Tornado App

[danemayer]

We just went through our first close call with a Tornado. There was a confirmed sighting about 4 miles away, with the storm headed right for us. We had no idea it was on the way.

Our first warning came from the Red Cross Tornado App I recently installed on my Android phone. A siren went off on the phone notifying me of a Tornado Warning - "Take shelter immediately." The local sirens didn't go off for about another 2 minutes.

We did take shelter and within about 10 minutes, a Wall/Shelf Cloud arrived, bringing extremely strong winds that took down a large tree a few feet away from the shelter and I was told flipped a semi at the Flying J a few hundred yards away. It could easily have been a full-blown tornado.

The app notified us when the alert expired, to be followed shortly after by a fresh new alert.

The people next to us couldn't hear the local sirens over their Air Conditioning. Ann knocked on their door as we were walking to the shelter and they were 10 seconds behind us.

If not for this app, I think we would have been caught by surprise when the storm came through and it would have been too late to get to shelter. Fortunately we had no damage, but...

Get the app. When a Tornado Warning comes through for your location, get to shelter. On the way, take 10 seconds to let the people next to you know.

And from now on I'm going to try to remember to ask about shelter locations when we check in.

 

[Lynn1130]

My wife is from Kansas. We visit often. I lived in Kansas for 12 years. We have been through a few warnings and in 89 the family farm was pretty much destroyed by an EF3. They are a train wreck that you cannot stop watching but are frightening and deadly. We spent some time in my brother-in-laws basement on the last two trips. The last one just a month ago.

I use MyRadar but will give that App a look. My advice, and from some one who has been through a few warnings, Don't ignore the sirens!

Additionally, warnings are only going to come in on these apps if NOAA puts them out. If the warning is set off by local weather spotters it will not be activated by NOAA until they receive it from that source or radar echos. So don't bet your life on phone apps.

 

[TravelTiger]

I use the 'iMap Weather' app, which gives a warning tone and verbal alert for specific area you designate,(like a city), and you can have it "follow" you, wherever you are, it will alert you of watches and warnings. This will alert you even if the phone is on "silent", even if you are playing music, or on the phone.

Upon edit: it also displays a very good weather radar with the watches and warnings and has a loop to watch the radar in motion. Also forecasts and current weather.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kowAlski631]

Thanks Dan. Been meaning to upload that app & your posting lot a fire under me. Traveling across country, we need an app that travels with us.

 

[Rodbuster]

That was a really close call Dan. Glad that you are both OK.
Fran is loading that app onto both of our phones right now....I'm sure others will also.

Thanks for the heads-up.
Dick

 

[Nabo]

We use the weather.com app which has a sever weather warning that we have set up to follow us. In Feb., it alerted us about a minute before the local tornado alarms went off. Last night it warned us of flooding in our area. So far so good.