As newbies to tornado, this fall we had our first funnel experience, well almost

We had just finished an all niter from Houston to north of Atlanta and
I was in a FedEx Office doing some work on their computer. It was
about mid-day and before signing off I did a quick check of CNN just
to stay in touch with the day’s events. The breaking headline was
“Tornado’s north of Atlanta along Interstate 75 flipping cars”, Hmm I
thought, we are north of Atlanta just off I-75. “That’s interesting”.
I opened the door of the business and was greeted with the loud
screeching sound of a whaling fire alarm that was a continuous tone.
“Holy Shit”, I thought, “This is a for real tornado warning”

Now, I’ve no experience with tornado’s, but I’ve personally witnessed
their sickening destructive aftermath several times in our travels. As
a chronic watcher of The Weather Channel, I also have learned about
warnings and precautions we need to take when threatened by them.
Weather Channel: ” A long continuous blast from a siren means to take
cover immediately” Looking across the parking lot I saw Barb sitting
in the truck. Moving quickly across the parking lot, I looked around
for the threat. The air was still and not raining. The cloud cover was unusually
low and a deep gray. To the north was a very ugly looking black cloud lowerthan the rest. I saw not funnel but my view was block by surrounding.taller buildings. “Weather Channel” “Just because you don’t see, feel, or hear a tornado doesn’t mean there is not an imminent threat.W hen the alarm is sounded take cover immediately”

Now getting closer to the truck, My first thought was to take cover in
the truck, “After all it weights 10 tons empty. Weather Channel:
Videos of eighteen wheelers being tossed around like Tonka toys by
tornadoes. Those trucks weight 40 tons,Duh.
I looked back at the building I just came from and saw that it was a
large squat brick building with deep interior rooms and walls. I made
it up to the truck and Barb was looking at me and with the siren still
blaring I said,” That’s a tornado warning. Grab the dog and lets go
back into FedEx.”

She grabbed Oliver and we quickly moved back towards the building.
Once inside I saw the manager with employees gathered around and she
was explaining to everyone that they needed to move into an interior
room that looked surrounded by sturdy walls. She looked up at us and I
said, “We are seeking shelter.” She gave an affirmative nod and went
back to looking at her iPhone which was tracking the storm and giving
warnings. The the siren was still going but very faint while in the
building. In about another thirty seconds the siren stopped. The
manager looked down at her phone and said we where given the all
clear.

Later Barb had mentioned that she thought the siren was just the noon
hour alarm. We have both lived in communities where the fire siren
would briefly blare at high noon. I said ” Ya I know what you mean,
but I don’t think they do that in Tornado Alley”

Just another day at the office
gary and barb

hotshotchronicles. com