In the wake of 20 tornado deaths in Florida, the folks at my favorite weather blog -- the ABC 33/40 Weather Blog -- have issued another rant on the importance of weather radios.
I second that emotion.
Unfortunately, the "let the government take care of you" mentality has overridden common sense for a few people to the point that they'd rather get swept away like Dorothy than plunk down $20 for a basic weather radio. Scroll down to the first comment on that post and you'll see what I mean.
Granted, I'm a weather geek. I've gone through storm spotter training. I want my own wireless home weather station. But geekitude is not required for basic human survival.
Sometimes, people do all the right things and still get killed by tornadoes. In 1998, an F5 -- the most powerful type of tornado -- hit west of here and killed more than 30 people. A few were simply at ground zero and could have survived only if they'd had a basement or storm shelter. They did everything right and got into the most protected area of their homes, but the storm was too powerful.
But when I read about people in trailer parks getting killed, I want to scream. No one should EVER be in a mobile home during a tornado warning. NEVER EVER EVER. Drive to a gas station and hunker down in their bathroom. Go to a neighbor's house. Heck, crawling into a ditch is preferable to remaining in your own flying coffin.
Sad.
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2 comments:
I'll never understand why people insist on the government (which is responsible for models of courtesy, sensitivity and efficiency like the IRS) taking care of them rather than taking matters into their own hands to protect themselves and their loved ones.
At Amy's urging I snagged a SAME-compatible weather radio months ago, and have enjoyed that sense of safety ever since.
-Rich
Agreed. As the tornado sucks them into it's unforgiving vortex, the air thick with neon budweiser signs and Aunt Bertha clutching her Elvis painting like a holy relic, their last thoughts might be "Hey, maybe they were serious about the warning."
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