Joplin Supertornado Defies... Commonly Accepted Tornado Safety Practices

Ride it out in a bath tub

(Reuters) - Like a lot of other Joplin homeowners, Herndon Snider rode out the May 22 tornado in a bathtub. Other popular places to take cover from the vicious tornado were closets and center hallways.

Such is the price people pay for living in communities such as Joplin where basements are rare due to rocky, wet soil.

About 82 percent of homes in the Joplin area have no basements, according to the Jasper County assessor's office.

The vulnerability of residents to injury or death in tornadoes for lack of a basement has drawn attention to the need for more storm shelters for individuals or large groups of people.

Head to the basement

By David Volz
The sister of Rick Harris of Nashville was among those killed in the tornado that devastated a portion of Joplin, MO.
Sally A. Moulton, 58, has been confirmed among those who lost their lives, Harris said.
Other family members of the local man survived the terrible EF 5 twister that left over 130 people dead in its wake.
His niece, Erin, four other adults and a small child were lifted into the air in a bathtub and crashed to the ground. No one was seriously injured.
His sister, Kathy Mason, and other family members took shelter in a basement shortly before their home was ripped apart.
Sally Moulton was performing in a play at the Stained Glass Theatre when the storm struck.
Kathy Mason told The Nashville News that the audience, cast and crew were moving to the basement when the theatre was struck Sunday.
“Knowing my sister, I know she refused to go down and was letting others go ahead of her,” said Kathy Mason.

Interior Closet or Hallway



JOPLIN, Mo. – With a half-hour advance warning, why did so many people die in the tornado that ravaged this southwest Missouri city?

That’s the question government officials are still striving to fully answer six weeks after the deadliest U.S. twister in six decades killed 156.

Storm experts said an obvious partial answer lies in the ferocity of Joplin’s EF-5 category tornado, with winds ranging beyond 200 mph at its vortex.

“There’s not much you can do,” said Bill Davis, chief meterologist for the National Weather Service in nearby Springfield, Mo.

Commonly Accepted Tornado Safety

WHAT TO DO...

In a house with a basement: Avoid windows. Get in the basement and under some kind of sturdy protection (heavy table or work bench), or cover yourself with a mattress or sleeping bag. Know where very heavy objects rest on the floor above (pianos, refrigerators, waterbeds, etc.) and do not go under them. They may fall down through a weakened floor and crush you.

In a house with no basement, a dorm, or an apartment: Avoid windows. Go to the lowest floor, small center room (like a bathroom or closet), under a stairwell, or in an interior hallway with no windows. Crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down; and cover your head with your hands. A bath tub may offer a shell of partial protection. Even in an interior room, you should cover yourself with some sort of thick padding (mattress, blankets, etc.), to protect against falling debris in case the roof and ceiling fail.

In an office building, hospital, nursing home or skyscraper:Go directly to an enclosed, windowless area in the center of the building -- away from glass and on the lowest floor possible. Then, crouch down and cover your head. Interior stairwells are usually good places to take shelter, and if not crowded, allow you to get to a lower level quickly. Stay off the elevators; you could be trapped in them if the power is lost.

In a mobile home:Get out! Even if your home is tied down, you are probably safer outside, even if the only alternative is to seek shelter out in the open. Most tornadoes can destroy even tied-down mobile homes; and it is best not to play the low odds that yours will make it. If your community has a tornado shelter, go there fast. If there is a sturdy permanent building within easy running distance, seek shelter there. Otherwise, lie flat on low ground away from your home, protecting your head. If possible, use open ground away from trees and cars, which can be blown onto you.

At school:Follow the drill! Go to the interior hall or room in an orderly way as you are told. Crouch low, head down, and protect the back of your head with your arms. Stay away from windows and large open rooms like gyms and auditoriums.

In a car or truck: Vehicles are extremely dangerous in a tornado. If the tornado is visible, far away, and the traffic is light, you may be able to drive out of its path by moving at right angles to the tornado. Otherwise, park the car as quickly and safely as possible -- out of the traffic lanes. [It is safer to get the car out of mud later if necessary than to cause a crash.] Get out and seek shelter in a sturdy building. If in the open country, run to low ground away from any cars (which may roll over on you). Lie flat and face-down, protecting the back of your head with your arms. Avoid seeking shelter under bridges, which can create deadly traffic hazards while offering little protection against flying debris.

In the open outdoors: If possible, seek shelter in a sturdy building. If not, lie flat and face-down on low ground, protecting the back of your head with your arms. Get as far away from trees and cars as you can; they may be blown onto you in a tornado.

In a shopping mall or large store: Do not panic. Watch for others. Move as quickly as possible to an interior bathroom, storage room or other small enclosed area, away from windows.

In a church or theater: Do not panic. If possible, move quickly but orderly to an interior bathroom or hallway, away from windows. Crouch face-down and protect your head with your arms. If there is no time to do that, get under the seats or pews, protecting your head with your arms or hands.

What went wrong

The forecasts were excellent and widely distributed. The warnings were outstanding. People I talked to in the field today were aware and ready. Most were watching the television coverage, waiting for the storms to move into their prescribed safe places.

But, in the center of the path of the EF4/5 tornadoes, they had little chance. If they were just outside the core, it was the luck of the draw. Did the closet survive? Or was it the bathroom? Center of the house, lowest floor is the best choice in a home without a basement. Some chose the wrong house, leaving a house that remained intact for one that was destroyed.