For days, the Storm Prediction Center warned that a significant outbreak of tornadoes was possible last Monday. On Monday morning, the High Risk alarm was sounded. Public severe weather outlooks were posted. Particularly Dangerous Situation tornado watches were issued. Emergency managers started monitoring the situation. Schools put their plans into work. Television stations prepared to cover the storms. Spotters and chasers moved into position.
A tornadic storm approached Wichita from the west southwest. Warnings were issued. Sirens began to sound. School buses were recalled. Parents were notified. Fortunately, no major problems resulted in the Wichita area. Meanwhile, the storms started firing southward into Oklahoma. They began to explode around Oklahoma City. Our friend Gary England was in control in the News 9 storm center. A tornado was on the ground east of Moore. But wait, the helicopter had another tornado on the ground near Norman. Two tornadoes were on the ground in the Metro area, at the same time. Chaos ensued.
The tornado near Norman caused damage near Noble. It roared east northeastward across Lake Thunderbird. On the eastern side of the lake, it fell on the community of Little Axe. After the storm, a reporter interviewed Shawna Alvarez, 32. She lost a relative in the storm. Many times, you hear people say, “We didn’t have any warning.” That would have been hard to say in Oklahoma on Monday. The Associated Press article said quoted Alvarez as saying that tornadoes typically follow paths away from Little Axe. “That’s why nobody here has shelters. It doesn’t happen.”
Was it a function of living on the east side of the lake? Did they believe they were protected from tornadoes by the body of water? A prevalent myth is that tornadoes don’t cross bodies of water.
Could it have been an optimism bias, where people feel they are less likely to experience bad events than their peers? Things like this happen to other people, not to me.
There is a large Native American population that lives in that area. It could be that some of the myth and misconception comes from Native American legend and lore.
It could have been that that area has not seen a tornado in a long time. This can lead people to believe that an event is less likely to occur if It hasn’t occurred before.
The challenge is to help people understand what is myth and truth when it comes to severe weather. What is the difference between a watch and a warning? We have to get people to understand the danger posed by severe weather and to help them take steps to mitigate their risk.
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