06-30-2011, 06:07 AM
Mr Fixit Wrote:So just how much warning of a tornado are you likely to get when working for the railroads?
Or does it depend upon the size of the road you work for?
How much warning does the average person get of an aproaching tornado?
Does the size of the tornado alter the time period?
Are we still in Kansas Toto?
Mark
I don't know about railroad policy regarding possible tornado weather threats but the average person (at least from my experience in Iowa and Minnesota) can get a heads up about conditions being favorable for the creation of tornadoes hours before one occurs...this is referred to as a "Tornado Watch" that is posted by the National Weather Service. The actual development of a tornado can occur suddenly. Doplar weather and trained spotters scan for funnel clouds and twisters on the ground. Once a tornado is confirmed a "Tornado Warning" is made and local sirens are activated to warn the public. Depending on where you are in relation to the actual tornado you might have seconds to more than half an hour to take shelter. Meteorologists track the direction of the storm and plot its likely targets.
So, you might know all day that things could get hairy...but when they actually do you might not have a lot of time to duck and cover!
Ralph