Comments on: A Preventable Tragedy http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=777 All about Alabama weather Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:20:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Ross http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=777&cpage=1#comment-7966 Ross Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:54:50 +0000 http://www.jamesspann.com/wordpress/?p=777#comment-7966 Last April in Central TN, we had EIGHT tornado touchdowns within a matter of a few hours! ONE approached immediately behind the college across the street from where my wife was at work! INTELLIGENT leadership can have the info on hand, instruct people what to do, but it is kinda like the horse! You can lead him to water, but you cannot make him drink. The manager at the store where my wife works "herded everyone" -- customers, employees, adults & children alike -- into a dairy cooler. WHY? It had an 8" thick insulated ceiling 'in case the roof collapses!' The roof at the grocer did not collaps -- altho the car dealership NEXT DOOR was 75% destroyed, and declared a total loss. Traffic signals in the county on the US Route were inoperable -- no electric! The lines were down within 6-8 feet of the sidwalks. The Dean of the college moved ALL office employees (as well as students) into hallways where they'd be protected by cement block walls. His office and that of his secretary were completely destroyed. Number of injuries? 3 maintenance workers, trying to herd all the students into SAFE areas! My son's comments were: "I know the Army said they will protect us from all risks of injury possible, but sending me 14 time zones away to avoid a tornado is a bit much!" Yer Hillbilly friend in TN... Ross PROUD father of an American Soldier Last April in Central TN, we had EIGHT tornado touchdowns within a matter of a few hours! ONE approached immediately behind the college across the street from where my wife was at work!
INTELLIGENT leadership can have the info on hand, instruct people what to do, but it is kinda like the horse! You can lead him to water, but you cannot make him drink.
The manager at the store where my wife works “herded everyone” — customers, employees, adults & children alike — into a dairy cooler. WHY? It had an 8″ thick insulated ceiling ‘in case the roof collapses!’ The roof at the grocer did not collaps — altho the car dealership NEXT DOOR was 75% destroyed, and declared a total loss. Traffic signals in the county on the US Route were inoperable — no electric! The lines were down within 6-8 feet of the sidwalks.
The Dean of the college moved ALL office employees (as well as students) into hallways where they’d be protected by cement block walls. His office and that of his secretary were completely destroyed. Number of injuries? 3 maintenance workers, trying to herd all the students into SAFE areas!
My son’s comments were: “I know the Army said they will protect us from all risks of injury possible, but sending me 14 time zones away to avoid a tornado is a bit much!”
Yer Hillbilly friend in TN…
Ross
PROUD father of an American Soldier

]]> By: kevin darveaux http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=777&cpage=1#comment-6856 kevin darveaux Sun, 11 Feb 2007 01:12:22 +0000 http://www.jamesspann.com/wordpress/?p=777#comment-6856 Seems sirens should be on the schedule for all counties in FL., the severe weather state of all! K. Darveaux Seems sirens should be on the schedule for all counties in FL., the severe weather state of all! K. Darveaux

]]> By: Cecil High http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=777&cpage=1#comment-6186 Cecil High Mon, 05 Feb 2007 14:47:45 +0000 http://www.jamesspann.com/wordpress/?p=777#comment-6186 I questioned someone ( a close friend) that is a major player in providing warning sirens all over the east coast and this is what he said "Florida can use sirens but the EMA directors in Florida tell me Florida does not have tornados. I guess the weather service was wrong. The storm that tore through Florida was not a tornado, The other comment these directors tell me is they see no use in warning these people because they have no where to go. To them, dying in your sleep is better than scaring these people." I questioned someone ( a close friend) that is a major player in providing warning sirens all over the east coast and this is what he said
“Florida can use sirens but the EMA directors in Florida tell me Florida does not have tornados. I guess the weather service was wrong. The storm that tore through Florida was not a tornado, The other comment these directors tell me is they see no use in warning these people because they have no where to go. To them, dying in your sleep is better than scaring these people.”

]]> By: Greg Moore http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=777&cpage=1#comment-6181 Greg Moore Mon, 05 Feb 2007 07:16:33 +0000 http://www.jamesspann.com/wordpress/?p=777#comment-6181 When are we going to convince people that it is EACH INDIVIDUAL'S responsibility to manage their own affairs? If you live in AL and are too ignorant to go out and get a weather radio to protect yourself, then you run the risk of being the next nominee for a Darwin Award. It is not the media's responsibility to keep you informed, it is not the city's responsibility to build you a siren. The NWS has taken on the responsibility of informing of weather conditions in return for tax dollars. The weather radio is the primary avenue of delivery of that information. It is not the only avenue to recieve it however. For the gentleman above in a fringe area, use the internet. You can get software to do exactly the same thing as a radio. If the internet goes down, use one of the alert services such as ABC 33-40's instant pages to your cell phone or beeper in the event of warnings. The information is there and available, you just have to want it. It is not someone else's responsibility to force it upon you. When are we going to convince people that it is EACH INDIVIDUAL’S responsibility to manage their own affairs? If you live in AL and are too ignorant to go out and get a weather radio to protect yourself, then you run the risk of being the next nominee for a Darwin Award. It is not the media’s responsibility to keep you informed, it is not the city’s responsibility to build you a siren. The NWS has taken on the responsibility of informing of weather conditions in return for tax dollars. The weather radio is the primary avenue of delivery of that information. It is not the only avenue to recieve it however. For the gentleman above in a fringe area, use the internet. You can get software to do exactly the same thing as a radio. If the internet goes down, use one of the alert services such as ABC 33-40′s instant pages to your cell phone or beeper in the event of warnings. The information is there and available, you just have to want it. It is not someone else’s responsibility to force it upon you.

