Rockhurst Sentinel

Issue date: 4/16/06 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Carli Dumovich

As a citizen of Kansas City, Kansas, for the entire twenty years of my life, I feel I am obligated to inform Rockhurst students (migrating from all parts of the world) about the importance of tornado safety. If you were here Sunday, March 21, 2006, the final day of Spring Break, you probably witnessed some of this firsthand. I noticed as the sirens were going off that students went outside to watch and see if they could catch a glimpse of nature's fury. This alarmed me because I have witnessed several tornado warnings and even an F4 tornado that came within a football field's length of my house.

Let me first inform you of the Fujita scale. The Fujita scale rates tornadoes based on their intensity, speed, and damage capabilities. The F0 is the lowest scale tornado,which is only 40-72 MPH up to the F6 tornado, which to most scientists is deemed "inconceivable." The F6 tornado would be from 319-379 MPH and the damage would be unbelievable. The F4 that I survived-and that also threw my trampoline into my neighbor's yard and debris from destroyed homes on to our rooftop-was capable of launching cars. I would like to say it is unlikely that such a tornado would ever tear through our campus, but keep in mind that nature is completely unpredictable. Keeping safe during tornado activity is vital to ensuring one's survival. Although we are all tempted to grab our video cameras and head for the outdoors, this adrenaline rush could very well prove fatal. When taking shelter during a tornado, it is important to take cover in the area of the house with the most structure. In buildings with basements, head for the basement. If you are not in a building with a basement, head for the center of the house and try to find something to hold on to (and no, I am not kidding). Many of you were driving during these tornadoes. In such cases as these, you should pull over and protect yourself inside a building, underneath an overpass, and if none of these are available, exit your car and lie in a ditch or the lowest place possible. Staying in your car could be fatal if your car suddenly becomes a tornado projectile. I also want to let you know that even though you may hear tornado sirens, they may not always be in the wake of a tornado. The tornado sirens in Kansas City are tested every first Wednesday of the month. Local news channels, WeatherBug (if you have a personal computer), and NOAA weather radios are wonderful tools to have if you are worried about an upcoming encounter with a tornado. Even though Kansas City's capability to produce tornadoes and then snow the next week is still mind-boggling, please remain aware of Kansas City's incredible ability to maintain such unpredictable weather.

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