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[Midnight Rider]

Just wanted to let everybody know that the recent Tornado that hit the Birmingham, Alabama area did not come near where I live, so we are fine.  Unfortunately, some others in the B'ham area got hit hard.  Not the same area as last April though.  You always get nervous around here when it's 70 degrees in January, and that's what happened this time.  The weather folks are predicting a very active tornado season in this part of the country this Spring, so we are preparing a refuge area in my basement for us and all the animals...lanterns, flashlights, batteries, a change of clothes, etc.  The bike helmets are already in the basement, so if it gets bad, we'll at least have head protection 

This most recent one hit in the wee hours of the morning, which is bad news, as people are asleep and unable to react quickly and take cover.  Some folks were killed in the area.  Most people who have not been to Alabama think of it as flat cotton fields, which is not the case.  From the middle of the State south, it is, but the Birmingham area, and Northeast are actually the extreme foothills of the Appalachian Mountain Range.  The point being that around here, you can't see the things coming because of the hills and lots of trees.   The upside to that is they tend to "skip" and hit pockets rather than stay on the ground for a long time.  The exception to that rule was the EF5 last April, but that storm was one of the largest that even the storm chasers had ever seen...let's just hope we don't have another one of those this year.

[ultrafxr]

Hi Terry.  Was wondering (and hoping) that you and Judy were OK.  Glad you are.

Jerry

[Chains]

Terry,

Glad you guys are OK, it missed us as well.   Love have helmets to put ion, it at least helps with possible head injuries. My wife is absolutely scared to death during these storms.  Ordering a safe room Friday, hope to have it installed in the garage prior to the spring storms.

[Midnight Rider]

Terry,

Glad you guys are OK, it missed us as well.   Love have helmets to put ion, it at least helps with possible head injuries. My wife is absolutely scared to death during these storms.  Ordering a safe room Friday, hope to have it installed in the garage prior to the spring storms.

The safe room is probably a good idea if you don't have a basement.  The basement part of the front of my home is about 3/4 ths underground, with the back and sides being about 1/2, but my computer room, an old wet darkroom area, staircase, and structural steel poles dividing the computer/hobby room from the remainder of the unfinished basement provide a pretty safe environment.  Just outside the computer room is an 8 foot slate Brunswick pool table, so if chit started falling, we could get under it.  I tend not to get upset with these storms...never have.  I look at them as random events that I have absolutely no control over and are pretty much unpredictable, so the odds of my home taking a direct hit are really, really small.  But, that still doesn't mean I won't head to the basement...I'm as much concerned over making sure the animals are safe than I am for myself.  I've got some big azzed trees around my home though, so if it blows hard enough, I'll get one on the house one of these days...

[dlaws01]

I've always liked trees around the yard to provide some shade. Several years ago we had a storm that blew one over onto my house. Damage repaired but it was scary. I have a concrete poured, rebar reinforced basement that is about 14 x 16 we all go to when there is a tornado warning.

[Twolanerider]

My niece still has a light case of the yips about bad storms since the big one last May.  After that one she earned it though.

[red ben59]

Midnight Rider; Enjoy your posts, glad your okay. Never get under that table because the legs could buckle, lay in the safe zone triangle beside it. Be safe my friend.

[1sharprdkg]

Terry, glad to hear you guys are OK.