The Midwest is different from the other sections of our great country. It pulls weather from the north, the south, the east and the west. The convergence of this weather creates some of the most devastating conditions to be found anywhere in the globe.

The cold air rushing in from the north or from the west, meeting the warmer weather from the south or southwest makes for some of the most dangerous tornadoes that can occur anywhere. The best and safest thing to do is to dig a storm cellar close to the house. It does not have to be very deep. Just deep enough to allow entry of all persons that might be in the vicinity. A door is usually put above the whole that can be closed to keep out debris that might be flying through the air. As bad and terrible as they may be, getting below the surface of the ground is the best way to avoid the ghastly winds of the tornado.

The construction of the buildings can be of some help. This was shown after tornadoes past through some of our bigger cities in this region. In urban areas it was shown that strong buildings may withstand these winds. The biggest danger is to the roof of the building. Large buildings such as markets and auditoriums tend to have the roof peeled of in some of the higher types of tornadoes. In many cases people inside the buildings have been untouched after the roof has been taken off.

All of the building and underground rooms will be useless if you do not have sufficient warning to get to the shelter. A loud siren or bell arrangement must be available. Flashing lights for night warnings should also be available. A combination of these devices is better than just one or the other.

Warning signs of just what to do should be posted in prominent places for every one to read. This is definitely needed along national highways. Tourists from other parts of the country are not acquainted with the problems of the weather. Not all black clouds produce tornadoes. It can also be said that tornadoes can develop extremely fast so that even if noted there is little time to send a warning.

Besides tornadoes, out of season storms are common. It is not unusual to have snow in Texas in June nor to have extremely hot weather in Idaho in January. If you want changing weather this is the place to live.

Learn more about this author, Gordon Fiegel.
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