World News Thread & Breaking News!!

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Do anyone know why tornadoes seems so common in the mid US plains? Are they more frequent on flat lands or is there specific conditions for their formation? I wonder how the American Indians dealt with it if there are any living in those areas?

It has mostly do with the dry air clashing with the moist air.

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---------- Post added at 11:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 PM ----------

Some reports are saying these are record breaking tornado strikes.
The timing and locations of the strikes are said to be unusual.
Sounds very much like what's predicted in climate change models.

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(CNN) -- A devastating storm system moved across the United States on Friday, spawning a slew of tornadoes that contributed to at least 28 fatalities in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

National Weather Service meteorologist John Gordon reported Friday afternoon the agency had about "half a dozen reports of tornadoes on the ground," as well as reports of "significant damage" -- making his comments before some of the worst twisters were reported.

"This is an enormous outbreak that's going on right now across Kentucky and the South," Gordon said. "It's crazy. It's just nuts right here."
Well built homes 'wiped' to the ground
Possible funnel cloud captured on camera
Mayor: 'Neighboring town is gone'
Girls describe grandparents' escape

Southern Indiana was particularly hard hit, with Indiana Department of Homeland Security spokesman John Erickson saying three had died in Jefferson County as a result. Sgt. Rod Russell with the Indiana State Police said later that three people also were killed in Scott County.

In addition, Emergency Management Director Leslie Cavanaugh of Clark County -- which has about 110,000 people -- reported one death. Sheriff's Department Maj. Chuck Adams added that a man was found dead in his car several miles outside Henryville......................................................

That's so sad. Most of it happens at night and it's hard to see a tornado coming even when the warnings and tornado alarms sound, elderly people especially have difficulty getting ready to move to safe shelter and basements.

 

[bladerunner]

LOL...Yes, served by a beautiful Asian lady in a skimpy French maid uniform in first class.

Well I suppose what happens in the wacky world of eating qualify as news

and Im sure you would be a eager customer in this establishment

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- YouTube[/url]

 

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Well I suppose what happens in the wacky world of eating qualify as news

and Im sure you would be a eager customer in this establishment

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

- YouTube[/url]

LOL...I am there man! That's one of my bucket list before getting married. I'm sorry that you couldn't join me for "sushi" dinner bro.

 

[delft]

Some reports are saying these are record breaking tornado strikes.
The timing and locations of the strikes are said to be unusual.
Sounds very much like what's predicted in climate change models.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

(CNN) -- A devastating storm system moved across the United States on Friday, spawning a slew of tornadoes that contributed to at least 28 fatalities in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

National Weather Service meteorologist John Gordon reported Friday afternoon the agency had about "half a dozen reports of tornadoes on the ground," as well as reports of "significant damage" -- making his comments before some of the worst twisters were reported.

"This is an enormous outbreak that's going on right now across Kentucky and the South," Gordon said. "It's crazy. It's just nuts right here."
Well built homes 'wiped' to the ground
Possible funnel cloud captured on camera
Mayor: 'Neighboring town is gone'
Girls describe grandparents' escape

Southern Indiana was particularly hard hit, with Indiana Department of Homeland Security spokesman John Erickson saying three had died in Jefferson County as a result. Sgt. Rod Russell with the Indiana State Police said later that three people also were killed in Scott County.

In addition, Emergency Management Director Leslie Cavanaugh of Clark County -- which has about 110,000 people -- reported one death. Sheriff's Department Maj. Chuck Adams added that a man was found dead in his car several miles outside Henryville......................................................

I know the chance of being hit by a tornado is pretty slim but it seems irresponsible to me to build houses without a storm cellar to sleep in when tornadoes are predicted in your area, to fly to during the day. There are other advantages. Having half of your house underground saves on heating and cooling: bedrooms, bathroom, work space, perhaps a living room with a window half way up the wall but at ground level. What can our architects tell us about such houses?
The damage due to tornadoes would be reduced so the insurance premium should also be lower.

 

[bd popeye]

Delft...A lot of those folks lived in homes with cellars/basements and others lived in manufactured homes..no basement. Here in Iowa most people have a basement under their home..

I lived in California for 26 years and most homeowners there have no basement.

 

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I know the chance of being hit by a tornado is pretty slim but it seems irresponsible to me to build houses without a storm cellar to sleep in when tornadoes are predicted in your area, to fly to during the day. There are other advantages. Having half of your house underground saves on heating and cooling: bedrooms, bathroom, work space, perhaps a living room with a window half way up the wall but at ground level. What can our architects tell us about such houses?
The damage due to tornadoes would be reduced so the insurance premium should also be lower.

It can be built but it all depends on the soil itself. Here in Houston for example and most of the south gulf coast areas where the soil are great for agriculture, but not very good for building basement due to clay type of soil that don't support the structure of traditional basement very well, plus they are more costly to build than the east cost. In the earlier days on states that strattled on Tornado Alley they do storm cellars on rural communities and farms, even motels and some public spaces have them in case of tornado. But along the way of urban and suburban developments due to growth and demands they started building with more post and beam wood structures that are easy to construct and fast to build. That's where you see so many suburban cookie cutter type houses that are put up so fast that many developers disregard the need to add a storm cellar in their foundation plan due cost and time frame (cheap and short sighted in my opinion). On top of that you have to provide more road and highways for the ever growing and expanding communities right? Plus people need services such as electricity, sewer, storm drain sewer (different from the toilet sewer now) and natural gas for everyday comfort. You add all this up and the cost sky rocketed, as a result developers tend to ignore the need for storm cellars and basements. Although they should built like a safe closet out CMU in one space inside the house above ground where everyone can meet and access to it easily, the cost is very little, but then again I'm just the architect not the developer.

 

[no_name]

Me thinks maybe house built out of concrete with smaller-sized windows might help, though it might not blend into the surroundings as well.

 

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Me thinks maybe house built out of concrete with smaller-sized windows might help, though it might not blend into the surroundings as well.

That's another scenario way to do it. Windows also plays a large row in bringing light into the house. Windows has to be a minimum of 3 ft. wide in order for firefighter (one on each side of the house, including upstairs per building code) to get through also, plus people enjoy natural lighting to brighten the space indoors. How often do people tornadoes and storms in every day life? Plus small windows makes it hard to sell the house. Windows can be made with either storm proof or panel glass (which shattered into smaller pieces instead of sharp junks) to lower the risk of injuries.

 

[bd popeye]

Here in Houston for example and most of the south gulf coast areas where the soil are great for agriculture, but not very good for building basement due to clay type of soil that don't support the structure of traditional basement very well, plus they are more costly to build than the east cost

This is so true. The US is so large the type of soil and climate vary drastically from region to region. Here in my part of the Midwest our soil is a rich black fertile soil. In California the soil is sandy. Where I grew up in Oho the soil is black but with a lot of clay.

I'm getting way off topic..

 

[bladerunner]

You add all this up and the cost sky rocketed, as a result developers tend to ignore the need for storm cellars and basements. Although they should built like a safe closet out CMU in one space inside the house above ground where everyone can meet and access to it easily, the cost is very little, but then again I'm just the architect not the developer.

I was going to make this suggestion, you bet me to it. However I don't think it should be left up to the developer, but rather a "State" building requirement. The room could be utilized a lot more if it was on the ground floor and part of the every day living space. For example sound proof it, and throw your kid who continually plays "Rock Band" or the drums at full blast or the daughter whose taken up violin lessons , because she wants to be the next"Vanessa Mae", in it and shut the door.