Author Topic: new weather warning device is needed badly.  (Read 2364 times)

Offline Tyrannis

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new weather warning device is needed badly.
« on: May 24, 2011, 01:25:19 AM »
hey guys, about a couple hrs ago i was dodging high winds& tornado sirens up here in ohio as the storm that launched the tornado at Missouri  hit us. but there is one HUGE thing that bugs me about this bad weather.

simply put, the sirens are simply not loud enough to hear over the tv/music/other activities going on.

now, im right smack at the entrance to town, and i only hear the sirens very faintly. if there was really a tornado coming, half of us wouldnt even hear it.

Another thing: they need to have diff sounding sirens for the type of warning they are trying to give.

for us, they give 2 siren warnings at a time, first time the siren goes off its supposed to indicate ether a sever storm warning, or a tornado watch.the second time it goes off is to indicate a tornado warning.

but what if a tornado was to drop down right beside town before the first siren is sounded? so then when it does go off, people think its just a watch. or what if it does sound to signal a watch and people believe it to be an actual warning (like i did).


my solutions to these problems would be:

problem 1: have every house installed with a kind of mini alarm (similer  to say, a smoke alarm) that when sent the signal, will warn the residents of watches/warnings. could be installed on the wall similier to how house alarms are, and give off the right sound in the house for what the weather is. therefore people dont have to worry about not hearing the town siren, because they have it in there houses.


2: simple solution, find diff sounding sirens for what they are warning/watching for. it would rly be appreciated.

i think if my solution for problem 1 had been implemented allready, half the lives lost to tornados would of been spared, for they would of known it was coming.

what do you guys think?

Offline EskimoJoe

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2011, 01:28:51 AM »
1) Turn the TV DOWN.

2) Watch the NEWS.
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Offline Jayhawk

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2011, 01:37:53 AM »
*If the weather looks like it's going to be tornadoes, start paying attention, stop waiting for someone to make that decision for you and come protect you.

*Sounds like an issue to take up with the local government, maybe a new siren is due in your part of town.

*Who's paying for these things?  Are they wired, wireless? Who's going to want big brother putting a small announcement device in each of their homes?

*You can't say that this would cut lives lost in half, you've got no idea what it would do.  A home siren isn't going to stop a trailer home from being thrown across the town.  A home siren still isn't going to dissuade the guy who'd rather be watching some show than seeking shelter.  A home siren isn't going to stop the guy who decided to run to the store real quick.

*The big picture; take some responsibility for yourself in these situations.
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Offline Tyrannis

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2011, 01:49:15 AM »
*If the weather looks like it's going to be tornadoes, start paying attention, stop waiting for someone to make that decision for you and come protect you.

the weather isent allways that obvious. like yesterday. i looked out my window and it was completely sunny, 10 mins later a storm came out of no wheres, hail was coming down, and the sirens were blaring. its not a matter of paying attenchian its a matter of knowing how bad a storm its going to be, and when a storm is coming. which is the job of the meteorologists. so yes, in a way they do make the "decisions" for me, and "protect" me, as they do all of us.

*Sounds like an issue to take up with the local government, maybe a new siren is due in your part of town.
Ive tried, but for the most part im ignored, our town has never had a major tornado hit. (but alot have touched down in the neighboring town) and im only 18, so my word alone doesnt do much.


*Who's paying for these things?  Are they wired, wireless? Who's going to want big brother putting a small announcement device in each of their homes?
are you too cheap at mind to spend a little extra $$$ to have a weather safety alarm installed?

*You can't say that this would cut lives lost in half, you've got no idea what it would do.  A home siren isn't going to stop a trailer home from being thrown across the town.  A home siren still isn't going to dissuade the guy who'd rather be watching some show than seeking shelter.  A home siren isn't going to stop the guy who decided to run to the store real quick.
i didnt say it would, i said i THINK it would. meaning i was stating it as a theory, and not as fact. difference. should this idea be thrown out the window because some A hole might ignore it? no. should it be thrown out because some people might ignore it too? no. if that was the case we might as well throw town sirens out too, because people ignore them aswell. and the guy who decided to run to the store will have his car radio, or will be able to hear the actual town sirens. but it would atleast give people a better chance to hear the warning, and react before its too late. especially if a storm hits late at night. i had to stay up all night last night because the siren went off once, and the wind was howling, and i knew if i went to sleep i wouldnt hear the siren again if it sounded.

