If the demand is there, I’ll try to do a few more of these posts in the future…basically just trying to provide short-form answers to some recent weather questions that have come my way. I don’t want everyone to have to read a book to get to the point, so I’ll try to avoid in-depth or complicated answers if I can. Keep it simple...
“A lot of people were hurt in Alabama, even though they did what they were supposed to do when a tornado comes. What happened?”
Unfortunately, the strongest storms were rated EF-4 (166-200 mph) or EF-5 (over 200 mph). In these situations, basements and storm shelters provide the best options…interior closets and bathrooms on lower floors may not provide shelter.
“Can those strong tornadoes happen in the Carolinas?”
Technically, yes. However, keep in mind that only 1% of all tornadoes in the country are EF-4 or EF-5, and 80% of them are EF-0 or EF-1 (winds will be 110 mph or less). In South Carolina, from 1950-2010 there were just short of 900 total tornadoes reported…if my counting is right, there were no EF-5s in that time and only 9 EF-4s, putting us at that 1% number. That means the basic safety instructions (see http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/safety.html for more on those) are perfectly fine 99% of the time. Great odds. Remember, tornadoes are still rare occurrences…South Carolina averages only about 15 tornadoes a year.
“How do I program one of those weather radios?”
The NOAA Midland weather radios that are being sold at a discounted price through your local Walgreens are relatively simple to operate, and can be programmed to alert you only for watches and warnings in your county. Instructions are included with the radio; you can also go to wspa.com. Just point to the “weather” tab on the front page and you’ll get a pull down menu. One of the options is “Program WX radio”…just click on that and you can watch a video that will walk you through the steps.
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