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["Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT dtnspeed.net>]

<<Two types of natural "disasters": those that take human lives and those 
that merely destroy human structures. Earthquakes are the only surprise 
natural calamities. Not counting meteors and meteorites. All other nasties, 
like hurricanes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions are now preceded with 
ample warning to get out of the way or hide in your tornado shelter.>> 

Gene is right that early warnings have cut way down on fatalities. The last
time this area had a major tornado -- and it was a real bad one that touched
down and stayed down and destroyed everything within a mile swath for about
30 miles -- there were no deaths. 

OTOH, it didn't look all that bad where we were, just a few miles north of
the touchdown, and our main concern was that we hoped the electric would
stay on while we finished milking the 200 goats. I'm sure if things had
looked worse one of us would have turned on the radio but as it was, we just
kept an eye to the southwest and prayed.

After milking Jim went off with a load of milk to the cheese plant, passing
en route a village that was totally destroyed by the storm, and I had no
knowledge that anything had happened until the hired man came to the door
and asked if he could borrow the big chain saw to remove a tree from his
parent's house.

Warnings only work if you have the radio on.

Marie