Tornados (Columbia: mobile home, neighborhood, tornado)

[tjcletzgo]

Where does everyone go if there is a tornado watch, are there public shelters in Nashville?

[N.Cal]

Avoid windows. Go to the lowest floor, small center room (like a bathroom or closet), undet a staircase. One of the worst places to be is in a car. When they are saying there’s a warning and take cover then you really don’t have a lot of time, which is why you should be ready when they call the watch.

[nashvols]

You don't need to go to your shelter if there is just a tornado watch. A watch simply means that conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form. A warning means that a tornado has been spotted either via radar, by visual, or both. That is when it is time to take action (like what N.Cal listed above).

Buy a weather radio. It doesn't need to be fancy. You can get them for <$30 at places like Walmart. In the event that there is a power outage, a weather radio with a battery backup will alert you of any watches or warnings in your county.

Local television basically treats severe weather like the Olympics, so if there is any real threat, you can bet they will have excessive coverage. What is nice about the local news, though, is that they can really pinpoint the danger areas and the predicted storm tracks. This is useful when you are trying to go about your daily life...you don't need to shelter for hours if the dangerous part of the storm is 20-30 miles away on the other side of the county.

If you are not a TV person, then I would suggest getting a weather app for your phone (one of a local news station, especially). And then there are some limited resources on Twitter and YouTube like NashvilleSevereWx.

If you are in a car, and you know there is severe weather in the area, turn on a local radio station. The EAS (Emergency Alert System) will usually go off if there are any warnings in the listening area. Some stations (I think 102.9 still does this) will actually switch their radio broadcast to a local tv weather so you can at least hear the meteorologist talk about the weather. If you are in a car, and you are in immediate danger, don't park under a bridge -- it's a bad place to seek shelter. Find a substantial building you can get in...hopefully one without tons of glass.


In sum:

-Buy a weather radio

-If there is a tornado watch, turn on the local news or find some way to track the storms and (hopefully) have some commentary with somebody explaining what is happening with the weather.

-If there is a tornado warning, seek shelter ASAP.

[tjcletzgo]

Thank you!!

[GWoodle]

Originally Posted by tjcletzgo

Where does everyone go if there is a tornado watch, are there public shelters in Nashville?

Temporary shelters may be in gas stations, other stores. Get away from windows. The store may guide you into back areas to shelter with employees.

For more permanent shelters, consult with the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Nashville Rescue Mission.

Mostly people shelter in their dwelling. Find a lower floor interior area away from windows. A bathroom or laundry room may work. When the storm has passed, you need to have a way to get out.

You need a radio to be aware of watches & warnings, learning what conditions to watch for. TV/radio warnings can be as specific as your street. A tornado cloud is something you never forget. Lately the Nashville government has called my landline phone to be aware of flash floods & other warnings.

[CountryGirl2b=]

Ditto the suggestion to follow @NashvilleSevereWX on Twitter. Community supported. Great group of people whose passion is the weather. They will tweet all through a storm, do hourly updates, more if needed, and go live on YouTube. They only cover Williamson and Davidson Counties so they are very focused, which the local TV stations are not, covering a much larger area. Plus, if cable or power goes out, you can still get Twitter on your phone. Also, lots of people who follow them share what is going on in their own neighborhood - Westhaven, Grassland - which I find comforting. Really, they were so helpful with yesterday’s storm. Tremendous local resource.

[septimus]

@NashvilleSevereWx is the best source for all things Nashville weather.

In some areas they do have shelters. The city of Columbia posted shelters yesterday for folks living in mobile homes. If you aren't in a mobile home, just go to the most inside room on the lowest floor and wear a bike helmet and real shoes (not flip flops).

[tjcletzgo]

Thank you for the information

[PNWx23]

I'm exhausted after watching several days of storms this week. I'm not sure I could live like this!

[N.Cal]

Originally Posted by PNWx23

I'm exhausted after watching several days of storms this week. I'm not sure I could live like this!

And today is just getting started. They say tonight will be worse.