Shit. Tornado siren just went off.

[crispini]

The TV radar says it's not near me, but I'd better box the cats and prepare to take shelter.

[Robeson]

1. Seek shelter, NOW!

[crispini]

2. I'm in the bathroom with the cats.

We still have power. No tornado noise yet.

[Robeson]

4. You don't need to be here. Get you and your little ones to a safe area.

[crispini]

5. The bathroom is the best place in the house.

I'm posting on my iPhone. We don't actually have a tornado warning for this part of the county, it's north of us. But I'm in the safest place in my house.

[Robeson]

6. Be safe...

...:grouphug:

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. Get downstairs and post when it's over!

Be safe!

A TORNADO WATCH is in effect until midnight tonight. Showers and thunderstorms are likely tonight, some possibly severe. hail sizes will range from peas to golf balls in the stronger storms. Damaging winds in excess of 60 mph, and isolated tornados will be possible in the strongest of storms. The heaviest storms will likely be associated with a line that will move through DFW between 8 PM and 11 PM. Rapid clearing is expected after midnight. The weather will settle down for the rest of the week. Our next chance of rain arrives next Monday.
 
http://www.wfaa.com/weather/

[crispini]

7. I'm cool, I'm in my safe place.

TV says the rotation action is north of here but I am keeping a careful eye out.

[yellowdogintexas]

8. we had a big pile of rain and wind about 30 to 40 minutes ago.

Stay safe

[Botany]

9. Only one place to stay safe

:bounce:

[crispini]

12. Ahahahahahaa!

:loveya:

[Botany]

23. I am all about "the safety"

was that you or did a twister just hit?

[lonestarnot]

11. and the kiddlies?

[crispini]

14. Looks like it's passed. Furkids are good and are happy to be deboxed.

It sounds like a few roofs off in Colleyville.

[lonestarnot]

32. Poor things, kiddlies and people with roofs gone.

:(

[av8rdave]

10. We got the sirens here in Grapevine too, but the worst of it passed just north

Hope all is OK with you!

[crispini]

13. We're all good, according to the Doppler on the TV.

It's quiet outside too. Cats have been turned loose and are ready for bed!

[av8rdave]

35. Glad the evening turned out to be relatively uneventful for you

Same here, thankfully.

[Bryn]

15. I am under tornado watch...in Hot Springs, Arkansas

I have 4 cats and 2 big dogs and Mom. My townhouse has basement. Is it safe there? I am from Florida, not used to basement thing. :P

[Whoa_Nelly]

16. Down below is always good!

Stay safe! :pals:

[crispini]

18. Yes, basement is best.

Box cats, put dog on leash, take pillows or mattress for comfort and to hide under. :) you guys are up next I guess, this thing is moving fast.

[derby378]

17. ChickMagic (formerly ginbarn), myself, and the fur babies are okay

We were actually closer to the nasty stuff than crispini was - there was tornado activity hugging the southern edge of Collin County, just a few miles away from our home. I was prepared to bundle the family into the bathtub and stand guard just outside the door, but all is quiet in our neck of the woods. Drenched, but quiet.

[Whoa_Nelly]

19. And it's a Full Moon night, too!

:hide:


Glad to hear you're all okay! :hi: :pals:

[crispini]

20. Yes, I wasn't going to take cover until the sirens went off and then I thought it would be good.

Glad y'all are safe!

[derby378]

22. Glad you are, too!

:hi:

[kentauros]

21. Here's the NWS radar of the line:

http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=grk&product=N0R&overlay=11101111&loop=no

Looks like we're next. Probably in the middle of the night... :o

[GoddessOfGuinness]

24. Hoping the best for you and your kitties...

:hug::hug::hug:

[kentauros]

26. At the moment, it's "kitty" yowling in the other room

;)

I'm sure we'll be fine. Tornadoes don't normally touch down around here so much. Unless it's a hurricane.

Thanks for the :hug: :)
I'll try to be aware if I'm awakened overnight...

[ScreamingMeemie]

28. And me without a basement anymore.

:scared:

[Taverner]

25. What is this tornado siren you speak of?

It is all foreign to me...

[kentauros]

27. I remember the sirens for the chemical plants in Houston

but that was back in the early 1960s. I think they still exist, but I don't know if they are used much. And I've never heard them used for tornadoes around here.

[moriah]

30. Houston's had enough without tornadoes added in this year.

Hope you don't have to deal with them.

[Lady Effingbroke]

33. They still exist.

I lived in Deer Park (well, technically, Pasadena) from 1999 to 2007. Both cities test their alarms once a month on the first Tuesday or Wednesday - they changed days a few years back. While I was living there, there were a couple times when they were used for 'shelter in place' due to incidents at local refineries/plants.

I worked with a guy who had one of those things right next to his house, and by right next to his house, I mean 6 feet from his bedroom window. He said it was loud.

[kentauros]

34. Gawd, that's insane to have them that close to houses!

I always thought they were a bit further away than that...
It's good to hear they do still use them.

Well, it was like living through Ike again last night, just very briefly. Still the sound of the winds and the rain against the apartment were very similar. I didn't think I would still be affected that way, but I guess Ike gave me PTSD or something. I'm glad it didn't last long and I could get some sleep again.

[mnhtnbb]

37. They're an early alert to immediately seek shelter. Tornado on the ground.

We had them in Nebraska. One time the sirens went off (Lincoln) and one of my sons had a friend over.
We all dashed for the basement--I grabbed water bottles, blankets, a flashlight on the way down the stairs to our room within the basement that had no windows.

The tornado didn't come our way, thank goodness. But it did do some damage in the north part of town.

[moriah]

29. Love laptops... and wunderground.com, and NOAA Weather Radio....

We got the weather radio after the tornado that came through and took off some of our shingles didn't even wake my man up.

I was at work tracking it on the radar, and doing what I think is the prudent thing for a 24x7 helpdesk -- when it got where I knew it was coming our way, we had one volunteer manning the phones, one volunteer (me) watching at a door that was 20 feet away from the best shelter room, the bathrooms, and the rest of the people in the building in shelter, me ready to scream at the person manning the phones to hit shelter. Which I did as I was running back in -- heard the roar, it didn't damage our building but did damage about 500 yards away.

I'd called him to let him know it was getting bad, but he'd fallen asleep and didn't hear the cell phone when it rang.

That weather radio shrieks so loud you hear it through the entire house when there is a tornado watch or warning. The watch part is kind of annoying, but living in Arkansas it's probably a good idea. As great as technology is, they can still come unexpectedly.

[Jamastiene]

31. I might hide too, just in case.

I'm scared of those things even when they are in other states. :hide:

[mnhtnbb]

36. Maybe it will drop a house on Bushie boy? (Stay safe, crispini)