Tornado advice

[TheRosySeven]

I know this is really random but just looking for some advice :)

 

We just moved from San Diego to TN about three months ago. The weather is A LOT different here to say the least. We've had two tornado warnings since we got here which freaked me out a little in the beginning. I had no idea that TN got tornados!

 

Anyway, my son didn't know either and he is really upset constantly about them. He fears a tornado ripping our roof off in the middle of the night without us knowing. He's so worried that every time there is wind or rain we won't sleep. Not a wink.

 

For people who have had a similar moving experience or for people who have grown up in areas that get tornados, how do you handle the situation when there is a warning in affect? We've done drills and have our safe spot prepped but how do you keep the kids to stay calm?

 

Also, do you have a weather radio or a weather app that is reliable?

[SadieMarie]

We call it a basement party.  We have treats and tell stories and try to make it fun.  And it is not easy.  We have a gross basement lol.  We have flashlights and a crank radio.  

[Kjsotr]

You should be able to buy a NOAA weather radio and set it to your county. That should wake you up if it is in the middle of the night. Do you have storm sirens where you are? Make sure everyone knows the difference between a watch and a warning.

I have the weather channel app. When. Y son was worried, I showed him the path the storm was taking and that we weren't in danger. The good news is that there is usually a little warning with a tornado!

[Jennifer in MI]

Do you have a basement?  If so, no worries!!!  Just have a plan and let the kids know.  Make sure you get the warnings and explain to the kids that you have plenty of time to get to safety.

 

If not, make a safe place.  My sister is in GA (1 mile south of the TN border).  They don't have a basement and had a tornado rip through their neighborhood a couple years ago.  Everyone was fine, but 2/3 of their neighbor's houses were gone.  They had a plan - have a closet to retreat to, have some "fun" stuff to do - you might be there a while (they have a dvd player), have bike helmets for everyone to wear, have an extra mattress to put over you - just in case, have snacks in there so if you are waiting you have something to eat and drink.  I think that's it.  

 

 

[hmvaughan4]

DH is a storm spotter, so he keeps up with the weather.
We don't have a basement, so we sit in our bathroom. I fill the tub with blankets, the boys bring their pillows, and we watch movies and eat popcorn. The boys love it.

[Mama Geek]

When I was young we moved from WV to SC and shortly thereafter had tornados touch down in our town.  Mom and dad stayed up until after it calmed down a I think we had neighbor kids that were home by themselves that came over as well.  They were pretty concerned but they tried to stay calm around us which helped us to be more calm.  I have not lived where they have the big bad tornados, but still have had a few close calls.  Be calm, make sure you know what to do and pay attention to the news.  Play some games or have a movie night, do something fun.

[Susan in TN]

I think practicing is the best way. The siren is a block from our house, and it goes off several times a year. The more sirens they have to respond to (and live through), the easier it will become. FWIW, a tornado went through our yard (only 1/3 acre) and not a shingle was misplaced on our roof. Granted, it was a weak tornado, but it might help to know that not all of them are giant house crushers despite the scary wind and rain.

We have a hand crank radio, a lantern, and a bag of candy in our safe place. A snugly blanket and pillow will also help. I also have them listen to and identify sounds - wind blowing branches, rain against windows, dogs barking, cars driving by, etc...anything to help them stay in reality and avoid being overcome by the scary stuff that is going on in their imaginations.

[Pawz4me]

Also, do you have a weather radio or a weather app that is reliable?

 

I have the NOAA radio app on my iPhone and it works great.

[TheRosySeven]

Thank you thank you! Such great ideas! As of right now, our safe place is the closet under the stairwell. We have shoes, flashlights, jackets, a hammer (my husband put it in there lol), and a multi-tool (can you tell we're new at this?) in there. Oh and water. 

 

We're in escrow for a house though in Columbia and have a basement thankfully. It's walled in by a cinderblock wall which I'm hoping will add more protection. We've tried showing my son the numbers and statistics, comforting him but I think as of now it's going to be experience that gets him through. I'm hoping after a few more warnings or something he will see that it's not all f4s and f5s ripping through towns and killing 100s of people. Fear is so irrational.

