Tornado season begins again in Oklahoma
 

My thoughts are with those in Oklahoma's Tulsa area who sustained severe storms overnight and with those in Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky who are under the gun today. Several perons are in the hospital, homes have been damaged.

I can't think of ANYTHING that freaks me out more than the threat of imminent tornado - as I experienced this many times during the more than 2 decades I lived in north Texas, and even some in the Birmingham, AL area (though I was yet a bit ignorant of how hideous they really could be til I got to TX!) There is little you can do about a tornado but hide in a safe place - and is ANY place really safe from such a thing??!! It's not like you can call the police, shoot it, outrun it, or come against it with an army! Please be alert and safe, all who live in "the tornado zones" this year!

Jan in VA

Prayers are with those families that sustained damage last night and for the future. We can only hope that little to no damage will occur this storm season.

We are getting very high winds, but hopefully not tornadoes. Keep an eye on the weather warnings if you are in the path of these storms.

Sending out prayers too.

Sending out prayers too. We get tornadoes here too, but certainly not like your area.

I watched a tornado go by once in Kansas and I prefer the earthquakes any day in CA.

Lots of disasters happening in the US--flood damage is still an issue in MS, LA and parts of TX, wildfires in SW KS and now tornados in OK--The Red Cross Disaster teams have been called out for all of these for weeks now--they are running short of volunteers to go out. And the tornado season in the midwest is just starting!

My career was spent in emergency management, the front lines, 9-1-1. My adrenalin still surges when I hear about these events.

People, all people, should make a family disaster plan. At the very least, have an out of area primary contact. Phone service within an area may be down, but cell phone may allow you to reach some one out of state. If you all agree on that contact person, and a back up, it is easier for all to know who is safe.
While i find the safety kit sales over the top. The American Red Cross has good information
http://www.redcross.org/prepare/loca...me-family/plan

Thanks for your thoughts. I moved here 3 years ago from Tennessee and found myself calling back home last night to check on family there. It's all good in the end!