Tornado!

[Crankin]

A tornado just hit Springfield, MA, with damage.
It looks like the worst of it will pass south of here, but there are significant thunderstorm/violent weather warnings.
Hope no one is riding home.

http://www.weather.com/weather/alert...=KBOX&etn=0411

[PamNY]

Yikes! Good luck to everyone in the area. We have a tornado watch, but so far nothing.

[Blueberry]

Egads! Hope you're all safe!!! MA doesn't get tornadoes much, does it?

[DebW]

I just got home from my 1.5 mile bike commute. One rumble of thunder while I was riding (10+ seconds between the lightning and thunder, so I was safe) and now more frequent rumbles.

[Tri Girl]

wow! normal for us, I'm thinking NOT so normal for you guys! Be safe out there!!!!

[Crankin]

There was a pretty bad one in Great Barrington (Berkshires) about 10-12 years ago.
OK, just saw the NWS warning Emergency Broadcast System come on TV for the first time ever, with a tornado warning. So far, Middlesex County is in the warning area but it still looks like it will go south... heading toward Worcester now and is still a funnel cloud on the ground. There are two storms with tornadoes heading east, strengthening.
It's very dark out. DH just got a warning from his office in Natick (he's at home, thankfully), to not leave the building and get to the bottom floor.
Going to put my patio umbrella down and bring the hanging plants in. The one to the north looks like it could come close...

[ny biker]

If you don't have a basement, you want to be in a low-level room/hall/closet with no windows.

If the sky turns kinda green, look out.

[sundial]

If you don't have a basement, you want to be in a low-level room/hall/closet with no windows.

If the sky turns kinda green, look out.

Amen to that! If it suddenly gets quiet, ie no birds singing, LOOK OUT! These storms are developing in a blink of an eye and you do NOT want to gamble with your safety. The poor people in Joplin had no advance warning and the sirens sounded just as the mile wide tornado touched down. For some, they couldn't even hear the siren because of the driving rain.

Please people, have a safety kit ready to go and keep it handy, whether it's in your car or home. Create a survival backpack or purchase one that is available online that includes rations, a first aid kit, flashlight, NOAA radio, space blanket, Swiss Army knife, tools, shovel, gloves, boots, etc.

I realize that I may be preaching to the choir but for the lurkers here, it may just save someone's life someday.

[Jolt]

If you don't have a basement, you want to be in a low-level room/hall/closet with no windows.

Very true...I just realized with all the talk about tornado watches today (we haven't even had any thunderstorms here yet) I have no safe place to go in my apartment if a tornado hits--I am on the second and third floors and every room has two or more windows. Hopefully we never get hit here...

[Crankin]

Oy, there's a new (and big) storm headed directly toward us now. In about 45 minutes. Looks like it has good possibility of some damaging winds at the least, and maybe tornadic activity.
Jolt, I think this one may be north of you. It's going right along Rt. 2.

[Jolt]

Jolt, I think this one may be north of you. It's going right along Rt. 2.

I'm not in Worcester anymore (made the big move to Maine this weekend!). Hopefully you don't get hit too badly with this one...

[Crankin]

No tornado, but some very bad thunder and lightning.
Hope your new apt./job/city are great.

[SheFly]

We took the kittens and high-tailed it to the basement when the hail started here. Crankin - looks like it was worse where you were!

The news is reporting 4 deaths so far. For those of you in regular tornado areas, I realize this isn't a big deal, but this doesn't happen here. I have NEVER created an emergency pack and gone to the basement for shelter. Very scary.

Hope anyone out in Western MA is safe and sound.

Ridebikeme - what's the news up there? I heard touchdowns in Gorham and Jefferson. You ok?

SheFly

[ny biker]

We actually do get tornados in the DC metro area, though fortunately not as many or as severe as in other areas. I have no basement -- I'm in a second floor condo. My choices are: (a) the walk-in closet in my bedroom or (2) leave my condo, go into the main hallway, all the way downstairs to the basement level. There is a door down there that leads into my neighbors' basement. So I could either knock and hope they hear me and let me in, or just crouch under the stairs.

[NbyNW]

Yikes! I hope everyone out that way stays safe.