| Tornadoes - Facts & Myths |
By L. Sickler, The Southern Illinoisan ©, April 9, 1999.
Have you heard tornado survivors talk about winds so powerful that they plucked chickens clean? Well, let’s face it, if a tornado got close enough to blow the feathers off a chicken, it also would blow the bird away. But the “plucked chicken phenomenon” does occur. It actually is a result of a condition called flight molt. When chickens are under stress, they lose most of their feathers. I certainly can’t think of anything more stressful than a tornado, hence the bald birds.
I’ve always heard stories about splinters blown through trees during a tornado. Twisters certainly do strange things. A terrible tornado struck the town of Great Bend, Kansas in 1915. during the cleanup, survivors found an iron water hydrant, yes IRON hydrant, that was full of splinters.
Remember that wonderful, spooky scene in the movie “Twister” when the water tanker truck got swept up into the tornado, then dropped, making it explode? It couldn’t happen. A tanker truck that was full of water would be too heavy to be picked up, although it could be blown over and destroyed. However, a tornado in Texas was powerful enough to move machinery that weighed 30,000 pounds. There are many myths or misconceptions about tornadoes. One local story that seems to be told in many communities that so far have escaped Mother Nature’s wrath is that these communities are in a protective pocket that shelters them from tornadoes. To be blunt, there is no such thing. Tornadoes have occurred in every state of the union, including Hawaii, and on every kind of terrain. Don’t take it for granted that you are protected just because your town has never been hit. |
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Farm house destroyed in a 1982 Tornado. |
Another myth – and you’re not going to like this one – is that the southwest corner of a basement is always the safest place to be. The truth is that the part of the house directly in the path of the tornado is the LEAST safe place to be. Houses tend to shift in storms. If a house is hit at the southwest corner, it is more likely to shift northeast, causing the unsupported part to collapse into the basement or to pull down the foundation. you’re better off being under a stairwell, heavy table or work bench, no matter where they are placed in the house.
Don’t worry about being “sucked up” into a tornado. It isn’t possible. However, you could be lifted up or blown upward by the vortex and carried up to a mile away, which is just as deadly.
And now for some true stuff that may make us all sleep easier tonight. The death toll from tornadoes has declined, because of better construction methods, safety codes, rescue units and improved medical procedures and practices.
We also have access to storm warnings. For a time, the federal government wanted to ban tornado warnings fearing the populace would panic. Thank heavens, common sense prevailed. Perhaps the only real protection is to stay calm and have an emergency plan. If bad weather strikes, stay tuned to the television of radio for those tornado watch and warning announcements, and if they say to take cover, do it!
In the meantime, relax and stay calm.
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