5/5/2003: Tornado damage

Undertoad · 05-05-2003, 02:26 PM

Wish we had a bigger version of this --

What can an F5 tornado do to your house? Even a nice suburban cul-de-sac house is no match for it. As I look at this it occurs to me that all the advice about where to go in your house would have meant nothing.

Mrs UT and I took the 30 seconds needed to figure out where in the house we'd go in a tornado situation, but without a basement, there really is no safe room, is there?

To me it looks like the square concrete on the front of each house is the foundation for a garage that no longer exists. And then there's the SUV in the back yard...

juju · 05-05-2003, 03:04 PM

It's preferable to be as low as possible, of course. But failing that, you should find an area with no windows, like maybe a hallway or a closet.

Personally, I like the people who try to outrun tornados with their car. Somehow, it just doesn't work for them..

doc · 05-05-2003, 03:29 PM

But, they did it in Twister :-^)

lawman · 05-05-2003, 03:30 PM

yup - had people tried to have hidden somewhere 'safe' on the main floor they would have bit it.

if there had been a basement however, the floor joists are usually bolted to the foundation and as long as any basement windows didn't blow in, it would be tough to pull the floor away.

what happened to every backyard having a coldwar bunker in it??

xoxoxoBruce · 05-05-2003, 03:57 PM

It looks like there's still "stuff" on the first floor. Since the tornado pulls most of the house up and away rather than collapsing it, you might survive flat on the floor away from flying debris. I say might because I've seen plenty of pictures of bare slabs in the aftermath. I have read if you lay flat under your car (if it's high enough), you probably won't get picked up even if the car is.

russotto · 05-05-2003, 04:02 PM

F5? Is this from the recent storms? I thought they were "only" F3.

Undertoad · 05-05-2003, 05:32 PM

That may be as I was going by an early report.

xoxoxoBruce · 05-05-2003, 06:47 PM

Read Elspode's post in current events.

Elspode · 05-05-2003, 10:52 PM

The KC area tornadoes are estimated at F2-F3, but final determination won't happen until all damage is assessed.

I don't know about the other locations around the Midwest, though. I just saw some video from Pierce City, MO, and it looks like downtown Baghdad. Unbelievable, and total, destruction. Makes what happened in my neck of the woods look almost tolerable by comparison. Pierce City is dead. Looks like it had to have been F4-F5 there.

Bitmap · 05-05-2003, 11:07 PM

You Sunk My Battle Ship!!

novice · 05-05-2003, 11:16 PM

With seat belts, sprung upholstery, air bags, side intrusion bars, rollover protection and maybe something like gaffa tape on the windows a modern suv could be the safest place. The ones in the photo don't seem too badly beaten. Then again, I don't know if I'd have the nuts to sit in my car and stare down a twister.
I've met folks who are amazed at the variety of deadly fauna in Australia then I find out they're from tornado territory. I'll take my chances with the spiders and snakes mate.

bjlhct · 05-05-2003, 11:31 PM

How well are you going to do when the tornado picks up your SUV and throws it at the ground at 30 mph sideways? And then a 100 mph rock comes through the window and hits you in the face?

I'd drive towards cover.

wolf · 05-06-2003, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by novice
I'll take my chances with the spiders and snakes mate.

You get warnings about the tornadoes coming. I don't think there's much in the way of an early alert system for redback spiders ...

wolf · 05-06-2003, 12:09 AM

Hey UT, how far are you from that development that got creamed a couple years back up near the nuke plant?

novice · 05-06-2003, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bjlhct
How well are you going to do when the tornado picks up your SUV and throws it at the ground at 30 mph sideways? And then a 100 mph rock comes through the window and hits you in the face?

I'd drive towards cover.

True, that's not a pretty picture you paint, but at least you're mobile and the chances of getting hit by flying debris would have to be amplified by cowering inside a structure that turns into debris.
WOLF, maam, most of the critters are fairly predictable as far as habitat requirements go so being a card carrying coward I follow Mr Miyagi's plan." Best defense...no be there"
'no place like home'

05-05-2003, 02:26 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	5/5/2003: Tornado damage Wish we had a bigger version of this -- What can an F5 tornado do to your house? Even a nice suburban cul-de-sac house is no match for it. As I look at this it occurs to me that all the advice about where to go in your house would have meant nothing. Mrs UT and I took the 30 seconds needed to figure out where in the house we'd go in a tornado situation, but without a basement, there really is no safe room, is there? To me it looks like the square concrete on the front of each house is the foundation for a garage that no longer exists. And then there's the SUV in the back yard...

05-05-2003, 03:29 PM	#3
doc Caste-Away Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 48	But, they did it in Twister :-^) __________________ --- \|> /\ \/ @

05-05-2003, 03:30 PM	#4
lawman unerringly questioning Join Date: May 2002 Location: Whitehorse, Yukon Posts: 100	no basement yup - had people tried to have hidden somewhere 'safe' on the main floor they would have bit it. if there had been a basement however, the floor joists are usually bolted to the foundation and as long as any basement windows didn't blow in, it would be tough to pull the floor away. what happened to every backyard having a coldwar bunker in it??

05-05-2003, 03:57 PM	#5
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	It looks like there's still "stuff" on the first floor. Since the tornado pulls most of the house up and away rather than collapsing it, you might survive flat on the floor away from flying debris. I say might because I've seen plenty of pictures of bare slabs in the aftermath. I have read if you lay flat under your car (if it's high enough), you probably won't get picked up even if the car is. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

05-05-2003, 06:47 PM	#8
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Read Elspode's post in current events. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

05-05-2003, 03:04 PM	#2
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	It's preferable to be as low as possible, of course. But failing that, you should find an area with no windows, like maybe a hallway or a closet. Personally, I like the people who try to outrun tornados with their car. Somehow, it just doesn't work for them..

05-05-2003, 04:02 PM	#6
russotto Professor Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,788	F5? Is this from the recent storms? I thought they were "only" F3.

05-05-2003, 05:32 PM	#7
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	That may be as I was going by an early report.

05-05-2003, 10:52 PM	#9
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	The KC area tornadoes are estimated at F2-F3, but final determination won't happen until all damage is assessed. I don't know about the other locations around the Midwest, though. I just saw some video from Pierce City, MO, and it looks like downtown Baghdad. Unbelievable, and total, destruction. Makes what happened in my neck of the woods look almost tolerable by comparison. Pierce City is dead. Looks like it had to have been F4-F5 there. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

05-05-2003, 11:07 PM	#10
Bitmap Look who thinks he's clever Dan. Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Washington DC Metro Area. Fairfax city Posts: 226	You Sunk My Battle Ship!!

05-05-2003, 11:16 PM	#11
novice Ignorance is bliss and I'm orgasmic Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: perth, australia Posts: 296	With seat belts, sprung upholstery, air bags, side intrusion bars, rollover protection and maybe something like gaffa tape on the windows a modern suv could be the safest place. The ones in the photo don't seem too badly beaten. Then again, I don't know if I'd have the nuts to sit in my car and stare down a twister. I've met folks who are amazed at the variety of deadly fauna in Australia then I find out they're from tornado territory. I'll take my chances with the spiders and snakes mate.

05-05-2003, 11:31 PM	#12
bjlhct Theremin Master Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 73	SUVs not safe at all. How well are you going to do when the tornado picks up your SUV and throws it at the ground at 30 mph sideways? And then a 100 mph rock comes through the window and hits you in the face? I'd drive towards cover.

05-06-2003, 12:09 AM	#14
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Hey UT, how far are you from that development that got creamed a couple years back up near the nuke plant? __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

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