Blue, The US GOV NOAA facility at Norman, Oklahoma has the Severe Weather dudes and dudettes. They did a statistical anlaysis on the expectation value of a residentaial structure receiving significant tornadic damage in the "HEART" of tornado alley (I'm only a few miles from the actual geographic center of tornado alley but the concept is pretty diffuse and the frequency of tornadic activity here versus miles away is essentially equal.
Anyway were not talking frequency of only utter destruction or just a shingle lifted but that of significant damage. The data support the contention that on average a residential structure in this area will receive significant tornadic damage is on the order of once in 4,000 years. I believe they did good science and don't flaw their math.
Then why do I advocate storm shelters? Why am I currently building 9/16 inch thick steel storm shutters for my saferoom/bedroom with the 8 inch thick concrete walls? A couple reasons: 1. I sold my wife on moving here with the promise that her bedroom would be her safe room and she could ignore tornado watches and just go to bed at night. (political reason) and 2. the practical reason, what if this is the 4,000th year? or maybe next year is it or...
True story: I forgot the name of the town but there was a town destroyed by a tornado. The citizens rallied together with community spirit and most stayed and rebuilt. The next year the town was destroyed by a tornado on the SAME DATE as the previous year. Still many of the citizens rallied together and rebuilding was begun. There were defections after each destruction but still after two wipeouts the rebuilding began anew. Yes, they were wiped out by a tornado again for the third year in a row ON THE SAME DATE!!!
A very unlikely coincidence, BUT it happened. I would have been safe and secure in the same saferoom with no saferoom rebuilding required except replacing the glass in the windows as the storm shutters are on the inside.
I think Murphy was an optimist when he asserted that anything that can go wrong will and usually does at the worst possible moment. having my home hit by a tornado is unlikely but if it is hit the downside potential is great enough to warrant preparing for the unlikely event.
I don't visit the Indian gaming facilities (casinos) that liter the countryside around here nor do I buy lottery tickets. Is this a contradiction since I otherwise prepare for long shots? Not really. How am I harmed if I don't win a jackpot? How would I be harmed if I "hit the tornado jackpot?" Death is nature's way of telling you to slow down. A tornado would make an effective messenger.
Not forgetting mercury poisoning...
Reasonable info on mercury poisoning
This is a practical reasonable and non-histerical description of mercury poisoning which also incloudes practical instructions for cleaning up a small mercury spill such as from a broken thermometer. Too bad the school officials were thinking liability and needing to seem CONCERNED FOR THE CHILDREN rather than being practical, and closing down the one room till it was cleaned up. (a common HVAC system with no separate air handler controls would have required securing the entire system. Mercury vapors are dangerous.
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