I know "Tornado alley" probably gets a ton or watch's for storms/tornadoes, but I hear they announced early a big storm was coming and conditions were right for something like this to happen.
How were those kids still in the school? I guess being home wouldn't have been much better and they can't over-react to every watch, but did someone fail here?
I moved to Tulsa in 1973.
I bought a used mobile home for $2000.00 (it was a 1967 Detroiter).
Spent one scary nite in an empty pool with other trailer park residents watching tornado "Hooks" zipping by overhead
the sky had kind of an ominous "greenish" tinge laced with almost constant lightening.
Sold trailer a month later for $1500 and bought a brick home.
Been here 40 years and can say if you have lived in Oklahoma, your life has been touched by tornados.
The changes in projecting and tracking tornadic activity has been amazing, to say the least.
Radar, computer projections, storm chasers land and air, the whole Science of tornados has made for a much safer environment.
Still, in a rain wrapped event human eyes are the only confirmation of an active tornado.
Even with the great strides, you can not stop tornado development or predict with 100% accuracy that even though conditions are "perfect" for a tornado to form, that one will.
What science has offered is an early warning of a possible tornado event.
Moore Ok had 16 minute warning, granted not much, but a good part of Okla was under a tornado "watch" due to ripe conditions that could produce a tornado.
You can not stop your routine on the possibility of a tornado; but you have to be very, very aware, especially Springtime. There are so many tornado watches you kind of take them for granted, but you still need to be on your toes.
It is sad that Moore was devastated again, last time in 1999.
