@3, you may want to do a little reading about the Juan de Fuca Plate before you casually toss off statements like that. It's gonna let go sooner or later, and when it does, it'll be a beaut.
Florida looks AWESOME right now. Yeah, we have hurricanes, but you have plenty of notice with those, so you can take the time to prepare, pack, and evacuate if needed. We have tornadoes, but there are tiny things that knock down branches and fences, not these massive monsters that wipe out whole neighborhoods.
@5 Curiously, we haven't heard too much of the Pat Robertson types claiming this is God punishing someone.
And why the hell hasn't the Westboro Baptist building been twistered yet?
I think I was in that Tuscaloosa mall exactly three years ago. The surrounding area is actually pretty dense forest, so there could be a lot of flying trees doing the killing.
@7 as an ex Californian who lived within a geological stones throw of the San Andreas, I am well versed in what our local fault has potential for. Is a major quake a possibility in my lifetime? More than likely. But again, I will take that single chance of occurrence over the guarantee of a tornado happening on a yearly basis.
I've lived through supertyphoons (hurricanes), earthquakes, lake-effect blizzards and American Idol mararthons. Nothing scares me as much as a tornado.
Being trapped with Paula Abdul in a tornado shelter would certainly be the death of me.
If you were only listening to the audio of that first clip, you would think that there was something other than tornado watching going on in that car. Especially with the unexplained buzzing in the background.
I'm going to have tornado dreams/nightmares tonight for sure. Funny to me that that must be an anxiety dream specific to those who grew up in the midwest / south, right? I mean, I never have earthquake anxiety dreams.... and yet, even though I've lived out of tornado territory for 2+ years, I still get those dreams from time to time...
Re: Tornado vs. Hurricane vs. Earthquake: with hurricanes you get some notice. Earthquakes pull even well-designed buildings on top of you. Tornados come with little notice and remove your roof. Earthquakes cause tsunamis from which you cannot run.
Basically, we're all screwed. This isn't God's punishment; this is the earth telling us we are merely bugs. Annoying, destructive, obnoxious bugs.
Re: the "guarantee" of tornadoes. I've lived in southeast Nebraska (part of Tornado Alley) for 22 years now, and I've never even SEEN a tornado, much less had to deal with any damage or injury from one. The thing is that the damage from tornadoes is relatively isolated. Yeah, they'll take out a neighborhood, sometimes a town, but they'll leave the rest of the region relatively intact. The same can't be said of hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. So, yeah. I'll risk the occasional tornado, thank you very much.
so glad I live on the Canadian Shield...no Earthquakes/Tsunamis, tornadoes or Hurricanes...just craploads of snow in winter and the dreaded Blackfy/mosquito season
@30: "Speaking Idiocy to Bloggers is a pointless pursuit,
not for those with anything worthwhile in their lives.
derp.
derp.
derp...."
Fixed that for you.
I grew up in central Illinois and tornado season was always very exciting. They don't just unexpectedly appear. When there are tornado watches you stay close to home. When there is a warning, i.e. a funnel cloud has been spotted, you open the windows and get to a safe place, ideally a basement.
Period Troll has wrested control of hir account back from the "Dan, Do you support marriage rights for polygamists?" spam-bot! Now sie's making much more extensive comments about polygamy! Hooray!
This is sad, and crazy, though also somewhat appropriate, given the higher relative incidence of climate-change denial in Southern states. Still, send money to help people in need; Red Cross is doing disaster relief.
I feel sorry for the gay folks who have to risk getting hit by the tornado meant for the haters down the street. And Mr. Period, for you, I offer you this test: do you approve of polyandry? Would you marry a woman and her three "elder" husbands? If not, you are merely a fly buzzing around Dan's outhouse.
@31, @32 Obviously, but people here are more interested in lumping all southerners together and laughing at their misfortunes than dealing with boring things like the truth.
@27 Oh, yes, I know what you mean. I spent my childhood in central Illinois, and I still occasionally have dreams like that. We had HUGE tornadoes up there. I've (unfortunately) been stuck in Texas for 10 years, and I've never so much as seen one down here, even though we sometimes have tornado watches.
And you know, I actually work very closely with the University of Alabama. I work at a call center, and we have a contract to do the financial aid for UA, so I've been updated on this all day long. Most of the city is without power (actually, most of Alabama is without power...) and there's a shortage of water. They may not get the power back up for days or weeks due to extensive power grid damage. Lots of people are homeless now since their homes are just *gone*. So as someone up above said, Red Cross is taking donations. I get paid tomorrow, so I'll contribute something.
The death toll is sad. But I can't keep myself from wondering how many of the dead died because they were videotaping the storm with dollar signs in their eyes.
@42, I've got friends on the UA campus whom I've been talking to on the Internet since about 3:00 this afternoon. I don't think it's quite as bad as you make it out to be.
@44 The area around campus ironically has been affected less. Parts of the city west of MacFarland Blvd and south of 59 have no power. There's also no water in lots of areas.
Thanks, everyone, for your empathy with those affected. As someone who hasn't had power or internet last week due to the storms (although I am one of the lucky ones who still has a home), I am just now catching up on Slog, and it brings tears to my eyes to read such callous comments. I know I shouldn't expect any better from random comments on the internet, so I will stop reading them now.
P.S. And Fifty-Two-Eighty, yes, it is quite that bad. Of course, as is the nature of tornadoes, some areas are untouched and some people's lives are unaffected. Many, many other neighborhoods and towns are reduced to rumble, and the death toll speaks for itself.
Danny,
Do you support the right of polygamists to marry the ones they love?
And why the hell hasn't the Westboro Baptist building been twistered yet?
I think I was in that Tuscaloosa mall exactly three years ago. The surrounding area is actually pretty dense forest, so there could be a lot of flying trees doing the killing.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/grea…
Being trapped with Paula Abdul in a tornado shelter would certainly be the death of me.
("Oh my God! Oh my God!")
"Those who deny the right to marry to others deserve it not for themselves, and, under a just God, will never receive it."--Abraham Lincoln
Does Danny support the right of polygamists to marry the ones they love?
What, too soon?
The quote is "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and under a just God, will not long retain it!"
Shut the fuck up already.
Basically, we're all screwed. This isn't God's punishment; this is the earth telling us we are merely bugs. Annoying, destructive, obnoxious bugs.
Speaking Truth to Power is a tireless pursuit,
not for the faint of heart.
drip.
drip.
drip....
23
That's what we said.
.
But really-
Don't you girls find it odd?
Danny is always braying on about poly this
and poly that
and marriage equality
but is a total coward when it comes to
polygamous marriage?
Has Maggie Gallagher totally pussy whupped Danny?
not for those with anything worthwhile in their lives.
derp.
derp.
derp...."
Fixed that for you.
you are the resident expert....
This is sad, and crazy, though also somewhat appropriate, given the higher relative incidence of climate-change denial in Southern states. Still, send money to help people in need; Red Cross is doing disaster relief.
@11: Om nom nom nom nom!
And you know, I actually work very closely with the University of Alabama. I work at a call center, and we have a contract to do the financial aid for UA, so I've been updated on this all day long. Most of the city is without power (actually, most of Alabama is without power...) and there's a shortage of water. They may not get the power back up for days or weeks due to extensive power grid damage. Lots of people are homeless now since their homes are just *gone*. So as someone up above said, Red Cross is taking donations. I get paid tomorrow, so I'll contribute something.
P.S. And Fifty-Two-Eighty, yes, it is quite that bad. Of course, as is the nature of tornadoes, some areas are untouched and some people's lives are unaffected. Many, many other neighborhoods and towns are reduced to rumble, and the death toll speaks for itself.