Cycling in Emergency Situations

[Tri Girl]

Dd's best friend suffered a broken back and is in surgery in Birmingham (with a good prognosis) as I type this; another sorority sister's body was found today

glad to hear her best friend will be ok, but oh no about her sorority sisters. I'm so very sorry...

So do they just not have the preparedness that we have in Tornado Alley? I know they said people had an hour warning in many cases, but I'm wondering if they don't have storm shelters, sirens, places to hide. It just breaks my heart for them. At least we are ready for it, but when you're not used to it and don't know what to do....

[marni]

I have outraced a thunder storm with lightning on my bike, squeeked in under the overhang of a shell garage as the first bolt hit about 1/2 mile away behind me. This was followed by marble sized hail.

We also rode into a town and found shelter in a gas station from a major windstorm and a small tornado that went through about 5 miles from us on the cross country.

Because the storms blow up so fast in Texas, I always check the radar and then keep an eye out for storms and if the wind suddenly changes direction, temperature or intensity, I start looking for bail out points or if out in the country, a nice ditch away from power line and trees with somewhere to put my bike away from me or on the other side of the road.

[Blueberry]

So do they just not have the preparedness that we have in Tornado Alley? I know they said people had an hour warning in many cases, but I'm wondering if they don't have storm shelters, sirens, places to hide. It just breaks my heart for them. At least we are ready for it, but when you're not used to it and don't know what to do....

We definitely don't. We're not used to serious warnings, and most people don't pay that close attention to the news. Most people do not have shelters or access to shelters (official shelters were only opened here after the storms passed and people were left homeless), there aren't sirens (well - the sirens we have for a nuke plant and a university I don't believe are keyed into the system). Lots of homes (I would guess more than 1/2) don't have basements - so you're options are limited. There are also lots of mobile homes in the rural areas.

So sad

[Aggie_Ama]

I would say a mountain bike with tubeless tires or slime tubes is going to be most beneficial. Second thought would be a cross bike again with slime or super tough tires. Lights or at least little blinkies, even in daylight this draws attention with chaos it is helpful. So sorry for your daughter to lose a friend, at least she has her sorority family to help her and vice versa.

We don't have basements in Texas but do know the proper drill, we practiced it often in school. My husband and I have had to cram into our guest bath tub (most interior part of house) with our cat and dog. No matter how often you've done it you never get used to it. A tornado hit the next town (F1 scale) but it sounded like it was closer than 12 miles with that storm.

[Tri Girl]

We definitely don't. We're not used to serious warnings, and most people don't pay that close attention to the news. Most people do not have shelters or access to shelters (official shelters were only opened here after the storms passed and people were left homeless), there aren't sirens (well - the sirens we have for a nuke plant and a university I don't believe are keyed into the system). Lots of homes (I would guess more than 1/2) don't have basements - so you're options are limited. There are also lots of mobile homes in the rural areas.

So sad

That makes me so sad. We don't have basements here in OK, but like Amanda said- we've practiced enough and know where to go to be safe. When there's severe weather, you KNOW there's a possibility for tornadoes and you mentally prepare for what to do in case of emergency. It's in our DNA.
I'm so very sorry for your communities. So very sorry for the loss of life (and as the numbers keep rising, my heart breaks even more).
In OKC, we had an F5 tornado come through in 1999. It was on the ground for hundreds of miles and devastated some very populated areas, yet the loss of life was only a handful. We know what to do, and I'm so sorry that you guys were hit with such devastating storms and were so helpless in protecting yourselves. It's just not fair.