 

[zoobie]

I have the NOAA radio app on my iPhone and it works great.

We use this too.

Tell him the forecasting is very, very good now. A warning means there's been one spotted *somewhere* but they can now track its progress street by street! Tornadoes in TN and GA (where I am) tend to be small F1s. I've lived here my whole life and seen 1 tornado on the ground. Last year was the first time we ever had damage from a tornado-like storm, and it was just toppled trees. I don't know anyone IRL who has had tornado damage more than a shingle damage, tossed lawn furniture, or downed trees.

After the storm last year, my DS was very anxious. With him, if we go overboard with explanations, it seems to feed his fears. He does best with less information, and we had to cut him off from looking at the weather radar. Any red on the screen freaked him out. We told him that we (DH and I) are responsible for watching the weather and keeping him safe, and we take that responsibility very seriously. His job is to listen to us when we tell him it's time to grab a cat and head to the basement.

[blondeviolin]

Get some toys or some lego sets that he can only use in that space. We always have the TV on when we are expecting severe weather. The kids either watch and becomes informed and aware or get tired of it and trust Mom and Dad will keep them safe. Here in OK, the saying is "be prepared, not scared."

In our go bag, we have snacks, crayons and coloring pages, first aid, water, chargers, batteries, crank lights, toothbrushes and paste, and a county map. The map is helpful when they track it via county or city.

Show your son how the storms work, how the tracking work, let him pour over the map and obsess. Once he's more aware, he'll probably be more comfortable with it all.

[Jennifer132]

We moved from southern CA to OK. So it was quite a shock for us. This was two years ago.

Do you have tornado sirens that you can hear at your house? If you do, you'll at least usually know ahead of time. Make a habit of checking the weather every day during tornado season. If there are thunderstorms/hail check the weather multiple times a day. The pro is they usually only happen in a certain season, so you can relax about the weather for most of the year.

Did you realize that they can actually pinpoint tornado movement down to the city block and predict where it will touchdown sometimes? I find that to be very comforting. Help your son realize that the weather men can tell exactly where it will be and will let you know by county when to take shelter.

We do have a weather radio, but we rely more on the 4warnme app. I do not know if that is a local thing or for everywhere though.

You may or may not have thought of this, but if you don't have a shelter, at least have your kids wear a bike helmet. Most injuries are from being hit with debris. We recently got a shelter, and it does alleviate a lot of anxiety because you know you have a safe place to run to.

We did have one time where a tornado formed and touched down about half a mile from us and they didn't even have time to sound the alarm, it formed so fast. We were asleep in bed, so I'd say his fears aren't totally unwarranted, but for the most part, you will have some warning. Tornadoes can be scary and very deadly. It's good to alleviate his anxiety, but he is right to have a healthy fear of them. My husband's aunt lost her house to a tornado in May. Her dog was home and was days later found alive in the rubble. If you are a Christian, remind your son God is in control. He is our refuge. :)

We also had a friend who was with her four kids in a school, huddling in the bathroom when a tornado hit the school head on. The school was destroyed, but my friend and her kids and those who were in the bathroom where all fine--without a scratch!

Eta: as far as handling the situation, try to stay calm yourself when the alarm goes off, and immediately check the weather on tv or your app or whatever. Ask the kids to sit quietly while you do that so you can get a handle on the information as quickly as possible. Have them gather their stuffies or lovies or whatever they want to take with them in the safe closet. They can even go sit in there if you want. Many times the warning alarm will go off well before the tornado is near, and many times you will hear it and the tornado is not heading your way, and there is no cause to worry. So make sure your kids know, the warning is just a signal to please check the weather now, and not a signal that the tornado will definitely hit your neighborhood. We've had many warnings, and only one time where we had cause to be really concerned because we had no storm shelter and we knew it was heading directly for our neighborhood. We ended up fleeing in the car. So glad we have a shelter now!

