On the rocks

[honeylocusttree]

Quick, who here lives in an area where they *don't* test the tornado sirens every month?

Has anyone who lives in an area with no sirens ever visited/moved to an area where they *do* test the sirens and gone "Auugh!" the first time?

Comments

[embroiderama]

I don't think I've ever lived near a tornado siren, but I'm sure I would go AUUGH if I suddenly did. OTOH, I do work very near a quarry where they set off explosions every couple of days--explosions that have gotten stronger over the years as they work their way closer to us. Every damn time, there's this moment of OMG WE JUST GOT HIT BY A TRAIN! followed by ...oh, that thing. ;)

[honeylocusttree]

I just went and looked it up--seems Ohio is just on the edge of tornado alley. So I was thinking the bulk of the U.S. would have them but I guess you're far enough out not to.

I couldn't deal with the explosions, though. That's...agh. I'd get nothing done the entire time that was going on.

[embroiderama]

Oh, it's just momentary, like a second or two and then done. Anyway, it's very rare for us to get tornadoes here. It does happen, but not often enough to have sirens and all that.

[biketest]

I've always lived in a place where they test the tornado sirens every month, but I don't always hear them so I remember one month having no idea what was happening and being scared that we were under attack from aliens or being nuclear bombed.

[honeylocusttree]

It's been my fate to live right across the street, or to attend school in the building that has a siren on the roof, or whatever, so now I feel like I'm being followed.

I went and looked it up on youtube and actually they do sound remarkably like air-raid sirens. So if we were getting bombed, everyone would be confused and huddling in the basement watching the weather.

[roque_clasique]

Yeah, I moved from MA to MN and the first time I heard them I flipped my shit. I mean, those things are so incredibly eerie.

[roque_clasique]

(We don't have them here in MT, either, fwiw)

[honeylocusttree]

They are! Reassuring on a sunny day, but if it's actual tornado weather, brr! And don't even get me started on one going off at 12 at night. *shudders*

They sound remarkably like air raid sirens! So there's a creeping, back-of-the-head sense that we're about the get bombed back to the stone age, which is never any fun.

What happens if you live in an area without them, though, and then there is a tornado? THIS CONFOUNDS ME.

[honeylocusttree]

So what sorts of disasters do you guys get up there anyway? I'm guessing hurricanes? Aren't there hurricane sirens too? Or am I thinking of the tsunami sirens?

[honeylocusttree]

Heh, not too bad then. I've often thought I'd like to visit NE, though I don't know what there actually is to do there. At least I know I wouldn't get swept/blown away.

[honeylocusttree]

It is actually pretty damn creepy.I mean they're sorta reassuring, but not when they go off in the middle of the damn night. Arrgh.