FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Tornado Warning sirens at DFW 29 May 2019
Old May 29, 2019, 2:47 pm
  #30  
MarkOK
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Stilllwater OK (SWO)
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Fun stuff. Glad to hear it blew over.

FWIW, always look at the SOURCE info regarding tornado warnings. There are really three modes of panic:

1. "Radar indicated rotation" should provide you with the lowest level of tornado panic -- such warnings occur something like 10 times for every actual tornado. In the south central US, there are great storm spotters, so really 'radar indicated' usually only means that a tornado may form because there is enough spin in a wall cloud, but there isn't probably a tornado really on the ground because if there was one, a spotter would have seen it (two caveats: night time warnings are usually difficult to confirm, and look for the words rain-wrapped, in either case, proceed with panic level 2 below). With this type of warning, I would simply google the local news stations on my phone to see if they have a live stream of the action, unless forced to move elsewhere by staff.

2. Any words like "observed" or "confirmed" means a tornado was spotted on the ground -- can be both the tiny things and the big things, but something to raise your panic level over. I'd move to a shelter at this point while googling for a local weather stream, or at least get away from the windows. I would not recommend staying in the AC at DFW for a confirmed tornado since it is one level higher than the main terminal and wouldn't be safe even in a weak tornado. At DFW, even if I couldn't get into the designated shelters, I'd move into a restaurant or shop on the inside of the C to get away from the windows.

3. The words "tornado emergency" are reserved for confirmed tornados that are confirmed and causing considerable damage. Forget about finding more information, that is when your panic level should be the highest and you should move move move (though, don't trample anyone)!
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