.
The damage consisted of tree debris and some shingles ripped from homes, but that was it. The twister managed to touch down in the most rural of areas and damaged some crops, but no homes were destroyed and the damage was limited.
Still, the ol' heart was racin', and so was the engine of the T-Bird. But I, too, have raced a tornado and won.
Outrunnin' the tornado reminds me of an episode in western Kansas a dozen years ago or so: I was back home visitin' family one weekend and had to get back to Dodge City that Sunday afternoon for work.
It was a stormy day when I pulled out of my folks' drive, and as I hit the edge of town driving east, I heard the sirens. So I tuned into the radio. A mile or so down the road, the meteorologist said, "A tornado is on the ground a mile northeast of Leoti."
I looked to my left, driving about 80 mph, and sure enough, there was a tornado on the ground about a mile away.
The speedometer hit 105 in a jiffy, since the twister was moving southeast.
I got well ahead of it and continued traveling due east out of my hometown for about 45 miles before I ventured southeast toward Dodge City and work. It was blocky driving that route -- 90-degree right turn at Dighton; 90-degree left turn on 156; 90-degree right turn on 23; 75-degree turn at Cimarron on 50 -- so there was no direct line, but I could maneuver the Thunderbird faster with less patrol cars that way.
All the while, the radio reported the tornado dipping and rising as it moved southeast -- it was taking the direct line that I could've only dreamed about in the vehicle.
I pulled into work, scrambled through the pellets of rain and hail into the office in time to scamper into the basement area for cover, just as the tornado sirens began blaring in Dodge City.
The storm passed right over Dodge City -- the most populous community in its path that day -- but never touched down. Lights flickered, then went off, and we were without power for a couple of hours.
The damage consisted of tree debris and some shingles ripped from homes, but that was it. The twister managed to touch down in the most rural of areas and damaged some crops, but no homes were destroyed and the damage was limited.
Still, the ol' heart was racin', and so was the engine of the T-Bird. But I, too, have raced a tornado and won.
Glad you and the critters are ok, ER.
And yes, the weather folks are just a wee bit excitable--even well away from the storm I was getting a small adrenaline rush just listening to them!
And yes, the weather folks are just a wee bit excitable--even well away from the storm I was getting a small adrenaline rush just listening to them!
It was like I was right there with you urging you to floor it!
Glad you and the critters are okay.
Glad you and the critters are okay.
# posted by : 2:01 PM
: 2:01 PM
Outrun a tornado? Haven't you guys seen those picture of the cars on I-35 from the May 3rd storm. You know the ones where the cars look like wadded up and sandblasted tin cans.
Trying to out run a tornado is like trying to outrun a train to the crossing. You'll never know if you lose. No guys, you turn the car around and go the other way and wait it out! That is why God put reverse and steering wheels in cars.
ER, funnels or not, the straight winds reached a 104 mph at one weather station in the metro.
During the second storm of the afternoon I was sitting in my office beside my glass sliding doors, when all of a sudden the trees out front across the street leaned about 45 degree and a serious jet plane sound began. I am fracked for sure, is what I thought. It lasted about 30 seconds (or two hours depending on the relativity scale used) and then everything snapped badk to normal.
Thank you Lord! So after going to the restroom. I went into my kitchen and looked out into my back yard. One of my trees was missing. Well not all of it, there was a 10 foot tall stump where the tree was supposed be but the other 50 feet or so was gone. Not laying in my yard. Not leaning down from the broken stump. It were gone.
After it stoped raining I went looking for my tree. I found about 20 feet away in my neighbors yard. No it was not in the yard, it was on the yard, and all their electric and phone and cable lines.
What ever snapped the tree like a toothpick and then tossed it 20 feet or so was no small event. Interstingly we didn't lose any other trees or limbs in the neighborhood. The ice storm from earlier in the winter took out any and almost everything that was weak. What it was that hit this tree is beyond me.
Trying to out run a tornado is like trying to outrun a train to the crossing. You'll never know if you lose. No guys, you turn the car around and go the other way and wait it out! That is why God put reverse and steering wheels in cars.