[KungFuPanda]

If you get your son a cot and just let him sleep in the safe place whenever there are high winds or warnings, he might be happier. I'd MUCH rather just sleep in the basement than watch and worry when the weather gets iffy. I'm in Maryland, and tornadoes are rare enought that it's weird and scary when they happen. We find that getting 'trapped' in the basement isn't so tough when you have wifi.

[Stacia]

Lots of great advice so far.

 

Also be sure you know what to do if you're out driving & a tornado is around. (The advice used to be -- & I'm assuming still is -- to exit your vehicle & get as low as possible to the ground [i.e., in a ditch].)

 

Mostly, the weather reporting is pretty specific re: tornadoes & their path, just be aware of the weather, keep up w/ any serious systems passing through & have a safety plan (as you've already mentioned w/ the closet). We don't have a basement either, so our go-to place is the downstairs bathroom which has only interior walls & no windows. Bike helmets (or any type of helmet) or something like a mattress is supposed to be good cover because apparently many tornado-related injuries are head injuries from things falling on you.

 

The South definitely has a tornado alley & this is the season. Ugh....

 

Best advice is to be aware, be prepared, & try to stay safe.

[JFSinIL]

We have a weather radio - those things are LOUD!  Also have blankets, water, etc. prepared in the basement - on bad weather nights is it possible to sleep downstairs or in the basement? 

 

Our street was side-swiped by a Palm Sunday tornado that ripped through Elgin in, oh, 1920.  Houses across the street were badly damaged and/or flipped or twisted on foundation.  South of us, Plainfield got badly damaged a couple decades ago.  We are on the fringes of Tornado Alley...and I've read the alley is shifting our way :-(

[trulycrabby]

I grew up in Oklahoma, now live in Alabama. You have gotten excellent advice!

We sleep in our basement on bad nights.

I don't want to minimize the damage a tornado can cause; when one hits, it can be devastating. However, the actual risk of a tornado hitting your house or mine is actually pretty small, even in a tornado-prone area. Helmets, interior room, get low on the ground. A weather radio is wonderful, however it goes off whenever there is any type of weather warning whatsoever, so I tend to just turn down a bit after the first one and then rely on phone updates, tv, radio, and my eyes and ears. Rain goes horizontal, trees start whipping around, and you hear a train coming, then get in the shelter fast, even with no siren.

I think since it is so new, your son hasn't had time to adjust yet. Once he has been through a few storms, his fear should subside a bit.

[ChristusG]

The bike helmet idea is brilliant! I've never heard of that. We're in FL so we don't get too many tornadoes....and if we do, they are usually only F1's. But I'll remember bike helmets just in case :)

[Baseball mom]

Just stay calm with him.  It may take forever but him knowing you don't lose your patience with him will go a long way.  I know it is hard.  

 

Also maybe a "go bag" for him.  A backpack with a complete change of clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, flashlight or 2 (varying sizes are good). bottle of water, granola bars, small 1st aid kit (travel size toiletries), small blanket, light sticks (they have ones that use batteries in camping section too), whistle, small dice game &/or deck of cards,   Also if he has any small electronics make sure there is a pocket or place to toss those in when storms do come up.  And yes a bike helmet or baseball helmet stored near the bag.

 

Maybe having his own personal bag of stuff will help reassure him.  I know it sounds strange but it helped my ds.  The one that went from not worrying to freaking out big time. 

[Mommyof4ks]

I have grown up in tornado prone areas, and in spring watches and warnings are frequent, but in my life I have never lived through a tornado. We have had a few twisters, baby tornados lol, and those down trees and mess up roofs, but nothing major.

Our NOAA radio stays on until storms have passed, and the kids know that we will meet in the hall if they hear the radio go off. I drag toys, a mattress (we have no place free of windows in our home, so this is for protection against glass), and the iPad in there to track the storm. My kids are used to it, and your son will get more comfortable with it over time too. It is all about what you are used too. I fear even visiting California, because there are earthquakes there, but no one I know who lives there thinks much about them on a daily basis, same with alligators in Florida lol.

Are there older homes in your area? If so, I would drive him by there and show him that houses have been there for 50, 60, 100 years, and maybe that will ease his mind knowing that houses are still standing after all these years.

