2012 Tornado Season (Morristown, Oakland: mobile home, neighborhood, earthquake)

[gilley]

Do you guys feel like next year will be as bad as this year? Or do you feel like that was a one time thing. I,personally, hope it was just a one time thing. I haven't been the same since 04/27/11 and will never get over that night. I still think about that night and those Tornado sirens.

[nedergras]

I'm guessing it will be a regular thing from now on, probably something to do with the Earth's axis tilting.

[FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010]

OMG I sure hope NOT !!! I guess only time will tell.... YIKES

[jimj]

I try to think of natural disasters like these as natures way of telling us "you're not as powerful as you think you are".
After living through the Loma Prieta earthquake where the SF Bay Bridge and Oakland freeway fell down I realized all you can do is prepare and what happens, happens. At least with Tornado's and such there's usually some kind of warning. Earthquakes, not so much.

[rccrain]

History tells us it will be a one time thing, although no one can know for sure.

[bkjonesborough]

Well I've got my fingers crossed for the one time thing! I understand how you feel - we live within ear shot of the sirens, and while it can be a good thing, it can also be a traumatizing thing! Every time I hear fire trucks, I have to stop and figure out if they are fire trucks or warning sirens.

One thing that has helped me though, is to think statistically at how improbable that another tornado will go right over my house. (I watched the radar on my laptop in the basement, and it went right over my area but apparently didn't touch ground for about another 10-20 miles.) Even for a tornado to come to this area again, it would also have to go over JC, and then to my neighborhood, and then right across my house. Even once is a stretch. So somebody please remind me of my rationalizing in the Spring.

[Jim37680]

I was reading the local Morristown MWS office weather discussion for several days prior to that outbreak and it was anticipated several days in advance. There was much commenting on the UNUSUAL and persistent weather pattern that brought this on. This was the same unusual weather pattern that brought all the rain and flooding in the mid-Mississippi valley.

Probably the last time this had occurred was in about 1930.

[jimj]

I still insist the best tornado defense is to set up a faux mobile home park a few miles outside city limits with phony people, junker cars and old singlewide's.
Put out bait to confuse 'em that's what I say!

[BP72]

We just moved to JC from KPT so it will be different hearing the warning sirens if it happens. We already have an emergency go bag set up. I don't think you can be full prepared for a tornado but we are trying...lol.

[bkjonesborough]

BP72, Do you live near ETSU? If you aren't near the sirens, you won't hear them. I believe they are just meant for the students on campus, but the outlying areas can hear them. I'm just about 5 blocks from there. I didn't even know we had them until the day that we had the straight line winds come through (the ones that damaged the VA so badly). We didn't know anything was brewing, and I looked outside and the trees were sideways and our windows were rattling, and we could hear the sirens in the background. After it was over, I was picking up my roof shingles in the street and the 'all clear' bells went off. But I didn't know they were all clear bells, I thought we were being invaded by aliens! If they want it to sound cheerful, they should play Spongebob Squarepants. Right now it just sounds creepy!

Jim37680, thanks for sharing. I feel better already.