ER, funnels or not, the straight winds reached a 104 mph at one weather station in the metro.
During the second storm of the afternoon I was sitting in my office beside my glass sliding doors, when all of a sudden the trees out front across the street leaned about 45 degree and a serious jet plane sound began. I am fracked for sure, is what I thought. It lasted about 30 seconds (or two hours depending on the relativity scale used) and then everything snapped badk to normal.
Thank you Lord! So after going to the restroom. I went into my kitchen and looked out into my back yard. One of my trees was missing. Well not all of it, there was a 10 foot tall stump where the tree was supposed be but the other 50 feet or so was gone. Not laying in my yard. Not leaning down from the broken stump. It were gone.
After it stoped raining I went looking for my tree. I found about 20 feet away in my neighbors yard. No it was not in the yard, it was on the yard, and all their electric and phone and cable lines.
What ever snapped the tree like a toothpick and then tossed it 20 feet or so was no small event. Interstingly we didn't lose any other trees or limbs in the neighborhood. The ice storm from earlier in the winter took out any and almost everything that was weak. What it was that hit this tree is beyond me.
Teditor! Great story!
Re, "A mile or so down the road, the meteorologist said, "A tornado is on the ground a mile northeast of Leoti." ... I looked to my left, driving about 80 mph, and sure enough, there was a tornado on the ground about a mile away."
Trained observer. I'm just sayin'. Hee hee.
Plus, yer too big to "scamper." You mighta scurried.
LOL. I am editor. Eat my rubber. Burn my shorts. ... Well, u know what I mean. Hoot! :-)
(Hell. Dr. ER says I'm too big to skip. I prove her wrong at the mall, walkin' up to a store or restaurant, to the house, whatever.)
Re, "A mile or so down the road, the meteorologist said, "A tornado is on the ground a mile northeast of Leoti." ... I looked to my left, driving about 80 mph, and sure enough, there was a tornado on the ground about a mile away."
Trained observer. I'm just sayin'. Hee hee.
Plus, yer too big to "scamper." You mighta scurried.
LOL. I am editor. Eat my rubber. Burn my shorts. ... Well, u know what I mean. Hoot! :-)
(Hell. Dr. ER says I'm too big to skip. I prove her wrong at the mall, walkin' up to a store or restaurant, to the house, whatever.)
Well, I didn't mean to race the thing, It just sort of happened. The guiding decision was made when I was walking out of the building as the sireens were going off, and I decided that I'd rather take my chances in the truck with the radio than in the basement of a multistory office building where they don't tell you shit! Yes. I fear not knowing more.
Re, "Outrun a tornado? Haven't you guys seen those picture of the cars on I-35 from the May 3rd storm. You know the ones where the cars look like wadded up and sandblasted tin cans."
Yes, but rightly or wrongly, I also think I have a "feel" for the weather.
Re, "Trying to out run a tornado is like trying to outrun a train to the crossing. You'll never know if you lose. No guys, you turn the car around and go the other way and wait it out! That is why God put reverse and steering wheels in cars. ... ER, funnels or not, the straight winds reached a 104 mph at one weather station in the metro."
Yes. My bad.
Re, (On his own yard, DrLoboJo wrote) One of my trees was missing. Well not all of it, there was a 10 foot tall stump where the tree was supposed be but the other 50 feet or so was gone. Not laying in my yard. Not leaning down from the broken stump. It were gone. ... After it stoped raining I went looking for my tree. I found about 20 feet away in my neighbors yard. No it was not in the yard, it was on the yard, and all their electric and phone and cable lines. ... What ever snapped the tree like a toothpick and then tossed it 20 feet or so was no small event. Interstingly we didn't lose any other trees or limbs in the neighborhood. The ice storm from earlier in the winter took out any and almost everything that was weak. What it was that hit this tree is beyond me."
That were the finger of God.. He was pickin' a booger, or scratchin' his butt. Nothin' personal.
