Editor’s Note:  AccuWeather.com reports here on "the chilling scenario that a tornado warning is issued for your area," but they write from a national perspective.  In Oklahoma, active weather is a spectator sport
where observation skills and awareness aid survivability.  Tulsa Today recommends tornado shelters or safe rooms because regional frequency elevates benefits and mitigates cost concerns – in our opinion after reporting on tornado damage.

What do national experts feel are the best choices for avoiding serious injury or loss of life in a tornado?

Options range from seeking shelter in basements to interior
above-ground rooms to below-ground storm shelters. However, there are
pros and cons to all of these options.

Many experts agree that your odds for surviving a direct hit with a strong tornado (EF-4 or EF-5) are greatest in a nearby below-ground storm shelter.  

However, since few individuals have quick access to such a structure or the funds to complete the project, there are other less expensive, close-by options such as an interior safe room within your home or work area that is located above the ground or the same setup in a basement.

Both severe weather experts and Certified Consulting Meteorologists Dr. Charles A. Doswell III and Michael R. Smith agree that risk in an above-ground safe room increases during the strongest tornadoes.

Doswell is founder and President of Doswell Scientific Consulting and is author or co-author of more than 100 formal publications, mostly related to severe storms.  Smith is Sr. Vice President/Chief Innovation Executive of AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions and author of the book "Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather."

Both Doswell and Smith stated that in these storms large, heavy airborne objects, like a vehicle, can be flung at a high rate of speed and can compromise the room if struck.

Fortunately, storms of this magnitude are extremely rare even in tornado-prone portions of the Plains, Midwest and South.

Both Doswell and Smith also agree that being in an open area in a basement may not provide enough protection.

According to Smith, "If a below-ground safe room was not available but a basement was present, I would head downstairs and get under sturdy furniture or a stairwell."

Doswell added, "In violent tornadoes, sometimes the floor collapses or is swept away and debris can then be thrown into the basement."

For existing homes that do not have a basement, retrofitting a small, interior room or adding a safe room above ground within a large room may be the only cost effective alternative.

Neither of these is necessarily inexpensive. If you do not have a basement and cannot afford these alternatives, you have no truly safe options and have to do the best you can by sheltering in place.

Studies have shown that when much of a home has been destroyed, often the only surviving part of the dwelling is a small interior room, such as a closet or bathroom. This has to do with more supportive wall framing versus ceiling surface area.

According to Doswell, "An above-ground safe room built to Texas Tech. specifications is not 100 percent invulnerable, but remains a very viable option to an underground shelter and offers the additional value of not having to leave your home to get to shelter."

In strong tornadoes, often the entire roof and/or upper floors are removed from the dwelling, which exposes the remaining walls to more stress and risk of failure.

Even if the interior walls remain standing, they could be penetrated by high-velocity projectiles.

An approved safe room has reinforced walls, ceiling and door.

Whether you seek refuge in a safe room or closet, there are additional precautions you can take.

According to a recent story published by The Birmingham News, gear such as a bike helmet, an infant car seat, sturdy shoes or boots and a heavy quilt or coat can offer extra protection from shards of glass, splinters and other airborne objects.

The National Weather Service has a list of items to consider when stocking your safe room or shelter.

Mobile Homes

Generally, mobile home occupants should seek safe shelter elsewhere, as a mobile home offers little protection from a tornado.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average lead time for tornado warnings is 13 minutes.

Smith, Doswell and most of the meteorological community believe this is sufficient lead time to get to safety as long as the decision to leave is carried out immediately, you know exactly where to go and the shelter is not too far away.

There are some people who do not have a means of transportation, are handicapped or simply have no place to go.

Sometimes even experienced storm chasers are fooled.

Doswell states, "Escaping a tornado in a vehicle is not recommended unless the absence of traffic and the availability of road options allow you to move quickly at right angles relative to the tornado’s path."

Plan Ahead

The meteorological community including the National Weather Service and AccuWeather.com provide heads-up alerts sometimes days in advance of potential severe weather and tornado outbreaks.

However, planning ahead should not wait until the day of an expected outbreak or during the heart of the severe weather season. Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year, and any time of the day.

In the case of mobile homes, or other storm-vulnerable housing, planning ahead as far as possible is necessary in terms of constructing, locating and traveling to a safe area.

It should be the topic of community, family and workplace discussion. There may already be approved safe areas and information available within your township, school or job site.

You Can Survive a Tornado: Take Responsibility!

People should assume the worst will happen when a tornado warning is issued.

According to Smith, "People need to take responsibility for their safety. Trust the warnings. You might spend some time in a shelter unnecessarily on occasion, but the tornado warnings have become good enough that they need to be taken seriously."

