And Here We Go Again

No, not a hurricane this time, a tornado. It ripped through Kentucky and Indiana last night. At last count, 21 were reported dead, and extensive damage in the Evansville area. It covered an area about three miles wide and 20 miles long. A fifteen mile debris field as been identified. Most of the deaths, at this time, are reported in a mobile home park outside of Evansville. The tornado destroyed traditional brick-and-morter homes as well as mobile homes.

The governor is on the ground surveying the damage. It's expected that he will then declare a state disaster and call for FEMA help. Remember, FEMA cannot respond until the governor asks for help. The Indiana National Guard has been mobilized to help in search and rescue as well as securing the area.

Until the damage is assessed, we won't really know where it rates on the tornado scale. Right now, it's being called an F2, but from the damage reported so far, it was more likely an F3. It doesn't make much of a difference where it was on the scale, it was bad.

Some say tornado sirens didn't sound at all, others heard them for only seconds. It's reported that only eight minutes elasped between the time the tornado was spotted to when it hit. That's not enough time for someone in a mobile home to get to safety. I'm not complaining about insufficient time or anything, just stating a fact.

I don't know whether mobile home parks have a building where residents can go to seek shelter from a tornado, but they should. I don't know whether it would make a lot of difference, especially at night, when so little warning is given. But I would feel better to know that there is someplace people can go.