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kittysback t1_jdlxqzb wrote

Reply to comment by katarina-stratford in Tornado hits western Mississippi as storms knock out power for thousands. A town is 'gone,' resident says | CNN by A179E49GFZ68722R23

Mississippian here, currently living just north of the path of yesterday’s tornado.

As someone else said, most of us have no place to go. Centralized shelters are few and far between, and Mississippi clay (our type of regional soil) makes it almost impossible for people to build affordable basements—basements just aren’t a thing here. Where I am, it’s pine forests for miles, so there’s a non-negligible possibility that you run into a downed tree in an attempt to find a shelter.

Rolling Fork in particular is very rural. If you’ve never been to the Delta, it’s hard to fathom, but it is very sparsely populated. I’ve lived in bigger and smaller Mississippi towns, and when you live closer to folks, you see activity and feel something different when it’s serious. Neighbors will check on you and then you know. When you’re isolated in a rural place, sometimes it’s hard to know. In addition, the Delta is very, very, VERY flat, so in this case, the tornado had little resistance from the natural environment.

My final thought, and something I admit I do: tornados do happen quickly, and we get warnings, but a lot of Mississippians and southerners don’t necessarily take them seriously. There are plenty of memes about this, and it’s unfortunately true because we get warnings for them quite frequently. This year, where I live, we’ve had them 7 times, including one 3 weeks ago. I usually start getting nervous when I hear hail (had it last night), but deadly storms don’t always produce it. But again, Mississippi is still quite rural, and some people don’t have dependable cell service. A friend of mine who lives out in the county only got last night’s message after it had passed through.

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dboy120 t1_jdmhg6h wrote

Could the number of people living in mobile homes in rural areas also contribute? There is essentially no safe place to go in a trailer, you HAVE to go somewhere else which just isn’t always an option.

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AngriestManinWestTX t1_jdn3gyk wrote

Yes, mobile homes are death traps in just about any tornado. Even the homes are either old or flimsily constructed. Increasing building codes might help, but then how would the people living there afford new homes with more stringent building codes? This part of the country is by and large, quite poor.

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Clunas t1_jdncfm8 wrote

Adding on to it: that area is poor by even Mississippi standards. Standard building maintenance often straight up doesn't happen. Tarps are sometimes considered permanent roof repairs.

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techleopard t1_jdnv3h7 wrote

We need a combination of both laws and grants being made available.

The federal government offers a piddly community grant that a township can apply for, but as we know, rural towns are spread out so even if they built one, it wouldn't be sufficient when it takes you 10-15 minutes to get to it on a good day.

But there is NOTHING for homeowners, which needs to change. That is where stormshelters are needed -- family sized ones at the home, where they can actually be useful.

And we need firm laws stating that every trailer park and HOA community needs a shelter within 5 minutes on foot of every home.

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lifeofblair t1_jdmvpp7 wrote

I remember in college at State tornadoes were just another reason to hang out with friends at houses. We “sheltered” but not seriously at all and like you said many never take them seriously. We always had people that would go outside to look for them and hangout.

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techleopard t1_jdnuhoz wrote

Screaming winds and pouring rain? You're safe.

Hard rain followed suddenly by silence? You better be looking for a ditch, immediately.

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katarina-stratford t1_jdnxq3o wrote

This is so detailed - thank you. You really painted a picture for me. The major natural threat here is wildfire - I've never had to consider the threat of a tornado.

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MajesticOuting t1_jdn8wqv wrote

Its actually the sand that causes the problems with the basements as the very very random patch's of it in the state means digging a hole in the ground is a gamble if it will collapse or not.

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sharpshooter999 t1_jdnjhzw wrote

I'm from Nebraska and have a cousin who moved to Houston. I know they can't have basements due to the high water table but not having a basement just feels wrong. A lot of newer homes have an actual room in the basement completely made of concrete, all four walls and the ceiling, just for a tornado room

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