Does it seem we are experiencing more major weather phenomenons
around the world than ever before? Not only do we have more
storms; they are record storms of all kinds.
As I write today, our area is on the lookout for thunderstorms
with high winds, rain and perhaps severe hail. This storm is
said to be connected to the disturbance that came out of the
Gulf and demolished areas in Texas last week.
The storm has been relentless, traveling north, northeast and
on Tuesday again displayed its huge strength. It produced one
of the largest tornados, (F-5) ever recorded in Worth, Oklahoma.
As many of us watched via TV news stations, the mile wide,
17-mile long storm destroyed everything in its path: homes,
schools and a hospital. In just minutes, lives were taken;
heroes and heroines were born, and the world as it was known
to the residents of Worth forever changed.
I was amazed as everyone watching must have been by the tales
of unselfish acts of lifesaving by the teachers of the elementary
schools. With no regard for their own safety, they quickly
reacted to protect their students from harm. They led them
into closets and storerooms, instructing them to sit on the
floor, put their heads down with their hands or books over
them.
One
youngster reported watching the storm suck glasses off the
face of kids as the teachers held them down.
Many reports
were heard of teachers lying on top of their kids to
protect them. A woman, with blood streaming down her
face, emerged
from the rubble hugging a little girl and crying. A
reporter asked if her daughter was OK and she said, “It’s
my student, and yes she’s safe.”
We must all be aware; many teachers love their students as
if they were their own children. They are not taught that in
college.
The
outpouring of first responders; police, firefighters, EMS
and many other volunteers restored everyone’s
faith in their fellow men and women.
As
I see it, we have found ways to recover from hurricanes,
tornados, tsunamis, floods and other
devastating
weather events. Why can’t we find a way to alert people sooner than 15
minutes about what’s coming? Why can’t
architects and engineers design and build structures,
intended to
house children, include shelters?
Severity of the storms we are experiencing should dictate that
any buildings, especially schools and hospitals, have shelter
areas so a 15 minute warning could be enough to allow people
to reach a safe haven.
Back in the 1950s during the Cold War with the Soviet Union,
Nike sights were a norm. Many schools and other public buildings
were built with shelters beneath them. In the schools, drills
were held and students marched down to the structures. Some
of them are still scattered around Huron County but no longer
available to the public. Many individuals had such facilities
in their homes or yards. Now they are used to store produce
(root cellars) and other items, but they may still serve in
emergencies.
Brilliant scientist in the world, working to develop ways to
control objects and conditions beyond our atmosphere, should
be studying ways to control nature. At the very least they
could work on how to better predict storms far enough in advance
to allow people to take cover.
Perhaps one of those young students saved by a loving teacher
will be the one to develop the needed technical knowledge.