tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post3981932278717340444..comments2024-03-28T14:54:34.646-05:00Comments on MSE CREATIVE CONSULTING BLOG: In Joplin, 87% of the Homes Did Not Have BasementsMike Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17435605216805307424noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-34026005661636269902011-06-03T09:07:56.247-05:002011-06-03T09:07:56.247-05:00So glad you liked the book!
With regard to watche...So glad you liked the book!<br /><br />With regard to watches, I have suggested to the people in Norman that smaller, shorter-duration watches are something that should be looked at. So far, they have not taken up that suggestion.Mike Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17435605216805307424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-15981729023148325872011-06-03T00:20:34.940-05:002011-06-03T00:20:34.940-05:00I agree with you on that! But the question you as...I agree with you on that! But the question you asked me was "Why are you at the Mall during a tornado watch?" One obvious answer is "When I went there, there were no thunderstorms in the vicinity." (The other obvious answer is "I pay no attention to tornado watches," which isn't true in my case but I know is true in the case of many other people. It's the same problem you're concerned with when it comes to over-enthusiastic use of sirens: people have learned to tune the watches out, because they usually don't result in a tornado forming where they are.)<br /><br />I live in Omaha, and when I look at our commercial buildings, I worry. It seems to me that many of them are just the sort of structures - big boxes with large-span roofs supported only on the edges - that you don't want to be sheltering from a tornado in. One notable exception is the Nebraska <br />Furniture Mart; it's located on 72nd Street, right where the F4 tornado passed in 1975. They've built several dedicated tornado shelters in their store; I'd like to see more malls, theaters, sports arenas, etc. do the same, so people who for whatever reason are caught away from home during a bad storm have someplace reasonably safe to go.<br /><br />(By the way, I loved your book!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-53897450365024851852011-06-02T23:43:35.460-05:002011-06-02T23:43:35.460-05:00That is not exactly what I said, so let me clarify...That is not exactly what I said, so let me clarify: Assuming you have a basement, I would make it a point to stay home during a tornado watch WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE APPROACHING (i.e., within an hour). <br /><br />Yes, tornado watches can last eight hours and I would never counsel staying home for the duration every time there is a watch. But, when thunderstorms are approaching, it is (at least for me) a different matter.<br /><br />Thanks for the comments.Mike Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17435605216805307424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-78018366796054647742011-06-02T14:06:28.040-05:002011-06-02T14:06:28.040-05:00Mike, tornado watches (unlike warnings) can last h...Mike, tornado watches (unlike warnings) can last hours, and during storm season they often occur over several days' running. I work very long hours, and have limited opportunities to run necessary errands like grocery shopping. (Frankly, I spend more time away from my house than I do in it. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to own one!) Expecting people to stay at home during tornado watches (as opposed to severe thunderstorm warnings or tornado warnings) simply isn't realistic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-827748847783128722011-06-02T13:46:33.759-05:002011-06-02T13:46:33.759-05:00"What good does does my house's basement ..."What good does does my house's basement do me if the killer tornado strikes while I'm out shopping at the mall or visiting the grocery store?"<br /><br />Why are you at the Mall during a tornado watch? <br /><br />There is only so much the warning system can do. If you have a basement and are in a tornado watch as thunderstorms are approaching I suggest staying home.Mike Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17435605216805307424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-969765788168938382011-06-02T13:40:57.628-05:002011-06-02T13:40:57.628-05:00It's time to rethink public shelters even in a...It's time to rethink public shelters even in areas where most homeowners DO have basements. What good does does my house's basement do me if the killer tornado strikes while I'm out shopping at the mall or visiting the grocery store? I suspect most commercial buildings aren't built with tornado safety as a top priority - but here in Tornado Alley, at least, they should be.<br /><br />As for those above-ground tornado shelters: <a href="http://www.news-leader.com/article/20110602/NEWS01/106020364/Hard-lesson-saves-family?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE" rel="nofollow">this story</a> says it all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-43698034929818322402011-06-02T01:51:36.898-05:002011-06-02T01:51:36.898-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.cheaphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02347393659153900099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-41497937200120903482011-06-01T09:55:39.714-05:002011-06-01T09:55:39.714-05:00Yes, if they are built to FEMA standards, safe roo...Yes, if they are built to FEMA standards, safe rooms are a good investment.Mike Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17435605216805307424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-25207985309285298392011-06-01T09:38:37.776-05:002011-06-01T09:38:37.776-05:00I spent a couple days with Habitat for Humanity bu...I spent a couple days with Habitat for Humanity building a house in Greensburg a couple years ago. They were building houses with no basements, but each house had an attached, above ground, tornado shelter. These were being constructed by a company that specializes in such things and had pretty impressive claims about what they would withstand. Do you have any opinion/data on these types of structures with regard to the F-4+ tornados? Are these a good option for those that do not have a basement and live in areas not conducive to basements or underground shelters?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com