CODE BLACK

A Severe Tornado Warning was ON. As per latest prediction Tornado should reach this area by 20:00. This year it's been real bad so far, Flood, Thunderstorms & Multiple Tornadoes (so far 1,228 Tornadoes have been reported).

Last Sunday A massive Tornado of size 6 Hits Joplin, MO killed 125 & left more than 900 injured. Tornado was 1 mile wide, 6 Mile long & spinned with the speed of 135 - 155 miles per hour (216 - 248 kmph).

The Tornado we were expecting here was said to be of size 7 or 8. Much bigger and lot more destructive.

Went to office and sometime in the afternoon power tripped off, With just Emergency lights on, it was almost Dark inside office. I didn't feel safe in that SHED structured building and told my team members I'm going home and will work from there.

Almost whole day it was very sultry and thats recipe for disaster.

Went to buy bottled water, milk & Juice in case if TAP WATER gets contaminated it will help after storm.

Later got a call from one of my friends asking if I'm aware about Tornado, he also said there is a shelter nearby @ PEA RIDGE. I saw the videos of tornado which hit Joplin, MO. Ours was expected to be much stronger than previous one and also they said there are going to be multiple tornadoes this time. Baseball / Softball size hails were expected. T. V. & Internet are really good that they provide lot of information to public and keep them awared but at the same time you keep watching same news again and again you get panicked; Some people seem to get hypnotized with T.V. / Internet broadcasting & instead of reacting they start watching problem again and again.

It was already 18:10 and somehow I didn't feel safe inside this wooden house. A very comfortable and cozy house suddenly started to feel the most insecure place to me. I thought of going to Shelter. PACKED THE MOST IMP THINGS and asked couple of my friends if they want to join.

One guy said he'll come with me and packed his bag too.
Other one said "HEY COM'ON, WHO WILL GO TO THAT SHELTER MAN, NOOO, NOTHING WILL HAPPEN"
After this first guy also dropped the idea of going to Shelter.

I started solo. My friend's (who called me in the evening) home is on the way to shelter, thought of checking with them too. He was preparing evening snacks and told me Tornado is predicted to come here by 20:00. SO What are we waiting it's already 18:30 Once the SIREN goes off (means Tornado is actually seen nearby) we are not suppose to drive. Lets go.
WE'VE LOT OF TIME YAAR, DON'T WORRY.
Don't Worry... Lot of Time... Are we going for a Movie Show which will start @ 20:00, aren't we suppose to be near the shelter so if anything goes wrong we can get in and be safe.
WE'LL GO AFTER HAVING OUR LAST SNACKS & TEA :) YOU WANT SOME ?
hmmm okie.
He went to check with his neighbor what are they doing ?
I'VE TWO LITTLE KIDs, THEY WILL CRY THERE IN SHELTER. NOTHING WILL HAPPEN HERE.
THIS PLACE IS SAFER THAN SHELTER -- how ??? NO ANSWER, grrrrrrr I'LL CATCH THAT IN THIS POLY BAG - (shows a polythene bag).

another Neighbor

DO WE HAVE SHOPPING STORE NEARBY SHELTER, I NEED TO PURCHASE FEW ITEMS FIRST.

They opened some internet site / tv network showing Tornado in nearby state. They forgot the storm is moving towards us only and kept watching the videos.
It's almost 18:45, I insisted my friend to hurry up so we can move.
HE SPRAYED PERFUME, COMBED HAIR, MADE SURE THE MATCHING SHIRT, PACKED DINNER - as if we are going for a picnic.

I knew the direction for shelter but didn't know the exact address of it, so called up Lemmingrush. He along with his family were hiding in their basement. He told me to call Police Dispatch (NOT the 911) and ask them about Shelter Address. Called the Police dispatch and got exact house number where we had to go.

Finally at around 19:05 we started for Shelter, its an elementary school surrounded by hills and I was having pretty good feeling seeing the locality because they say tornadoes can't cross mountains, once they hit the mountain range they dissolve. Spent there almost 2 hours but Tornadoes didn't show up. My friend started cursing Meteorology Department for wrong prediction "Shall we be thankful that we are not having a dangerous Tornado or we should be cursing someone for false prediction" - Ultimately it was PREDICTION only not a FIRM Info. started back from shelter and dropped them back to their apartment. Came back home and checked the situation, they said storm hit couple of cities South West to us and pretty much moving towards us only. In nutshell the 20:00 time is delayed and it's still approaching and expected to come here anytime sooner.

Came out and this time thought of going to our MAIN OFFICE Building where we've Data Center too. Data Centers are very secured places, it would be built to survive most challenging weather and even military attack. Went inside office building (it's CONCRETE BUILDING) & started looking for Storm Shelter Safe Area. Found one and waited there even after midnight. Couple of other friends when they came to know about this, they also came in with their families. This part of building is almost at the center and has multiple floors above it. FELT VERY SAFE THERE.

Operator kept announcing CODE BLACK (Tornado Threat) but finally by 01:15 it was confirmed that it's not touching our city and changed it's path.

** Still the storm left many dead in OK, KS & AR (I live here) states.
** Tornado was so powerful that American Airlines & American Eagle canceled around 594 flights and pulled 89 planes from service for possible hail damage.

I also prepared list of MOST IMP ITEMS:
- Passport & All the Certificates / Mark sheets
- Laptop & My Camera
- Water
- A Comforter (Blanket)
- A Torch (I've a torch which doesn't need Battery but converts Mechanical Energy to Electrical Energy).

Other than above item, rest all suddenly started feeling meaningless.

Next morning: One lady pings me to tell that she was awake almost whole night because of tornado.
I WAS SCARED LAST NIGHT
where did you go ?
I WAS AT HOME, WHERE ELSE ? I was awake whole night. I slept at 02:00 then also kept alarm for every 1 hour to check.
CHECKING WHAT ??? YOU WERE ALREADY IN BIGGEST/TERRIBLE TROUBLE OF your LIFE, what did you do to safeguard yourself ?
nothing, we were watching it in Internet, initially we were ENJOYING than another friend came late night and scared us.
ENJOYING, Do you feel it was a movie show being displayed there?
You were suppose to go to SHELTER.
Told her not to be foolish again: Get help and be at some secured place.

During this whole time people kept saying we know about Tornado, We know it's dangerous but then what good your knowledge was if you still sit in wooden house and wait for it to come and take you away.

May be I was too scared, but I was because I watched this movie "Twister" years ago, which clearly gives a message. Just run away from its path it doesn't like anyone/anything standing in its way. "IT LEVELS EVERYTHING TO GROUND".

Tornado passed this area without any loss but left me thinking.

& I NOTED:
----------------
"People are Phony & dishonest to even their own life"
"We are so used to Luxuries in Life that We've stopped appreciating & caring for Life itself.".
* NO Disaster management will work until Individual shows respect for their own life".
* In Disasters it's just "Survival of the fittest".