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OT: Tornado Preparations

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pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/14/2012 : 18:18:15

We here in the Great Plains are pretty jaded when it comes to tornados but there are some things we do if we are genuinely concerned:

Prepare to shut off the natural gas source to the house. If a tornado is eminent the last thing you do after the family is in the basement is go outside and turn off the gas. It is mush easier if you put a wrench on the valve before hand. Natural gas explosions in basements are nasty.

Frank Hopper

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DaveR
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2015 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2012 : 06:25:02

No doubt Frank, and it's fine if the torado takes the whole valve?, it'll disburse from there and not be so much of a danger? Stay safe!

Edited by - DaveR on 04/15/2012 06:25:19

Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
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Response Posted - 04/15/2012 : 06:40:46

My most effective precaution is to not live in TX, OK, KS, or NE. Of course, around here, the "tornadoes" are 200 miles wide, bring 10'+ tides with them, and have names... so I'd better find some wood to knock on.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 04/15/2012 06:41:13

pastmember
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Response Posted - 04/15/2012 : 06:42:02

I live on the NW corner of town and the damage was in the poorest part of the South part of town. I guess I will go get my wrench.

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pastmember
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Response Posted - 04/15/2012 : 07:39:01

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DaveR
 No doubt Frank, and it's fine if the torado takes the whole valve?, it'll disburse from there and not be so much of a danger? Stay safe!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
We people with basements assume others know what is in a basement, but you probably don't . The furnace and hot water heater are always in a basement and in this part of the country both are natural gas. A direct hit can break gas lines to those appliances and then the pilot lights blow everyone up. It makes one feel pretty stupid to save your family from the wind damage and then go boom. So yes, it is ok if the meter is destroyed above ground, though not likely, as long as the gas is not flowing into the house.

Edited by - pastmember on 04/15/2012 07:40:27

Drjohn71a
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Response Posted - 04/15/2012 : 16:46:11

i have lived in thie same tornado risk area as Frank, but I have never seen nor heard of an explosion from natural gas as a result of tornado damage. Gas explosions usually involve long term, slow leak situations in which many cubic feet build up over very long time. The worst are LP gas where the line enters the house under ground instead of above the ground. This can allow the gas to accumulate under the concrete foundation and when that blows it is like a bomb. Natural gas around here is very low pressure, low volume design. An explosion would be more likely long after the tornado damage and long after the safety valve on the pilot light went out. In addition, most newer appliances do not use pilot lights.

Injury from flying debris is the number one cause of serious injury and death in tornadic conditions. Natural gas leaks into the air are not likely to explode, but accumulations over time in constricted areass are explosive.

Considering the risk of going outside in high risk wind and lightning, I think one would be safer to settle into a safe, protected basement with thick covers to minimize injuries from flying debris. Even helmets are a good idea.

I've seen straws driven into telephone poles from the wind velocity, so getting out of the wind danger should be the top priority.

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dmpilc
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Response Posted - 04/16/2012 : 07:32:48

Tornados indeed can do incredible damage, and the nasty thing about them is that, unlike hurricanes, there is often very little or no advance warning before they hit, and they can be very unpredictable. I'm not in any way downplaying the seriousness of hurricanes. Both types of storms are to be treated with the utmost respect. If I were building a new home today, I would be adding a safe room to the plans. Our hearts go out to the recent storm sufferers in the mid-west.

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