I'm thinking about installing a tornado shelter

[Biggsly]

Nothing is 100%, but something is 100% better then nothing.

 

[jsl_pt]

Nothing is 100%, but something is 100% better then nothing.

This^^^ lol

 

[dennishoddy]

I think we're going to stick with an outside accessible in-ground shelter that sits partially in a mound like the one we have so that it won't fill up with water, but it's not going to fly away. I think we're going to put it close to the back porch so we don't have to run all the way across the yard in the storm.

This is what we decided on after the 99 Moore tornado. Ours is outside the front door about 50'. (we live in the country)
What we have read is that you must leave the dirt mounded around the part that is exposed. this will deflect/absorb impact) the winds and derbris.

BE SURE to register your shelter with the local fire department and County emergency folks. They will come out, put a gps location on it, and check on your welfare if your trapped inside. Unless your prepared to die to protect your freedom.........

(those with secret bunkers, disreguard this info)

 

[elwood]

Just some rough numbers... but say the tornado throws a truck a couple hundred feet in the air like the semi trailers in the video above. Said truck would fall about 4 seconds if it fell straight vertical down and its going to be going pretty close to 80 mph on impact. Consider the tornado pushing it and lengthening the distance it falls, 150-200mph would not be ridiculous.

 

[ez bake]

Dude I'm not even arguing on whether to buy a shelter, I have access to above ground and underground shelter. I just get tired of factless arguments or not speaking scientifically as you call it. People against above ground shelters saying cars will be going 300mph, people against in ground garage shelters saying gas fumes will settle downward,etc and you will die of gas fumes (not on this thread but in the past).

I'm all for getting whichever kind of shelter but people say stuff without any supporting facts. Supposedly several above ground saferoom shelters were ripped away according to a couple off site friends, no evidence of this, also supposedly in ground fiberglass shelters were sucked away, any evidence? If there is fine, then lets see it and discuss, just tired if hear say reports. Sorry to bring facts into the whole discussion...

I never said anything about your stance on buying a shelter. I thought the smiley was a give-away that we have the highest tornado winds on record, and the important thing is to get some sort of shelter (or in your case, a shelter and anger-management).

Also, I'm not sure that you understand what "tongue-in-cheek" means, but seriously - lighten up Francis.

BTW, nobody but you has referenced the 300mph in this thread... so your not bringing facts into the discussion (or at least, I'm not sure who you're arguing with).

 

[jsl_pt]

I never said anything about your stance on buying a shelter. I thought the smiley was a give-away that we have the highest tornado winds on record, and the important thing is to get some sort of shelter (or in your case, a shelter and anger-management).

Also, I'm not sure that you understand what "tongue-in-cheek" means, but seriously - lighten up Francis.

BTW, nobody but you has referenced the 300mph in this thread... so your not bringing facts into the discussion (or at least, I'm not sure who you're arguing with).

They brought up cars going 200-250mph which was the speed of this twister, so if the speed was 300mph which was the fastest ever (or 302 or whatever) that is where the 300mph come from, if a 200mph twister pushes a car 200mph then a 300mph twister would make a car go 300mph, both non factual.

Don't call me Francis!

 

[jsl_pt]

Just some rough numbers... but say the tornado throws a truck a couple hundred feet in the air like the semi trailers in the video above. Said truck would fall about 4 seconds if it fell straight vertical down and its going to be going pretty close to 80 mph on impact. Consider the tornado pushing it and lengthening the distance it falls, 150-200mph would not be ridiculous.

Yes this is more factual a car dropping from free fall, don't have the aptitude to do the physics right now though. But if it is falling that means the tornados speed that it had it at is diminished, so it's near free fall effects with some force residual from tornados forces left over. The video link from above shows semi trailers twirling but they aren't going that fast themselves, then once the uplift Diminishes they would basically free fall I presume with some minor rotational force remaining.

 

[Dale00]

Yes this is more factual a car dropping from free fall, don't have the aptitude to do the physics right now though. But if it is falling that means the tornados speed that it had it at is diminished, so it's near free fall effects with some force residual from tornados forces left over. The video link from above shows semi trailers twirling but they aren't going that fast themselves, then once the uplift Diminishes they would basically free fall I presume with some minor rotational force remaining.

I agree. The video shows empty semi trailers being picked up and dropped. They are not moving rapidly sideways even though they have a large surface area to weight ratio. The reasonable way to analyze this danger seems to be the impact of a vehicle on a safe room as it falls straight down. Vehicles flying into the side of a safe room at 100 mph seems unrealistic.

 

[ez bake]

I agree. The video shows empty semi trailers being picked up and dropped. They are not moving rapidly sideways even though they have a large surface area to weight ratio. The reasonable way to analyze this danger seems to be the impact of a vehicle on a safe room as it falls straight down. Vehicles flying into the side of a safe room at 100 mph seems unrealistic.

I wouldn't say that necessarily. There is other debris being thrown around in that tornado and I don't necessarily think a flying car is the standard by which we should measure a safe-room, but I also don't feel like a 2x4 is enough of a test either.

What about something with a bit more mass than a car - like a bowling ball or an auto engine or transmission (or even a steel wheel)? What about loose pipe or large rocks?

I understand that just like all underground shelters are not created equal, the same is true of above-ground shelters, but it seems like the fastest objects a tornado slings around are going with the motion of the tornado (which is typically parallel to the ground and not perpendicular to it) and there are very few ways to be out of the way of that path that involve putting an upright box in the middle of a house.

 

[streak]

i think we should just get texas tech some old 12lb cannons and let them use that as there storm shelter testing machines