Tornado Warnings - How Do You Prepare?

[Skywatcher]

@VOW

Mr VOW opens the living room drapes, and the sky is PEA GREEN.

I’ve seen that sky. 24 September 2001:

@Skywatcher

Afternoon severe weather was predicted in the DC area since early this morning. At 2:30, I switched my streaming audio at work to WTOP Newsradio. Almost immediately there was a tornado warning for Culpepper County. A light rain had started falling by the time I left work at 4:35. Being from rural Illinois, I tend to watch the skies whenever we get severe weather. During my 10-minute walk to Pentagon City Metro, which is serving as a temporary commuter bus terminal, a tornado warning was issued for Fairfax County, Arlington County, and DC. IIRC, the last time we had a warning was 5 years ago and nothing happened. I wasn’t concerned until 5:00, when I spotted rotation on the far side of Pentagon City Mall. I didn’t know which way it was going so I stayed put to observe. When I started seeing debris and green sky, I figured it was time to move ! I shouted a warning over approaching sirens and ducked into Pentagon Center Mall, once inside I warned people in the restaurants there. There was no noise except for passing emergency vehicles, then a loud BOOM which sent people scurrying away from the glass entry. Then power went out for a couple of minutes. The tornado was on its way to the Pentagon and is possibly the same one that hit the University of Maryland campus at College Park. If the bus terminal at the Pentagon had not been closed, there probably would have been serious injuries with all the commuters trying to go down the escalators at the same time.