Tornado

[NoBones]

Just got home after helping some close friends that had there home near destroyed by the Killer Tornado in New Smyrna from early yesterday morning. I'm here to tell you, this storm was worse then any hurricane. It was not all mobile homes which these things usually target. (Must be something with a kenetic field with aluminum.)
Our friends home was new code construction, it was to late to get pics tonight, but I will try tomorrow. It blew every
window and the garage door out of the house. The roof was
1/2 pulled off and all the furniture was sucked out the back door. Keep in mind this was a block home. I know you see it on TV. But it is unreal in person. I woke up around
2:00 am when the storms started marching across the state.
The intesity of the thunder and lightning was extremely loud. I was watching the radar on the computer and the TV
until it passed. Needless to say It was a long day.
See ya, Ken

[wavelength]

We are on the west coast of Fl. and got lots of wind and 10in of rain. Thankfully no damage.

[Snookerd]

That's crazy. over 14 people dead?? Very sad....

[nestorpr]

There's not much that can stand up to a tornado, I should know, I've been through several cat 3 hurricanes and force 4 tornadoes. I lived in Wichita, Kansas for 5 years and were hit with tornados just about every summer and fall. One of them y'all have probably seen on TV, the one that hit McConnell AFB in Wichita. I was there and can tell you that it's the scariest thing I've ever been through. Thank God the base had a siren and it alerted us about 60 seconds before the thing hit us. The news say you get minutes to run for cover but that's bull, you get seconds! Nothing in its path survived and 28 people died in the town of Andover which had no sirens. Every town in the US should have a siren, without it, you're dead meat when a tornado comes. I wish the best to the survivors of the storms and hope they don't have to go through that again.

[Fr. Frank]

I live in Dunnellon (just east of Yankeetown and Inglis), and as I'm also a private pilot, I often moniter the radar telemetry out of Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville.

First of all, there were lots of F0 and F1 tornados across the state on Thursday night into Friday. Before midnight, radar picked up an F3 rotation that formed in the clouds over Red Level, FL (4 miles S of Inglis) that tracked ENE going right up the Lake Rousseau/Withlacoochee River basin and then for more than 30 miles without ever touching down. The F3 dissipated west of Bellview, where several F0 tornados did touch down, although doing minor damage.

As I looked at the track of the F3, I remember being thankful that it was going to pass at least a mile north of me, and praying it brought no harm. That was the tornado that changed the Watch to a Warning across the state.

A couple of pieces of trivia from "the tornado project".
1. In Florida, 90% of all tornados are F1 or F0 in strength, "compared to about 75% nationwide".
2. Florida gets more tornados per square mile every year than any other state (although Texas get the most tornados overall).
3. Most tornados in FL have a lifespan of under 20 minutes.
4. You're 80 times more likely to be struck by lightning than by a tornado.

And yet I've been personally struck by lightning twice (in the same day!), and had my home brushed or damaged by tornados three times (also all 3 tornados in the same day in Lake Worth FL during hurricane Betsey in 1965) While our house had relatively minor damage, every single house across the street had major damage or was destroyed. All in all, FIVE tornados hit our neighborhood in rural Lake Worth during Betsey over a 3 hour period.


So much for Statistic #4 [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[nestorpr]

I've also been "indirectly" hit by lightling (long story) and lived through many hurricanes, tornadoes, small tremors, mudslides and even Chernobyl ( I lived in Germany and the fallout cloud went right over us) but the tornadoes still take the cake. They're quick, strong and devastating, especially since they're usually preceded by a large hailstorm. That's one reason I'll never live in the mid US again, let someone else handle Tornado Alley, I'll face the hurricanes instead. At least I can see them coming and prepare!

[finestkind]

Sorry to anyone involved !! We're all thinking of ya !! Oha and Botapeje I havn't been hit, but once moving my anchor in the walking in the water (shin deep) felt a jolt like sticking your finger in a socket go right up my arm!!! You should've seen me scream and run like an antelope!!!! I had friends on the beach laughing there as%es off!! Later asking what the H~ll happened to you!!!! Well anyways hope you are all safe!!!!!

[joey]

Ken,
Sorry to hear about your friends home in NSB.I built one of the first homes in Turnbull Golf Club when it first opened in 98'or 99'and I was told that all that is left are the walls now.I understand a bunch of homes in Turnbull were damaged.

[NoBones]

Yeah Joey, The news is covering central Florida as the
major hit. Turnbull Bay is a freakin' disaster.
These are all well built homes that were torn to shreds.
Deland, which is just west of Daytona is another mess.
Go figure, We were to install a new POS system (Cash Registers) at a Dustins BBQ, formerly Sonny's BBQ today in Deland. They have no roof! It will be weeks before they are
even close to being ready. As I said the talking heads on TV
just cover what they want you to see.
See ya, Ken

[joey]

My brother told me that there were 38 houses in Turnbull damaged,and a bunch,like my old house are just done.Mother nature is just amazing!