Deathly Afraid of Tornados?

Question

So here it is. I live in Oakland County Michigan. I am terrified of Storms. The thought of storms sends me to a near panic attack. I cant even enjoy a sunny warm day in spring anymore because I constantly am wondering when,...is a storm going to come. I believe that it isnt the storm that scares me,...its what is in the storm,...tornados actually. I live in an apartment home on the second floor(there are only 2 levels) and there is no where else to go in severe weather. Let me just tell you,...When a storm comes,...i sweat, my heart races and i cannot think clearly. I am not sure what is happening to me but want so much for the calm that many people feel during a storm. I would like to know that i am not alone and that there is information out there that could be of some comfort to me. I freak out so bad that my 7 year old is now terrified as well. Help!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Learn about them.  Thats what you need to do.  Learn when conditions are right for them.  Tornadoes do not occur with all thunderstorms nor do they occur with every type of thunder storms.   The "main" tornado season lasts from mid-late march to mid July.  Tornadoes occur from supercell thunderstorms. These are the rarest of all storms.  Pay attention to the weather the Storm prediction center is responsible for issuing watches for the US.  They also have outlooks up to a week in advance outlining areas prone to seeing severe weather.  Check the weather using the National Weather Service.  

This is the time right now to plan what to do for a tornado and make sure you have a NOAA weather alert radio The radios can alert you when a tornado warning is issued at night while sleeping.  NOAA weather radio is the best gift to give also.

A tornado watch means that conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop and you should pay close attention to the weather for the next few hours.  A tornado watch can be issued several hours in advance of the storms.  In isolated cases a tornado watch may not be issued if the threat for widespread severe weather is not expected.

If a tornado warning is issued for your area, do not panic. Go to a place of safety. Go to the lowest floor of your house like the basement. Once in the basement get under a sturdy piece of furniture or go into a bathroom in the basement. If no basement is available go in to an interior room such as a closet. If that is not available go in to an bathroom without windows. Stay away from outside walls and windows. Cover your head to protect from flying debris. Never try to out run a tornado in a car, if cought in a car and can not take no place of safety, lay down in a ditch and cover your head. Do not take cover under a over pass. Do not stay in mobile homes as they do not offer protection and can be flown as easily as cars can.

National weather service

http://www.weather.gov

Storm prediction center

http://www.spc.noaa.gov

TORNADO SAFETY

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/preparedness...

http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/torn...

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/wcm/safety_r...

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/tor...

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/swww/v5n1/to...

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/

http://www.spc..noaa.gov/faq/tornado/saf...

http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/0075...

http://www.tornadoproject.com/safety/saf...

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/faq/faq_tor.php

Answer 2

Girl, I am a resident of the exact same county you speak of right now, and there ain't no tornados.  Lots of warnings, watches, and rainstorms, but not anything actually happens.  In fact, I took my driver's test last year during the middle of a tornado storm watch.  It was raining like h**l and I couldn't see two feet in front of me, but I still passed.

Anyway, relocating can't really help you.  Every part of the United States has its regional fallacies.  Move to Florida?  You've got hurricanes, which are often worse than tornadoes.  Move to California?  You've got earthquakes.  Move to the upper East Coast?  You've got snowstorms that make you lose power for days and bury your cars.  You could get stuck on the highway during one of these snowstorms and die.  And there are actually places in the Midwest worse than Michigan when it comes to tornados.

I dislike Michigan's many irregularities in weather (like 80 one day and 40 the next, what's up with that?), but I feel like it's the safest place I've ever lived in the climatical department.  And believe me, I've lived everywhere....

Answer 3

Sorry but tornadoes happen all over the world and every

state in the USA has had them.  Watch the weather reports

for cold fronts and boundary lines for dry & wet air.  

Tordnadoes form when cool/dry air meets warm/moist air.

Without that recipe, a tornado is unlikely.  I suggest that you

learn as much as you can about tornadoes as we tend to fear

what we don't understand.

Answer 4

i feel excited when storms are coming and i watch the satellite to see it . the main thing i would suggest is learning as much as possible to help you understand your fear.

if you know the how, what, when, where, and why, you may not get as scared, and more like me, get excited to actually witness "the hand of god"! tornadoes are awesome!

Answer 5

WR gave a good answer.

To add to what he wrote, people tend to be afraid of things that they do not understand, or of things that they feel might hurt them or someone they know. It is not at all uncommon for people to be afraid of tornadoes. I have come across numerous people on Yahoo Answers with the same situation. I am going to tell you the same things I told them.

You need to understand that tornadoes are not as common as they may appear to be, especially in your part of the country. I looked over the records in Oakland County, MI and I noticed that most of the tornadoes that hit the county were either rated F0 or F1 (http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tor... Such weak tornadoes are unlikely to cause death or injury and may appear to be more dangerous than they really are. Even yet, tornadoes are not a common occurrence with thunderstorms. The ingredients necessary for the development of a tornado are so specific that you are more likely to win the lottery. Besides, even if a tornadoes forms in your county, the likelihood that it will travel directly over your house is minuscule. Remember, nearly all tornadoes are no more than 50 yards wide so you can do the math. Your part of the country sees far fewer tornadoes than many other parts of the country such as the southeast or the plains.

Another thing you can do to make yourself feel better is to be prepared for anything. Check with the National Weather Service website (http://www.weather.gov/) or the Storm Prediction Center website (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/) to keep you updated on any risk of seeing storms days in advance. This way you can make early preparations just in case a thunderstorm hit your area.

The websites that WR provided will teach you plenty of things that you can do to keep you and your family safe from tornadoes. It includes info such as how to tell if a tornado may be approaching, where to go to take shelter and what to do before, during, and after the storm. Once you know how to protect yourself or anyone else, you will have nothing to worry about.

Answer 6

You should go before Congress, on the News, anywhere you can broadcast your message of the psychological distressse you and your Family, who is not alone, faces everyday!!

I, also, am in Arizona, but have resided in California and Alaska, and have heard and been around some friends who also have panic attacks about storms and earthquakes. Unfortunately, it isn't so much the fear of the storms, quakes, etc; as it is the fears that the building or vehicle you are in is vulnerable to these storms and quakes, collisions, etc.

I agree with knowledge is helpful for curbing these fears, and also advocating for better building and vehicle structural improvements. Your story is important.

Answer 7

i live in michigan too! be comfy and know that the lakes block a lot of the terrible storms. tornados arent too common in michigan  you shud rest assured and be try to relax for you kid at least.

Answer 8

Arizona is nice.It's one of the safest places in the Nation to live.

Answer 9

I live in an apartment as well. I get scared but forunately I am in a basement apartment. I get so panicked but yet I mangae to follow my plan. You need to plan ahead for severe weather and educate yourself about it. Learn how to read a doppler radar so you can track the storms on the internet or tv. Also have an emergency kit on hand. I have an emergency kit that is my tornado area already. I have a flashlight, batteries, hand held tv, bottled water, a prepaid cell phone, an emergency weather radio and I take a blanket to cover myself. The best place to go is a lower level or a basement; if you can't get there; go to your bathroom in a bathtub. (as long as there are no windows. My next apartment is not a basement apartment so I have to go the clubhouse basement hopefully it is open 24/7.