*The big picture; take some responsibility for yourself in these situations.
i live in the type of house a f1 tornado could blow away with ease. the only shelter i have in my house is a tiny flimsy bathroom. in a town who's siren is too low to hear half the time, with people who ignore me when i try to point this out. i am taking responsibility, by coming up with ideas to try to make the situation better, my ideas might not be perfect, but atleast im thinking some up. instead of just waiting around thinking the worst will never happen, then it does.


i really hate the snobbery on these boards sometimes.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2011, 01:53:23 AM by Tyrannis »

Offline clerick

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2011, 03:28:08 AM »
A little knowledge goes a long way.  If you are going to rely on someone else to guarantee your safety you will be very disappointed.  Take the time you have spent on this BBS and use it to learn a little bit about weather signs and you will be much better off.  A lot of people on here, myself included, can probably look up and around and have a pretty good idea whats going on weather wise.  Do what the pioneers did, cover your own lazy butt.

Offline Plawranc

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2011, 03:42:12 AM »
A little knowledge goes a long way.  If you are going to rely on someone else to guarantee your safety you will be very disappointed.  Take the time you have spent on this BBS and use it to learn a little bit about weather signs and you will be much better off.  A lot of people on here, myself included, can probably look up and around and have a pretty good idea whats going on weather wise.  Do what the pioneers did, cover your own lazy butt.

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Offline mbailey

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2011, 05:38:43 AM »
The Weather Channel has a system where they can call you if severe weather is heading your way.
http://www.weather.com/services/twcalerts.html

If i lived in a tornado prone area,you can bet that id have this myself. (Tornado prone is a bit ambigious since last night we had a tornado warning about 10miles north of me (Im near Allentown PA), and one hit Philadelphia last week  :rolleyes:) Although we usually dont get the monsters that are seen out in the MW and South.

 They also make weather alert radios i believe.



« Last Edit: May 24, 2011, 05:45:09 AM by mbailey »
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Offline outbreak

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2011, 05:42:04 AM »
They have "Mini" alarms for your house, Its called a NOAA Weather Radio, Runs about $30 and is guarnteed to wake you up with its alarms or get your attention!


Offline Meatwad

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2011, 06:17:11 AM »
Get a weather radio and program your county codes into it. If it looks bad on the TV, watch the local news for weather info.

For the sirens, I never heard about them being set off for severe weather. Only weather events that should trigger them is tornadic, not a severe thunderstorm warning. That nulls out their effectiveness when every severe thunderstorm sets them off and people start to ignore them.

The sirens have two tones though....alert and attack.

Alert is for weather events....long high and short low.
Attack for civil defence and wartime....fast high and low
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Offline Masherbrum

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2011, 06:41:09 AM »
*If the weather looks like it's going to be tornadoes, start paying attention, stop waiting for someone to make that decision for you and come protect you.

*Sounds like an issue to take up with the local government, maybe a new siren is due in your part of town.

*Who's paying for these things?  Are they wired, wireless? Who's going to want big brother putting a small announcement device in each of their homes?

*You can't say that this would cut lives lost in half, you've got no idea what it would do.  A home siren isn't going to stop a trailer home from being thrown across the town.  A home siren still isn't going to dissuade the guy who'd rather be watching some show than seeking shelter.  A home siren isn't going to stop the guy who decided to run to the store real quick.

*The big picture; take some responsibility for yourself in these situations.

Yep.   If you're relying on Big Brother to assist you, you're wrong.   Fend for yourself and watch the weather reports, or even watch the sky Tyrannis.   
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Offline BowHTR

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2011, 08:08:18 AM »
Get a weather radio and program your county codes into it. If it looks bad on the TV, watch the local news for weather info.

For the sirens, I never heard about them being set off for severe weather. Only weather events that should trigger them is tornadic, not a severe thunderstorm warning. That nulls out their effectiveness when every severe thunderstorm sets them off and people start to ignore them.

The sirens have two tones though....alert and attack.

Alert is for weather events....long high and short low.
Attack for civil defence and wartime....fast high and low

at one of the campuses in South Ga, there is a siren for severe weather and another one for a tornado
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Offline Mickey1992

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2011, 08:13:55 AM »
Outdoor tornado sirens are meant to alert people who are outdoors, and away from radios, TVs, and the internet.  They are not meant to heard by people in homes or commercial buildings.

In my county the sirens only go off for tornado warnings.  They do not go off for severe weather warnings.

Offline Golfer

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #12 on: May 24, 2011, 08:27:19 AM »

Offline Raptor

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #13 on: May 24, 2011, 08:27:32 AM »
simply put, the sirens are simply not loud enough to hear over the tv/music/other activities going on.
And this is how I know you are just increasing your post count...
Have you ever been watching TV or listening to the radio and here that nice little "This is a test of the national emergency broadcast system.."

Offline Jayhawk

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Re: new weather warning device is needed badly.
« Reply #14 on: May 24, 2011, 08:33:09 AM »
i really hate the snobbery on these boards sometimes.

No, you hate it when someone disagrees with you.
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