Re, "Outrun a tornado? Haven't you guys seen those picture of the cars on I-35 from the May 3rd storm. You know the ones where the cars look like wadded up and sandblasted tin cans."
Yes, but rightly or wrongly, I also think I have a "feel" for the weather.
Re, "Trying to out run a tornado is like trying to outrun a train to the crossing. You'll never know if you lose. No guys, you turn the car around and go the other way and wait it out! That is why God put reverse and steering wheels in cars. ... ER, funnels or not, the straight winds reached a 104 mph at one weather station in the metro."
Yes. My bad.
Re, (On his own yard, DrLoboJo wrote) One of my trees was missing. Well not all of it, there was a 10 foot tall stump where the tree was supposed be but the other 50 feet or so was gone. Not laying in my yard. Not leaning down from the broken stump. It were gone. ... After it stoped raining I went looking for my tree. I found about 20 feet away in my neighbors yard. No it was not in the yard, it was on the yard, and all their electric and phone and cable lines. ... What ever snapped the tree like a toothpick and then tossed it 20 feet or so was no small event. Interstingly we didn't lose any other trees or limbs in the neighborhood. The ice storm from earlier in the winter took out any and almost everything that was weak. What it was that hit this tree is beyond me."
That were the finger of God.. He was pickin' a booger, or scratchin' his butt. Nothin' personal.
My husband and I had to outrun a tornado, in the dark, on the Turner Turnpike 7 years or so ago. We couldn't even see the exits, and they were few and far between anyway. I know it's a terrible idea, but we really had no other option.
From your geographical descriptions, E.R., you're not too far from my former neck-of-the-woods. I grew up in Quail Creek, worked at Quail Springs, and stomped around Warr Acres and the PC North area.
From your geographical descriptions, E.R., you're not too far from my former neck-of-the-woods. I grew up in Quail Creek, worked at Quail Springs, and stomped around Warr Acres and the PC North area.
# posted by : 10:06 PM
: 10:06 PM
Racing tornados doesn't sound very safe to me. I'm glad we don't get them where I live - at least I don't think we do.
Lee
PS Glad you won :)
Lee
PS Glad you won :)
# posted by : 5:21 AM
: 5:21 AM
I, like the true Oklahoman that I am, darted out onto the porch to go look for it. It was nowhere near us, but we learned from the May 2003 tornadoes that when the trees in our neighborhood start blowing sideways, there's a tornado somewhere in the metro.
I'm glad you're OK, I was sitting there all in a horror when Mike Morgan said "Memorial and Kilpatrick." Yikes, rush hour.
I'm glad you're OK, I was sitting there all in a horror when Mike Morgan said "Memorial and Kilpatrick." Yikes, rush hour.
Don't have much to contribute here because, call me crazy, when that siren goes off I go to the basement. :)
But this is cool:
http://climate.engin.umich.edu/TornadoPATHS/
Naturally, since it's cool, it was created by a U of M professor (Go Blue!) It shows all the tornados that have touched down in the US from 1950-2007. You can input your own zip code and look at the tornadoes of varying intensity that have touched down near you. You can filter them by intensity. And, using Google Earth, you can even follow the path of your favorite tornado. Weeee!
If you look closely I think you can even see ER's pickup trying to outrun one. :)
But this is cool:
http://climate.engin.umich.edu/TornadoPATHS/
Naturally, since it's cool, it was created by a U of M professor (Go Blue!) It shows all the tornados that have touched down in the US from 1950-2007. You can input your own zip code and look at the tornadoes of varying intensity that have touched down near you. You can filter them by intensity. And, using Google Earth, you can even follow the path of your favorite tornado. Weeee!
If you look closely I think you can even see ER's pickup trying to outrun one. :)
ER said: "That were the finger of God.. He was pickin' a booger, or scratchin' his butt. Nothin' personal."
Tell that to my Neighbor who seems to think I threw it over the fence on purpose.
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Tell that to my Neighbor who seems to think I threw it over the fence on purpose.
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