Wichita Kansas and tornados

mlts22 wrote:
Here in Texas, we get a bit of all the above. Tornados do happen, but because of the hilly terrain on the west side, they tend to get disrupted. What is the big money-loser is hail, which can total RVs and cars, and require re-roofing which starts at five digits and goes up. High winds come in next. Then, lightning and the ensuing fires. Of course, flash floods have done major damage (old time Austinites still call Whole Foods, "Whole Floods" because of the complete wreck that was done one rainy season.)

For me, tornados are a "find a ditch" item. Most places have some sort of reinforced shelter, either a bathroom, or some Cold War-era bong/fallout shelter that can do in case of a tornado.

you forgot to mention one issue when I was looking at real estate in TX. evidently some areas are sand based and you have to drive pilings down lots of feet or your house starts to tip?
bumpy

Here in Texas, we get a bit of all the above. Tornados do happen, but because of the hilly terrain on the west side, they tend to get disrupted. What is the big money-loser is hail, which can total RVs and cars, and require re-roofing which starts at five digits and goes up. High winds come in next. Then, lightning and the ensuing fires. Of course, flash floods have done major damage (old time Austinites still call Whole Foods, "Whole Floods" because of the complete wreck that was done one rainy season.)

For me, tornados are a "find a ditch" item. Most places have some sort of reinforced shelter, either a bathroom, or some Cold War-era bong/fallout shelter that can do in case of a tornado.

As full timers when we are asked 'where are you from' We have to have an answer since in the bus does not make them happy. We say Wichita. We went to college there and worked our last 20 years there. We are now sitting just north of Wichita on our own little acre of the world. having grown up in NW OK and lived nearly all my life in Tornado alley I rather enjoy the strom season. By now you have watched some semi rough weather go throught the area, SO what do you think so far. What brings you to town this month and would you like a coffee? LeRoy

Come on people; lets put this into perspective.

Average number of deaths in Ks/ year from tornados? 2 Two!! As in one, two!!!

Average number of deaths in the US/ year from tornados? Around 60

Average number of deaths in the US/ year from falling out of bed? Around 450!

Average number of deaths in the US/ year from vending machines? Around 13!


Average number of deaths in the US/ year from ants? Around 30!


Sooooooooooo, what does all of this mean? Well, one way to look at it is you have a 15x's greater chance of getting killed by ants than getting killed by a tornado while in Ks!

OR

You have a 7x's more of a chance of getting killed by a vending machine in the trailer park you're staying at then getting killed by a tornado!

My advice. Don't worry about getting killed by tornado's or vending machines or ants. I don't.

Now heart disease? You might want to think about that.........600,000 people die from it each and every year in the US!!!

camperpaul wrote:

rkentzel wrote:

I would hide under over passes if there was any room left.

Not a good idea. Debris collects under the overpasses and it may take DAYS to find you.

You are safer lying in a roadside ditch.

.

that's what the "experts" say. I have seen lots of footage of storm chasers and storm hiders hunkering down under an overpass and they managed much better than the areas directly outside of the bridge. When I lived in a mobile home in Kansas City there were about three occasions where we packed the kids and cats into the car and parked under the nearest viaduct.
bumpy

rkentzel wrote:

I would hide under over passes if there was any room left.

Not a good idea. Debris collects under the overpasses and it may take DAYS to find you.

You are safer lying in a roadside ditch.

Don't count on your cell-phone working either. The towers might have blown down.

A few funnel clouds were spotted near Hays, KS a day or two ago.

I would almost rather take my chances with bad weather in Kansas than a hale storm in Denver they get some bad ones. I would hide under over passes if there was any room left.

We usually go outside to see if we can see it when the news breaks in with a tornado warning. Or stand at the door looking out ready to run downstairs if one comes HAHA.

We were driving thru Denver once when the weather turned dark windy, and hail. What do you do? Who knows where to hide? Next to a tree, under an overpass, or just stop and run? We didn't know what this strange weather was going to turn into. People were driving fast to get home or to a shelter and we had no idea where to go or what to do. It stopped as fast as it started. Scary situation for sure.