]]> By: mcgatha4 http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=777&cpage=1#comment-6166 mcgatha4 Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:28:15 +0000 http://www.jamesspann.com/wordpress/?p=777#comment-6166 oh, and by the way....that watch had been out since thursday afternoon. oh, and by the way….that watch had been out since thursday afternoon.

]]> By: Josh R. http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=777&cpage=1#comment-6150 Josh R. Sun, 04 Feb 2007 00:27:42 +0000 http://www.jamesspann.com/wordpress/?p=777#comment-6150 Truly a sad situation. I did some work down in Wildwood right after Hurricane Floyd while Tropical Storm Harvey came ashore. We drove from Selma NC, all the way to Wildwood just to ride the storm out. Got a friend down in Nobleton, and still havent heard from her. I've been there and had to work while people was wondering where their house is at, and it isnt a good thing to have to watch. I really feel for those down there. Everybody be sure to say a prayer tonight, they sure enough need it. Truly a sad situation. I did some work down in Wildwood right after Hurricane Floyd while Tropical Storm Harvey came ashore. We drove from Selma NC, all the way to Wildwood just to ride the storm out. Got a friend down in Nobleton, and still havent heard from her. I’ve been there and had to work while people was wondering where their house is at, and it isnt a good thing to have to watch. I really feel for those down there. Everybody be sure to say a prayer tonight, they sure enough need it.

]]> By: Craig http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=777&cpage=1#comment-6144 Craig Sat, 03 Feb 2007 23:30:48 +0000 http://www.jamesspann.com/wordpress/?p=777#comment-6144 Leigh, A tornado can touch down during any season in AL. That said, the primary season is really March-May, but in recent years we've had a lot of tornadoes in the November-January time frame. Hopefully this will be a quiet year for tornadoes. Not sure what the current EL Nino deal is and what the outlook might be, but hopefully AL won't have a major outbreak... AL is long overdue! Hope this helps Leigh,

A tornado can touch down during any season in AL. That said, the primary season is really March-May, but in recent years we’ve had a lot of tornadoes in the November-January time frame. Hopefully this will be a quiet year for tornadoes. Not sure what the current EL Nino deal is and what the outlook might be, but hopefully AL won’t have a major outbreak… AL is long overdue! Hope this helps

]]> By: Chuck Biddinger http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=777&cpage=1#comment-6141 Chuck Biddinger Sat, 03 Feb 2007 23:00:16 +0000 http://www.jamesspann.com/wordpress/?p=777#comment-6141 If you don't have a Radio Shack, Circuit City, etc. near you,click the link below. There are at least 6 with "SAME" at the link below. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_e/002-1566007-1499250?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=weather+alert+radio&Go.x=12&Go.y=11 Unless you want to be woke up with a warning in a county a 100 miles away, make sure the radio says "SAME". Click below for a link to the NWS about how SAME works: http://www.weather.gov/nwr/nwrsame.htm If you don’t have a Radio Shack, Circuit City, etc. near you,click the link below.

There are at least 6 with “SAME” at the link below.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_e/002-1566007-1499250?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=weather+alert+radio&Go.x=12&Go.y=11

Unless you want to be woke up with a warning in a county a 100 miles away, make sure the radio says “SAME”.

Click below for a link to the NWS about how SAME works:

http://www.weather.gov/nwr/nwrsame.htm

]]> By: Leigh http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=777&cpage=1#comment-6140 Leigh Sat, 03 Feb 2007 22:56:36 +0000 http://www.jamesspann.com/wordpress/?p=777#comment-6140 Thanks everyone! P.S. When does the severe weather season really get going in central Alabama? Thanks everyone!

P.S. When does the severe weather season really get going in central Alabama?

]]> By: James Steve http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=777&cpage=1#comment-6138 James Steve Sat, 03 Feb 2007 22:46:50 +0000 http://www.jamesspann.com/wordpress/?p=777#comment-6138 Wal-Mart has two or three different brands reasonably priced with SAME. They are usually with the alarm clocks oddly enough. Wal-Mart has two or three different brands reasonably priced with SAME. They are usually with the alarm clocks oddly enough.

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