[Word Nerd]

We have a weather radio and also signed up for a local station's severe weather alert texts. I know it can be scary, but the more watches and warnings you and your DS experience, the less scary they'll be. We still take warnings seriously, especially since we live less than an hour from a town nearly wiped out by an EF5 tornado several years ago. But after you go through the procedure several times, it gets easier. Be prepared and have a plan, and try not to worry. It's still very unlikely that you'll ever be in the direct path of a tornado that touches down. My dad is a trained weather spotter and has seen and reported quite a few tornadoes over the years, but he's never been in a tornado's path.

[Carrie12345]

We are not in a tornado prone area, but we do get a few alerts here and there and, very rarely, actual (small) tornadoes.

 

So far, we haven't had a power outage during any of them, so each kid gets handed an electronic device.  They bleep and bloop happily in the dry bathtub and on the bathroom floor.

Their main fear is pet safety.  I have been known to hunt down cats to trap in the bathroom with us.  I try to get them to understand that the dogs (well, now dog, singular) are pretty well protected by their crates, which are in the loft, away from windows.  But they don't trust that the cats will stay safe under beds or other hidey holes.

 

At one point, I printed out our area's tornado history for the older kids to read. In the past few decades, there's been minimal structure damage and, iirc, one death. That seemed to help.  The younger kids liken it to snowstorms and power outages, which they're used to, and understand that we take precautions, but aren't in any major danger.

 

For us, these are 1 hour events at max.  If they were longer or more dangerous events, I think I'd keep a special bag of shiney new games and toys (and light sources) specifically for that purpose.

[73349]

We also use a closet under the stairs. (We call it our storm closet.) I have a camping lantern in there, and some blankets and pillows in space bags, and a little backpack with books and toys. We do have a whistle, should we need it. If your jackets and shoes are not nearby, consider moving some extras in there: you don't want to go out barefoot after a bad storm.

 

The NOAA weather radio is in our living room, and then we have a little radio we could listen to in the storm closet.

 

A friend's neighborhood was damaged by a tornado a few years ago. No one was hurt, but some houses were totaled and others (including hers) needed significant repairs. The neighborhood was without electricity for several days to prevent fires--if you're not prepared for an extended power outage, work on that. Everybody also needed work gloves, big trash bags, etc., to clean up broken glass, siding, shingles, and other materials.

 

DS loves the storm closet. By all means, try using yours as a fort for a read-aloud or something to get him used to it. The weather radio gives precise enough information that we usually know we don't need to worry about it.

[Heather in OK]

Grew up in KS and now live in OK.  Tornado Alley born and bred.  ;)

When there is a warning we don't freak out.  We just continue about our business until things look like we need to do otherwise.  
 

We just keep the tv on (as long as the satellite will keep going thru any rain), watch the radar on our phones, and/or listen to the talk radio channel that always gives play-by-play.  

After living there a while you'll get used to where to keep an eye out for anything that might possibly come exactly your way.  For example, we are in the Tulsa area.  Anything that spins up west of Oklahoma City will very most likely be some rain by the time it comes up the turnpike to Tulsa.  If anything spins up between OKC and Tulsa and is coming our way, that's something to keep an eye on.  

 

We sit in our hallway (no interior rooms or basement) and wait it out.  If it looked like something really, really awful was coming directly at us and we had time, we'd leave the house ASAP and drive northwest or go to my inlaws (who live a bit NW of us and have three interior rooms).  

How old is your son?  Perhaps you can teach him how to look at the radar so he can see #1 it's not coming your way and #2 it's just showing a thunderstorm with no chance of a tornado.  We did that with our son last season (he's 8 now) and it helped him quite a bit.  And if it ever happens that there is a very good possibility of one coming directly towards you, remind him of the drills and the steps you will take to stay safe.  

It is normal to get a little on edge and feel the adrenaline when there is a true threat coming your way but if *you* can stay calm and remind him of what needs to be done for safety, the better he'll be at handling his fears.  

[Wilma]

I think talking through the what-ifs might be helpful, too.