According to Doswell, "If schools and workplaces have no plan (for tornadoes), people should demand that a plan be developed."

If you are building a new home, consider the addition of an approved safe room or nearby outdoor, in-ground storm shelter with adequate means of ventilation and drainage.

If you live in a mobile home park, consider approaching the owner as a group about building a storm shelter.

In light of the trend of fatalities over the years during tornado outbreaks, there have been vast improvements in public awareness thanks to advanced warnings in the public and private sector.

However, since the number of fatalities from tornadoes is still far from zero, much more improvement is needed on behalf of the public’s education, practice and preventative measures.

For 165 years, the Northern Black Swift has pulled a fall migration disappearing act that the famed illusionist Harry Houdini would envy.

Where the high flying bird vanishes to after breeding and spending
summers in many parts of western North America has puzzled
ornithologists since the species was discovered in 1857. Now, thanks to a
new study, we learn that at least some of them travel about 4,300 miles
to a remote part of western Brazil in lowland rainforest.

The study, which was published in the March 2012 issue of Wilson Journal of Ornithology, involved attaching geolocators (tiny devices that record and store tracking information) to four adult Black Swifts from two nesting sites in Colorado, then recapturing the same birds at the same sites the next year to download the stored data. Three of the four tracking devices were recovered, and showed the birds departing for their fall southerly migration between September 10 and September 19, arriving in Brazil between September 28 and October 12, departing Brazil between May 9 and 20, and arriving back at their Colorado breeding sites between May 23 and June 18.

“Winter ranges have been identified for most neotropical migrant bird species, but data on patterns and timing of migration for the Northern Black Swift is virtually non-existent… their winter range was previously, unknown,” said Jason Beason, the lead author of the study with the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

“The data we acquired is very important to understanding species ecology, including reproductive success, population dynamics, behavioral ecology, evolution, and response to changing selective pressures,” he said.

“This is one of the last major mysteries left in ornithology – where black swifts spend the winter”, said Bob Altman, Wildlife Biologist with American Bird Conservancy and coordinator of Black Swift monitoring in the Pacific Northwest. “Thanks to the efforts of the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory we can now begin the process of further identifying and protecting wintering sites of conservation importance for one of the most unusual breeding birds in North America.”

Several factors contribute to the lack of knowledge about migration and winter distribution of this species, including difficulty in accurate field identification of individuals due to their high and rapid flight, problems differentiating this species from similar-sized members of other species that occupy Central and South America, and the inability to verify observation records. No band recoveries exist outside of the United States from about 200 Northern Black Swifts banded from 1950 forward.

Further, satellite GPS devices, which transmit real time tracking of individuals, are not sufficiently small to place on a species the size of the seven-inch-long Black Swift. As a result, geolocators (which record data but do not transmit it) were used which meant that the study birds would need to be recaptured for the location data to be analyzed. That necessity was made easier on one hand by the fact that the birds typically are very committed to returning to their previous breeding colony, but made more challenging because they tend to nest in areas that are incredibly difficult to access – behind waterfalls in deeply shaded niches in steep and narrow canyons.

Curiously, the birds averaged about 211 miles per day during fall migration and about 244 miles per day during spring migration, about a 15 percent increase in average daily distance covered. They spent about 220 days in Brazil before migrating north again.

“Now that we know where this bird winters, we can identify some concerns. The most obvious are climate change impacts and the current rate of deforestation in Brazil, which could directly threaten this species. It appears likely that the rate of deforestation will increase rapidly in the coming decades, which could result in the loss of up to 30 percent of the forest cover by 2050,” Beason said.

The Black Swift is a U.S. WatchList species of concern as some data show a 6.3% per year range-wide decline from 1966 to 2001. One potential reason for the decline is habitat loss and a decrease in the abundance of the bird’s main food source — winged insects — tied to the use of pesticides.

The Black Swift is the largest swift in the USA. Their plumage is mostly dark grey; although there is a contrast between the upper and lower wings. The shoulders are much darker than the remaining portion of the wing. Often called the "cloud" swift, these birds hunt in the rising air masses that sweep large numbers of insects into the sky. They hunt at such high elevations that they are often not visible with the naked eye.

The authors of the study are Jason Beason (Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory), Carolyn Gunn, Kim Potter (White River National Forest, U.S.D.A. Forest Service), Robert Sparks (Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory), and James Fox (British Antarctic Survey and Migrate Technology Ltd.).

American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to conserve native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. ABC acts by safeguarding the rarest species, conserving and restoring habitats, and reducing threats, while building capacity in the bird conservation movement.

