re: At least 23 dead in Mississippi tornadoes

quote:

---

Another example of why I believe people should be taught to leave if they don’t have underground shelters in these extreme cases.

---

To the average person I never recommend leaving, especially at night. If you cannot read a radar (and I'm not talking about looking at the screen and saying, "The storm is there....") you have no business in a vehicle during a high end tornado threat. Your chances of survival in a vehicle during a tornado (without having to actually take a direct hit) are slim, and the margin for error is extremely high.

That's why whenever that question is asked, and it was last night, I always answer, "There are way too many variables to adequately answer this question."

Another issue which has been proven in Oklahoma and the OKC metro is the traffic that a panicked evacuation causes. It is a mess, and it results in more people being on the roads at the worst possible time.

The best approach will always be to have your tornado plan in place and implement it in advance of an actual warning. If you don't have adequate shelter, find some. If you're in a mobile home, go to that shelter before the storms get to your area, before a warning is issued, before the weather turns to shite. Know your shelter, know your plan. In short, as made famous by "Twister", "Hope for the best; prepare for the worst." Hope is not a plan.