Saying hey, if somehow a tornado does wreck our house, we'll be sad, but then we'd go stay with grandma and grandpa while we get things fixed up. And we pay our insurance company every year so that if our house gets wrecked, they'll help us fix it back up. So we'll stay here in our safest place, and probably everything will be a-okay.

[Jerico]

Noaa radio.
Tv in the basement for movies :)

[Erin]

An F4 nailed my hometown (population 5000, for size) in October.  I found out via Facebook.  lol

A high school friend had posted "I hope everyone made it to their basements and is OK!!"  

 

In Nebraska, there's only one reason people run to the basement, so I called my folks in a panic.  

They had just come back upstairs and Dad told me that yeah, they blew the siren, but he wasn't entirely sure why.  Before they went down, it looked like there might have been something south of town, though, so the city had probably just played it safe.  He said they could hear some rumbling when they were downstairs, but it was probably just thunder....

 

They called me about 15 minutes later, after heading out with the rest of the looky-lous, and said that holy cow!  it took out the industrial district on the east end of town!  

 

 

 I have lived in Tornado Alley my entire life and yet in 40 years, I have actually seen a funnel (always in the distance) exactly three times.  My point is, statistics are very much on your side.  

Even a direct hit from a fairly serious tornado had absolutely no deaths, and only one serious injury (my brother's former boss was hospitalized when he got hit with a dumpster while sheltering in a ditch.)   Now, it probably would have been far worse, had it tracked through the middle of town, rather than hooking up through the industrial park.   But that's the point; take shelter when the siren blows and don't panic.  Even here in Tornado Alley, it's the rare person who has actually been directly affected by a twister...

[acsnmama]

I don't live in a tornado prone area either, however, I do have a phobia, but has improved over the years. I'm not sure the trigger, other than when I was a little girl, living in upstate NY, there were 3 twisters in surrounding areas, and I'd never seen it so pitch black in the dead of the afternoon, nor had I ever seen waves of rain like that before yo the point of not being able to see past our front door. We had no basement in the home we lived in at the time, and I was terrified. There were trees down in our area etc.

Since then, I've moved south, but it's still not a tornado prone area, but the potential still scares me. There was one time in 2008 that a small twister went through a nearby area. Again, lots of rain, hail, wind, and scary.

As much as I'm terrified of the of tornados, I'm also intrigued by them. I'll be the first to watch tornado documentaries. I'm odd I guess, but I feel knowledge helps, realizing the reality of how they form, and the chances, etc helps reduce my fears.

One thing that helped me when I was scared is my mother being so calm. She admits she was very scared (story mentioned above upstate NY)

[PrairieSong]

Tornado Alley born and bred. When the sirens go off, we go outside and look at the sky. I'm not even kidding. I'm over 50 and have seen two tornadoes in my life and I took photos both times. They were miles away and not moving my direction. I have heard many more warning sirens but did not see the tornadoes. Eventually we will head to our basement and watch the weather on TV. If the electricity goes off, we just wait it out with candles and flashlights. One good thing is that these storms usually pass quickly.

[fairfarmhand]

Tell him this..,,

 

I've lived in Tennessee for 17 years and I've never SEEN a tornado or been in one.

[Erin]

The first tornado I ever saw was actually a series of them.  There were about a half dozen that touched down over the course of the evening up on the river, about 30 miles from where we were.  I was 10.  It was utterly cool!  My brother and I sat outside in the pouring rain, watching the tornadoes dance.  

 

More recently was just a few years ago.  Trap and I had sent the kids to the basement to watch TV and we stood out on the deck watching the clouds literally boiling above us.  A trained weather spotter, the local NWS called while we were out there to get DH's description of what was on the ground.  Within minutes a funnel touched down to the east of us.  

[umsami]

True story…when I was in second grade, I was watching TV…and I heard that there was a Tornado watch in effect.  I asked my Dad what a tornado is, and he said, "Don't' worry…you'll never see one in your life."

That night I went to dinner with my Grandma.  We were standing in line at the Ponderosa (restaurant)…and the manager yelled, everybody get under the tables.  WE did…. and an F4 went through.  Entire block was gone.  I don't think there were a lot of fatalities, but major destruction.  We drove to her house in her car…all the windows were gone, and everything was covered in glass.

