Something I did not realize about Saint Louis before I came here : this city gets tornadoes. Apparently it's in "Tornado Alley." Who knew? This tidbit supports my belief that there is something wrong with too much flat land.
If you grew up in a tornado-prone area, you might be aware of the existence of tornado sirens. They sound kind of like the warning siren from the nuclear power plant in Surry and have a similar function : to warn the surround populace of impending danger. Unlike the Surry siren, however, the tornado one comes with a plan of action. Nuclear sirens haven't had those since they figured out that shelter-in-place underneath a school desk does not actually protect your from radiation.
When the tornado siren goes off, it means that the National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning. At one point in time, a tornado warning meant that someone had seen a funnel. Now, the fun Doppler radars let meteorologists see rotation forming in the clouds, so that they can scare people earlier and better help them protect themselves. If you hear the siren go off, you get home, or to the nearest shelter, as quickly as possible. If you're at home, you go to the basement, near a foundation, so that if a tornado comes near you, it won't be able to suck you out of the house and if your house collapses, you'll be in a supported area. If you're smart, you bring a radio, a flashlight, some blankets, a few snacks, and a couple decks of playing cards.
This Friday, we played run-and-hide for the second weekend in a row. We kept power, unlike last weekend, which made the whole adventure considerably more pleasant. Ever my father's daughter, I sat with one ear tuned into the radio to keep track of the storm's progress throughout the region, informing my housemates, even if they didn't feel the need to be informed. This time, however, a funnel touched down a bit to the south of us.
The radio station kept us informed of the location of the storm as well as reactions of people across the region. The Cardinals were playing Friday night, and, in spite of the weather, a large crowd showed up -- and waited it out until play was stopped and the tornado warning announced. As the radio caster spoke of people sheltering in the stadium, I remembered seeing hula-hooping tornadoes when we went to a Card's game. And all of a sudden, it made sense.
I would add that no plan of action is not necessary for a nuclear plant. They are completely safe. And while I know that we have spoken of this in the past, it still sticks with me that you are uninformed about this, and thus scared of nuclear power.
ReplyDeleteAlso, tornadoes freak me out. I think I will stick to living out of their way.