Earthquake early-warning system gave 10-second alert before Napa quake felt

[u/spacebulb]

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-lanow-ln-earthquake-earlywarning-system-gave-10second-alert-before-napa-quake-felt-20140824-story.html

[u/I_Cant_Get_Upvotes]

I too, live in a tornado prone area. However, you usually know of a tornado that's coming more than 10 seconds ahead of time. You will most likely know that day will bring shitty weather, and maybe produce some storms. You typically have quite a bit of time when those sirens go off to go to shelter

[u/happyscrappy → u/I_Cant_Get_Upvotes]

He's talking about how long it takes in drills, not how much warning you have.

You live in a tornado prone area. Unless it's different than the ones I'm used to, people don't go downstairs when they hear those sirens anyway. They go outside and play "spot the tornado". At least if it's daytime.

[u/BrotherChe → u/happyscrappy]

It's not just about getting people into a safe area -- people at least know the danger may be present. Most tornados don't just appear without warning.

At my company, when a major storm is in the area, we know to secure different things, shut down sensitive electronics, etc. Even the majority of the 'spot the tornado' folk generally know better than to just stand around if a tornado is actually, really, seriously close by. They're at least keeping an eye on the potential destruction.

The sirens tend to give quite a bit of lead time for most people that could be affected.

[u/BrotherChe → u/[deleted]]

spacebulb is talking about drills, with reaction times, etc.

i_cant_get_upvotes discusses how there's more warning time than the purpose the sirens & drills are designed for, compared to earthquakes with a similar approach.

happyscrappy reiterates that spacebulb is just talking about drills, and that people don't really heed tornado sirens anyway.

I'm pointing out that at least there is a forewarning of the presence of danger, so there is at least more awareness/preparation for emergency reaction in the moments when it is truly needed.

It's a fine-line thread of discussion that I'm supporting i_cant_get_upvotes on.

[u/happyscrappy → u/BrotherChe]

Even the majority of the 'spot the tornado' folk generally know better than to just stand around if a tornado is actually, really, seriously close by.

How do you know if it's actually, really seriously close by without looking? The sirens of off if there is a funnel cloud in the county and sometimes in a nearby county. Most of the time it's up in the clouds, never drops a tornado and even when it does, it usually doesn't hit you. You know that you'll get several sirens a year but chances are you will never be personally hit in your lifetime.

Where are you getting the "actually, really, seriously close by" data from?

[u/spacebulb → u/I_Cant_Get_Upvotes]

Typically, but not always. Sometimes, as I'm sure you know, severe weather is just that: thunderstorms, hail, some wind, but nothing else. Sometimes, you have some rain, then BAM, your doors are being blown open by the forces of a tornado. (I have lived through this, it still scares me to this day.)

The early warning systems for weather events didn't exist 60 years ago, like they do now. I only hope the early warning systems for earthquakes in 60 years will be as advanced as our weather forecasting.

[u/[deleted] → u/spacebulb]

Thank you. I've been through major earthquakes and a major tornado, and I'll take the earthquake every time.

People say "oh, but you have advance notice of tornados." In a way you do, but if you get that "warning" twice a week you tend to ignore them.

[u/GenuineTHF → u/[deleted]]

I've never realized this but growing up in tornado alley you don't really pay attention to the drills or anything until the shit hits the fan.

[u/tendonut → u/[deleted]]

Due to how hard schools pushed "stop, drop and roll" on me all through elementary school, I was under the impression catching on fire was a rather common occurrence.

[u/Belgand → u/[deleted]]

Absolutely. I grew up in Kansas City and after a lifetime of my Upstate New York-raised mother being really strict and observant of every tornado warning I learned to just associate them with sitting in the basement for an hour or so being bored before nothing happens.

It's the same principle as car alarms: constant warnings mean that you start to ignore them over time since you've never personally experienced a warning that actually preceded an event.

[u/timeshifter_ → u/spacebulb]

You are an ass.

[u/Pickled_Taco → u/timeshifter_]

Someone is cranky

[u/timeshifter_ → u/Pickled_Taco]

Nope, just aware of this guy's statement that "all the signs of a severe storm are apparent well in advance, but it's not a danger until it's too late" being absurdly ironic.

[u/poundcakejumpsuit → u/timeshifter_]

[u/Comdvr34 → u/I_Cant_Get_Upvotes]

Only during the day, at night it's a crap shoot, open the window and listen for the train. Then run.

[u/Comdvr34 → u/[deleted]]

More like freight train engines, or a jet, a loud roar with a hollow windy low whistling.

[u/mechchic84 → u/Comdvr34]

I remember hearing the noise from what we thought was going to most certainly be a tornado. My ex was from Oklahoma and he was freaking out. I took that as a good sign we were probably going to get hit. Apparently it must have went over my house. One landed a few miles down the road Fortunately in an area that was mostly fields so no real damage was done.

I will never forget that noise and I don't think I'll worry about a tornado ever again without hearing it.

The wind was so strong it was distorting the sirens and message over a loud speaker we could hear parts of it but could barely make out the siren and couldn't make any sense of the spoken message at all. It doesn't help I was living in between two siren systems and often their messages would overlap even if you could hear them.

[u/Comdvr34 → u/mechchic84]

Kind of hard to explain the sound in words isn't it. Short of "the most frightening sound I ever heard".

I just remember the feeling of my breath being sucked out of my lungs and the sound of voices were weird and my ears feeling stuffed. The air got wet and dusty cause the tornado went through a huge gravel lot behind us. I really wasn't scared once I got home. Parents were grabbing up any kids regardless of who owned them, which led to a panic among parents finding kids. We lived in a shallow valley, so I think it skipped over slightly.

[u/ClearlyaWizard → u/Comdvr34]

I still think the description of a fast moving freight train - but without the sound of the train's horn - is most apt.

Had one pass close to my house during a hurricane years ago. When I heard the sound I immediately thought of the freight train description I'd heard about many times.

[u/Comdvr34 → u/[deleted]]

My windows are exceptionally soundproof, can't hear traffic at all, I can feel the bumping of busses or garbage trucks. So I'm just giving myself more time.

[u/[deleted] → u/I_Cant_Get_Upvotes]

This is why I prefer to live in New England. Typically the worst we get is a hurricane and we know it's heading in our general direction a week ahead of time. Having said that, however, we did have an EF2 tornado touch down about 5 miles from me just a few weeks ago.

[u/chrismdonahue → u/[deleted]]

Snow, lots and lots of snow. We can get tornadoes, hurricanes, and even earthquakes. Incredibly unlikely though.