 

Because of this, I still freak out a little about tornados.  We don't have basements here in Florida, so we go into a walk-in closet.  Never thought of bike helmets. Great idea. :)

[JennyD]

We moved from NYC to TN nearly three years ago -- the tornado warnings were a surprise to us, too!  We have two weather radios, one upstairs and one downstairs.  The brand is Sangean, and they are really LOUD.  

 

When the warning siren goes off, we all immediately go downstairs to the basement, where we have some extra pieces of rugs, books, etc. As soon as the weather reports start even mentioning the possibility of tornadoes later on, the boys often pack their backpacks with some extra things, so those are already in the basement.  Then we just hang out and wait for the weather to pass.    

 

I agree with everyone else that while tornadoes are scary, learning more about how precise modern forecasting really is and what to do in an emergency is extremely helpful.  How old is your son?  We have a ton of books about tornadoes and other extreme weather events around here -- I can look through them if a recommendation would be helpful, and I'm sure others have suggestions as well.  

[Happy]

I'm another tornado alley cat, born and bred. Like a previous poster, we tend to run outside to see the clouds when storms stir. :coolgleamA:  When I was 12, my hometown was hit hard by a massive twister. 23 dead. I was on the fringes and I'll still never forget those winds or the radio guy yelling, Take Cover, take cover.

 

Gee, those kinds of stories really help, right? Weather reporting is so much better now.

 

When we lived on the farm in the Texas panhandle, we saw a beautiful tornado far away from us (or anyone.) I've seen a dozen funnels and a couple of actual tornadoes. I'm a weather geek who rarely goes to bed without watching a weather forecast or two...

 

A few things I'll add to the excellent advice you've gotten...

 

Watch a quite a few different TV channel's weather reports. Evaluate how they handle storm coverage. Do THEY hyper-excite....most do a little. Some do a LOT.  I know which stations I can trust and which I avoid. 

 

Also, expect power outages, but also 'cloud' outages if you have Dish or Direct. It used to drive me crazy that I still had power but no TV because the clouds were too thick. The internet helps a lot. I also love a home with underground utilities. Don't lose as much power with those.

 

And don't forget to go outside after the storm to catch a rainbow and a pretty sunset or two, if the time is right. We just had a little storm pass over us...some thunder, some rain, then a gorgeous golden light, a rainbow, and awesome clouds. Finding the beauty can be a fun thing to make it so not all storms are 'killer' ones.

 

Enjoy Tennessee...one of my dearest friends lives in Franklin...a seriously beautiful area.

 

 

 

[TheRosySeven]

Wow, I am really glad I asked this question! A lot of my own fears have been helped just because of this thread. My fear is mostly of the unknown, because I've never experienced one before. Heck, I've never experienced a "tornado warning" before being here. My question was "uhhh.... what do we do?" I at first, wanted to run for cover but thankfully our neighbor (who has been born and raised here) was over for dinner and he didn't seem too upset. In fact, he took my husband out to check and see if there was any rotation in the clouds :)

 

We're in Murfreesboro at the moment and there was a huge f5 that came through here about five years ago. Two people died but they were also outside at the time. A mama taking her baby out of the car, very sad story. But many houses were completely demolished. 

 

Anyway, my son is 8 and up to now hasn't known any other state but CA. I've told him "son, do you know how many earthquakes you've slept through?" Didn't matter. BUT, he does LOVE looking at the weather forecast and the radar app on my phone. I think it helps him to see where the storm is headed and when it's moving out. I also told him all of the great ideas I've got from this thread and he is so excited about it! I've noticed that he likes hearing the statistics and the facts. Like me, it helps ease his fears a little. I did so much research on tornados since we've been here. 

 

I would love a list of some informing weather books. I'm trying to stay away from books that completely make the storm look like the apocalypse. That's not going to help my situation. And yea, I noticed the weather stations love to sensationalize these things. It's pretty crazy!!

 

Anything that shows us now a tornado works, in what weather conditions it works and how to know when one may or may not form. Thanks ladies!!