AccuWeather.com reports an active severe weather season is anticipated in the U.S. during spring of 2012 with the most widespread warmth since 2004.

The president is duly and properly warned.  Should offensive military
force be used without authorization of an act of Congress, "it is the
sense of Congress" that such an act would be "an impeachable high crime
and misdemeanor." 

The Northeast will be mild to start, while the central Plains and western Texas will be a particularly warm zone this spring.

An exception to the mild weather will be the Pacific Northwest, where temperatures will be below normal.

Active Severe Weather Season Forecast
An above-normal number of tornadoes is forecast for this season with water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico running above normal for this time of year. The active severe weather season follows a deadly year with a near-record number of tornadoes in 2011.

Typically, 1,300 tornadoes strike the U.S. a year. There were nearly 1,700 tornadoes in 2011, falling short of the record 1,817 tornadoes set in 2004.

Rounds of wet weather with an active start to the severe weather season are in store for the Deep South, including eastern Texas and the Gulf states, during March.

The rain early in the season will be beneficial for drought-stricken areas, including southern portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Alabama, southwestern Georgia and the western Florida Panhandle. Near-normal precipitation is expected in this zone for the entire spring.

"Areas that seemed to miss out on frequent severe weather last year may see an uptick this year," AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski said.

More frequent bouts of rain and severe weather will migrate northward to the mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys, which were not hit as hard as the Deep South in 2011, mainly during April and May.

Above-normal rainfall is in store for the Tennessee and Ohio valleys as cooler, unsettled weather settles in the region during May.

"The Tennessee Valley wild card will be whether cut-off lows bring below-normal temperatures and unsettled weather to the region during May," according to Pastelok.

While portions of the South will have welcome rain and above-normal rainfall this spring, drought conditions may worsen in central and southern portions of Florida. Dry conditions are expected for central and southern Florida for most of the season. The increasing dry conditions may also lead to a high fire danger throughout this spring season.

"By the summer, the pattern in Florida may flip around with more episodes of wet weather," Pastelok added.

Warming Up in the Rockies, Plains
The central Plains and western and central parts of Texas will be particularly warm this spring, once a large dome of high pressure shifts westward and dominates the weather.

The change to drier, milder weather is expected to occur in April and May. Temperatures will climb above-normal, especially across Nebraska and Kansas and western and central Texas, with below-normal rainfall. The persistent dry and mild weather is not good news for the already drought-stricken Texas and the Four Corners region.

However, across eastern Texas, episodes of rain this winter have already begun to chip away at drought conditions. Some more episodes of wet weather, especially earlier in the season, will continue to provide some relief to communities in eastern Texas.

Farther north, following a devastating year of flooding for some areas of the Midwest in 2011, farmers and residents are likely wondering what this season will bring. Fortunately, there is a low risk of flooding this year for rivers in the northern Plains with a lack of substantial snowcover.

Warmth Early for the Great Lakes, Then Roller-Coaster Temperatures
"The spring [temperatures] will start out well above normal through the Great Lakes but may head into a back-and-forth pattern for April and early May, more of a typical spring," Pastelok said. "Snow chances will be limited through March with a small chance for a couple of events in April."

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, northern Wisconsin and northern and central parts of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan will receive above-normal precipitation this spring.

Overall, despite some cool periods and chances of snow, most of the Great Lakes will end up with above-normal temperatures this spring. Chicago and Milwaukee will have above-normal temperatures and near-normal precipitation.

Unsettled Periods For Some in the Northeast; Mild
Spring fever alerts are issued for the Northeast with a mild start to the season expected for the balance of the region.

It will be a nice and mild March for the I-95 corridor, spanning Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. Cities across the interior Northeast, such as Pittsburgh and Buffalo, may even have a milder March than areas farther east.

Despite mild weather, there will still be some rain events in March, especially for the Appalachians.

Temperatures will flip-flop more during April and early May with some quick cool shots arriving before significant warming occurs late in May into June. With quick-moving storms, precipitation will turn out near normal.

Cool and Unsettled in the Northwest; Cool California Coast
Seattle and Portland are both forecast to receive above-normal rainfall with a cool, unsettled weather pattern lingering during this spring in the Pacific Northwest.

"Mountain snow will linger in the Northwest, at times in the Sierra Mountains," Pastelok said about the early part of the spring.

Cool, damp weather could even last right through May with a storm track into the Northwest. "It will be a slow recovery on temperatures late in spring into the summer," added Pastelok.

While the interior valleys and deserts have near- to slightly above-normal temperatures this spring, the coastal areas will have a cool onshore flow from the Pacific. The marine layer will frequently bring in low clouds and fog late at night and during the morning for the coastal communities.

