They make reinforced steel above ground shelters that can be built into your home and bolt onto a cement slab:
Posted on 05/10/2011 5:12:24 AM PDT by Alas Babylon!
Eddie Cosby waited in safety glasses, hard hat and bulletproof vest. Weatherman Gary Dobbs watched the tornado turn straight toward his home. Lindon Miller said his grandson and his grandson's wife ran to his sturdy brick home for shelter, only to be swept far into the fields of Franklin County. Nicole Burns lost four neighbors in Phil Campbell, including a 10-year-old boy. Tommy Quinn lost his childhood home, but was able to dig out the survivors in a church basement. Cary Higginbotham said the storm spared his home in Limestone County, but sucked the living room sofa out the back door. Bobby Box said blue jeans from Hackleburg fell out of the sky at his home in Courtland.
What the National Weather Service calls the Hackleburg Tornado traveled 132 miles, winds surpassing 210 mph, a nonstop scar in the earth running 90 miles from Hackleburg to Huntsville. Of a dozen deadly twisters across Alabama on April 27, this was the only one given the strongest rating of EF-5. This one tornado alone is thought to have claimed 70 lives, by far the deadliest single twister in state history. The Times this week traced the path of destruction, where countless survivors spoke with calm and wonder at simply being alive.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.al.com ...
It is a very compelling article about real human emotions in very traumatic conditions.
I’ve been through floods, hurricanes, and blizzards, but tornadoes are the one force of nature that really scare me.
I have many friends in Huntsville who reported that their town and the surrounding areas were very hard hit. Unfortunately, all of the media coverage was focused on Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. This was a real disaster across much of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.
This all happened starting 60 miles East. That day we had 6 tornado warnings during the day. I was listening to the Q-107 radio station in Florence giving details of the tornado’s path. I pray no one has to go through this but know it will happen again.
“Lindon Miller said his grandson and his grandson’s wife ran to his sturdy brick home for shelter, only to be swept far into the fields of Franklin County.”
I wonder if this is the guy our relatives talked about they knew, said he told his daughter to go to a more sturdier structure than her house. So she went there, and her house is standing and the structure gone, her and the baby both killed.
Of course, you know, this is a product of “global change climate warming.”
But seriously, let the good Lord watch over these people in their time of need and receive all the assistance they can.
This is a good long story about those other tornadoes—not the one/ones that hit Tuscaloosa or Birmingham.
One hit down by home in Elmore county, same day as these larger ones up North. The Elmore county one killed 6 people 5 miles due West from my house, but it was on a NW track. It died out over Lake Martin. They still are picking debris out of the lake. Boaters advisory out for debris.
Corrected to remove Ebonics... J/K Justice Bros!
This is a good long story about those other tornadoes—not the one/ones that hit Tuscaloosa or Birmingham.
One hit down by our home in Elmore county, same day as these larger ones up North. The Elmore county one killed 6 people 5 miles due West from my house, but it was on a NW track. It died out over Lake Martin. They’re still are picking debris out of the lake. Boaters advisory out for debris.
My thoughts, too. The media is focused on the Tuscaloosa tornado and ignore the EF5 that killed record numbers in Northern AL.
My family is from Hackleburg and Marion County.....,.
Here is a good site to help people in Hackleburg....Hackleburg and Phil Campbell were both basically leveled by this EF5 tornado...
A simpler question : is there such a thing as an underground shelter that works every time?
“A simpler question : is there such a thing as an underground shelter that works every time?”
As far as I know there is nothing that “works every time” but shelters are pretty much as foolproof as you can get.
Why doesn’t everyone have one? Cost mostly. And, in most tornados an interior closet, basement, bathroom etc. will be enough to keep you alive.
This was a series of very unusual storms. The tornados stayed on the ground an unprecedented time for this area. And, they were extremly strong. There was plenty of warning, but the usual “safe place” is not safe anymore. If an F-5 hits a home then the best thing to do is put your head between your legs. And kiss your ass goodby!
Thanks for the reply.Having lived for many years in earthquake country, I can somewhat relate.
A lot of HOAs won't allow them.
In tornado country that is monumental stupidity. The HOA might regulate appearance of visible ones, but totally non-visible?
Having served on the Board of an HOA, I can testify first hand on the ignorance and stupidity of most, but this defies belief.
“but tornadoes are the one force of nature that really scare me.”
Me too.The suddenness and intensity horrifies me.
They make reinforced steel above ground shelters that can be built into your home and bolt onto a cement slab:
“They make reinforced steel above ground shelters that can be built into your home and bolt onto a cement slab”
Heck yea!! That’s the ticket there!
Did you hear about the folks at the Full Moon BBQ on Mcfarland in Tuscaloosa? They were eating a late lunch, or early dinner and having a few beers when they saw this thing coming straight at them. About 15 customers and staff ran to the cooler. The structure was flattened, I mean gone, and the cooler saved them.
I’d go for an underground shelter + jack and blocks. Anything above ground is much more susceptible to impact damage and would have stuff piling up against it more than a ground door. Think what would happen if a semi came flying into that above ground shelter at 200+ mph.
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