|
 Astraphobia
is the fear of thunder and lightning. Lilapsophobia, is the intense
fear of tornadoes. I suffer from both. AAUUGGHH!
My Mac watched admiringly at God’s handiwork as the thunder rolled,
lightning flashed, and winds blew ferociously. I, in turn, would run
to the basement and pray for the souls of the ceraunophiles (lovers
of thunder and lightning).
We have had a rough spring with storms. My nerves are shot and I’m
fed up with squall lines, tempests, and supercells. Heavy sigh.
Trying to be a big girl, I peeked out my kitchen window to see what
color the sky was last week. Yes, that was the day 10 tornadoes hit
down around us. A young man was aimlessly wandering down my street
with earphones tucked in his ears and his eyes glued on his cell
phone. The tornado siren was blasting. The sky was a sick green. It
was deathly still. No birds. No rustle of squirrels or rabbits. Just
the relentless wail of the siren. I said a prayer and bravely went
out on my front porch and jumped up and down trying to get the
man/child to see me. He did. He looked afraid of the old lady
performing jumping jacks. I pantomimed taking out earphones. He did
so and a look of surprised fear crossed his face as he listened to
the alarm, saw the sky, felt the pressure, and heard me yell, “Run!
Run like the wind!” He did so. My heroic act of saving mankind done,
I ran for the basement.
Idiots can be so stupid. Sheesh! Get your nose out of your phone and
be alert to your environment……please!
Copilot Search states, “Many animals can sense tornadoes before
humans do. Burrowing animals (rabbits, rodents, foxes) seek
underground dens for protection. Birds may become silent, fly
erratically, or move to ground cover. Deer and other large mammals
may move to deep creeks or ravines. Fish sense pressure changes
through their swim bladders and lateral lines, often moving to
deeper calmer waters.”
“In April 2026, a powerful EF-4 tornado with winds up to 200 mph
struck Enid, Oklahoma, devastating the Sloat family’s home and
trapping them underground in their storm shelter. The tornado
collapsed the chimney onto the shelter’s steel doors, sealing the
family…. Adam, Mary, their teenage daughter and two neighbors
beneath tons of debris. Rescuers arrived about 30 minutes later but
had no idea where the trapped family was, as the rubble was too
extensive to search efficiently. Above ground, the family’s two pet
goats, Percy and Penny had survived. When rescuers spotted the goats
standing on the pile of bricks, they realized the goats were
directly atop the shelter. This gave them the exact location to
begin digging, leading to the family’s rescue.”
I’m amazed at the number of videos on Facebook of tornadoes
barreling right toward a person and their cell phone. That person is
calmly saying, “A tornado is coming straight at me. Oh, look. I see
debris.” Is that courage or stupidity? Have the sense God gave a
goose and take cover. Lucky for you, there are enough of us
astraphobia/lilapsophobieas to pray for your ceraunophiles’ lil
behinds.
More from Copilot: “In 2015, and EF-3 tornado near Pampa, Texas,
drove corn stalks into a truck’s radiator and caused “corn hail”
…stalks encased in ice that rained down on the countryside.”
“April 27, 2011, EF5 tornado in Smithville, Mississippi, carried a
Ford Explorer half a mile before hitting a water tower, then another
quarter mile before stopping.”
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“On June 23, 1944, in Pennsylvania, a mailbox with letters inside
was carried over 100 miles and landed two blocks from its intended
delivery point.”
In Codell, Kansas, a tornado struck the same day and at the same
hour in 1916, 1917, and 1918, creating a rare repeat of the same
event.”
The Enhanced Fujita Scale (or EF scale) is the meteorologists system
used to assign a rating to a tornado based on estimated wind speeds
and related structural damage. EF0 tornadoes cause light damage like
broken branches and shallow roof loss. EF5 tornadoes tear strong
homes off foundations and toss heavy cars.
The widest tornado on records was about 3.2 km (2.61 miles) wide
near El Reno, OK in 2013.
The deadliest tornado in world history struck Bangladesh in 1989
killing about 1,300 people.
Tornadoes have occurred on every continent except Antarctica. The
USA reports the most tornadoes each year.
The largest tornado outbreaks can produce hundreds of tornadoes over
several days.
Tornadoes can hit big cities as well as rural areas.
Mountains and rivers do not stop tornadoes.
The roar may sound like a freight train, but quiet tornadoes also
occur.
Strong tornadoes can peel asphalt from roads in narrow streaks.
Tornadoes can produce rapid pressure changes that make ears pop.
Now……here comes the part I can never remember which is which. A
TORNADO WATCH means conditions are favorable for tornadoes. A
TORNADO WARNING means a tornado is happening or imminent. I just run
and hide no matter what the newscaster is saying. Prayers tumble
forthwith.
The word tornado likely comes from words meaning, ……to turn. A
tornado outbreak is a series of tornadoes from multiple storms in a
short time. An outbreak sequence spans several days with repeated
rounds. A tornado family is a set of separate tornadoes produced by
one storm. A tornado emergency is a rare, enhanced warning for a
confirmed, life-threatening tornado.
So not matter if you are a “Wizard of Oz” 1939, “Twister” 1996, or
“Twisters” 2024 aficionado, take relief or fear in this quote from
National Geographics for Kids, “…the unpredictability of tornadoes
makes them difficult…and dangerous…to study. A tornado will demolish
everything in its path, including measuring equipment. And so, the
secrets behind this incredible force of nature are yet to be
discovered….”
L. Maxine McQueen
may be contacted at
maxmac.1@juno.com
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