Union Intermediate High School student Suha Gowda of Broken Arrow is the only student in Oklahoma to receive a scholarship from Honeywell to attend the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy (HLCA) program from February 25 – March 9, 2012 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.  In total, the company has awarded scholarships to 256 selected students from 30 countries and 30 U.S. states.

Designed in partnership with the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy provides students with a unique opportunity to engage in sessions addressing current issues in science, technology and engineering (STEM).  The week-long program is designed to develop their capacities through hands on challenges and build their leadership skills.

Students will engage in interactive activities and workshops created to enhance their leadership fundamentals.  Events planned include:
1.  Simulating jet-fighter pilot training
2.  Scenario-based space missions
3.  Designing, building and testing their own rockets
4.  Meet with top scientists, engineers, and former astronauts to reinforce core leadership competencies and provide them with first-hand accounts of professional experiences

Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy (HLCA) is part of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company’s corporate citizenship initiative, which focuses on: Family Safety & Security; Housing & Shelter; Science & Math Education; Habitat & Conservation; and Humanitarian Relief. Together with leading public and non-profit institutions, Honeywell has developed powerful programs to address these needs in the communities it serves.  For more information on Honeywell Hometown Solutions visit www.honeywell.com/hhs.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter signed by the entire Oklahoma delegation to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar asking for clarification
regarding the Listing Priority Number (LPN) for the Lesser Prairie
Chicken (LPC). 

Signatories included Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Representatives
James Lankford, (R-OK-5), John Sullivan (R-OK-1), Frank Lucas (R-OK-3),
Tom Cole (R-OK-4), Dan Boren (D-OK-2), as well as eighteen other Senate
and House members.

Specifically, these members requested that they be given the information the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) utilized in 2008 to change the LPN for the Lesser Prairie Chicken from an 8 to a 2, which is a dramatic change in a short amount of time.  As the letter states, “Considering the LPC’s ten years as a relatively low priority candidate species, it seems unusual that such a dramatic shift would occur. In our view, providing detailed information regarding this shift would facilitate better communication between the Service, states and local governments as well as other stakeholders.”

Senator Inhofe has led ongoing
efforts to promote private-public partnerships to increase the number of
Lesser Prairie-Chickens in Oklahoma.  These kinds of voluntary efforts
are proven to be more effective than an Endangered Species Act listing,
which has a low success rate in preserving species but a high success
rate in killing jobs and harming state economies.  In September 2011,
Director Ashe traveled to Edmond and Woodward, Oklahoma at the Senator’s request, where he heard directly from Oklahomans about the
devastating consequences of a listing for jobs and the economy. 

Sen. Inhofe said, “Given the devastating impacts a listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken will have on energy development, the construction of highway infrastructure, and agriculture, Oklahomans need to know exactly why the ranking of this species has changed so dramatically on the agency’s priority list over such a short period of time.  As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, I will continue to pursue this issue until it is resolved.”  

Rep. Lankford added, “Priority listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken by the Department of Interior could have a dramatic impact on the progress of Western Oklahoma, adding tremendous burden on farmers, land owners, wind farms and all other economic development. The Department of Interior has an obligation to demonstrate the scientific evidence and the decision-making process that proves the need for such a rapid change in listing.  Before the onerous regulatory hand is imposed on Oklahoma, our state should have the opportunity to evaluate and respond to any Lesser Prairie Chicken population issues that are discovered through a state implementation plan, rather than through federal mandates.”  

Rep. Lucas said, “I fully appreciate the importance of conservation to Oklahoma, but I find concern with a possible listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) on the Endangered Species List. As a leader in wind energy, oil, gas and agriculture production, a listing of the LPC would have detrimental effects on our state’s economy. This action would interfere with The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s ongoing efforts of creating a habitat management for the LPC, and I believe this federal action would create an additional layer of costs and bureaucracy at a time when we can ill-afford it.”  

Rep. Sullivan agreed saying “Here we go again – this is yet another potential regulatory burden from the Obama administration that could have far reaching consequences on Oklahoma’s vast energy and agriculture sectors.  I was proud to sign this letter to help bring transparency and request much needed clarification as to why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to change the status of the Lesser Prairie Chicken.”

Rep. Cole said, “The effort by the Fish and Wildlife Service to list the Lesser Prairie Chicken as an endangered species is an example of desired outcome trumping science.  Data on prairie chicken populations is not comprehensive, and it is dangerous for the Obama administration to move forward with an action that will put the livelihood of everyone in Western Oklahoma in jeopardy without thorough study and sound science.”