Dear Travelers:

Perhaps I should have prefaced my previous question, around the fact that I've been storm chasing through the Plains States for 8 years now and have gained a great deal of first hand knowledge, relating to severe weather and tornados.

I'm interested in writing an info book that would answer peoples questions, severe weather or, how to find out if tornadic weather is forecast for their area, that day.

Some sample questions might be:

1. "What do clouds that produce tornados, look like?"

2. "What should I do if a tornado watch box has been issued for my area"?

3. "What should I do, if I find myself driving in baseball size hail"?

4. "What does tornadic weather feel like"?


Please help me by adding, your questions to this list. It will be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Ron T.

Suggest some questions that would give right answers to right/wrong ideas, e.g., is it true that I can survive a tornado if I hang on tight to a flagpole? Is is true that you should open the windows of your house if you think a tornado is coming? Is it true that tornadoes never hit big cities? Is it true that tornadoes won't go where there are high hills or mountains? etc.

Another question-Where should you go if you encounter a tornado while driving. Al lot of people are under the mistaken assumption that an overpass offers protection. And what if the ditches are filled with water as they some times are?

Ron - In helping people protect themselves from a tornado, perhaps the first piece of knowldege to pass along is how a tornado is many, many times spawned along the leading edge of a cold front. If people understood that, they would know days ahead, and then it would very easy to watch out for potentially dangerous conditions much of the time. Ciao.

After going thru the F5 tornado in Oklahoma City last year, I can tell you what they found out. If you see dark clouds in the distance while driving, turn on your car radio and find weather reports. Do not take shelter under an overpass. Several people were sucked out due to the vacuum the tornado produces and it took nearly a week to find their bodies - instead find a ditch or low compression area in the earth and lay flat. Do not open your home's windows during a tornado. They find it does no good and some people were cut by flying glass trying to get the windows open. Best place to get in your home is an inside room, bath or closet, and cover yourself with blankets, don bike helmets, or anything else you can find.

1. Very dark
2. Look out the window or head to your basement (we wait for the sirens)
3. I've never seen it any bigger than golf balls but would think you might not live to tell about it (kiddin?)
4. It feels like any other severe storm other than you get a sixth sense kind of feeling that it's a little different than your typical storm